Bowling Green Football: Can the Falcons rebound from winless season?
![Matt McDonald, Bowling Green Football. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F8944e1f6a11a61ccd397faa16fb9ebff08965aefe95b4b2cae8daf6752eda3d5.jpg "Matt McDonald, Bowling Green Football. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]")
![Terion Stewart, Bowling Green Football [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F7643c6da32909c1a11e56420a19394de4893c3704c291e17eaab183fef5d08e2.jpg "Terion Stewart, Bowling Green Football [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]")
Offense has nowhere to go but up after terrible 2020 season
While Bowling Green football is only slated to return three starters on offense this season, that might be a good thing considering it averaged only 11.4 PPG last season.
The Falcons ranked 118th in passing offense last season and only had one touchdown through the air in five games. It does not get much worse than that and the Falcons, by default, should be improved at least a little bit in both categories in 2021.
Former Boston College transfer Matt McDonald was the starter at quarterback in 2020, but his job is by no means safe heading into this season. McDonald will be the favorite, but the other guys vying for the job will be Syracuse transfer Drew Gunther, and freshmen Tucker Melton, as well as Riley Keller, and LaBronz Davis. I expect this competition to carry into fall camp and possibly into the season.
The part of the offense that should have Bowling Green fans excited heading into the season is the running game.
The Falcons had the 46th ranked rushing offense last season and last year’s leading rusher Terion Stewart is back after averaging eight yards per carry, to go along with four touchdowns. Stewart is still a young player and should only get better as he gets older and is the biggest right spot on what was a ghastly offense last season.
The wide receivers were a very underwhelming group last season and it is unclear who is the top playmaker in that group. There was a lot of youth in that room last season and Tyrone Broden should only get better after a solid freshman season. One thing that was evident when watching the Bowling Green offense was that Loeffler wants to get his tight ends heavily involved in the offense, but the problem with that heading into the season is that the Falcons are very inexperienced at tight end.
There is only one starter returning on the offensive line and that could be a problem for an offense that is retooling and young in several spaces. Bowling Green can be better on offense with better quarterback play and if some of the young skill guys take a step forward.