The Machine

Bowling Green

Mid-American · 3-7CFP unranked

Bowling Green is 3-7 and No. 127 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 16.8 points below an average FBS team. Last game: won 33-28 vs Kent State in Week 11.

Machine rankNo. 127of all FBS teams
Rating now−16.816.8 points below an average FBS team
Since July−3.1from −13.7 in the preseason rating

Why Bowling Green is No. 127

  • Bowling Green's rating is −16.8: the machine's estimate that Bowling Green is 16.8 points worse than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 127 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at −13.7, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it down 3.1.
  • The biggest weekly moves: −4.8 after Week 2 (L 7-56 at Nebraska) and −3.8 after Week 3 (L 7-55 at Iowa State).
  • Its record is 3-7. The 7 losses were to No. 23 Nebraska, No. 50 Iowa State, No. 78 Western Michigan, No. 83 South Florida, No. 109 Buffalo, No. 131 Ball State, Tarleton State (FCS), by 19.0 points on average. The 3 wins came by 12.3 points on average; the best was over No. 114 Miami (OH). The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 95 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 126 Massachusetts (−15.7); just below is No. 128 Middle Tennessee (−17.5).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Eddie George is in his 2nd season at Bowling Green (since 2025). This season: 3-7. At Bowling Green overall: 7-15, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 10 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts168-258
Passing yards1816
Touchdowns-interceptions14-9
Yards per attempt*7.0No. 92 of 138
Explosive pass rate8.4%No. 115 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)5.9%No. 80 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards333-1109
Yards per carry3.3No. 128 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)9.4%No. 130 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)21.4%No. 123 of 138

Scoring

Points per game19.3No. 127 of 138
Yards per play5.03No. 125 of 138
Third-down rate40.0%No. 73 of 138
Red-zone TD rate43.5%No. 129 of 138
Giveaways13No. 91 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game28.9No. 104 of 138
Yards per play allowed6.26No. 119 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed7.6No. 99 of 138
Yards per carry allowed5.2No. 126 of 138
Sack rate9.6%No. 5 of 138
Takeaways12No. 48 of 138
Third-down rate allowed33.9%No. 32 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Jay Kastantin150-225, 1567 yds, 11 TD, 8 INT
  2. Austin Novosad18-32, 249 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Austyn Dendy104 carries, 371 yds, 4 TD
  2. Nakai Amachree84 carries, 369 yds, 1 TD
  3. Jay Kastantin66 carries, 167 yds, 1 TD

Receiving

  1. Jeremiah Scoby33 catches, 341 yds, 0 TD
  2. Brennan Ridley29 catches, 329 yds, 1 TD
  3. Winn Sharp28 catches, 314 yds, 1 TD

Tackles

  1. Dorian Pringle97
  2. Kal-El Pascal69
  3. Cashmire Lewis49

Sacks

  1. Myles Bradley14
  2. Eriq George5
  3. Cashmire Lewis4

Interceptions

  1. JoJo Johnson1
  2. Josira Andrews1
  3. Nick Sawyer1

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Jay Kastantin9 games225 attempts87%
  2. Austin NovosadMost passes in the last game3 games32 attempts12%

Carrying

  1. Austyn Dendy8 games104 carries40%
  2. Nakai Amachree10 games84 carries32%
  3. Ke'Marion Baldwin7 games28 carries11%
  4. Leo Kemp6 games15 carries6%

Catching

  1. Jeremiah Scoby10 games33 catches20%
  2. Brennan Ridley10 games29 catches17%
  3. Winn Sharp8 games28 catches17%
  4. Eli Jacon-Duffy9 games27 catches16%

Tackling

  1. Dorian Pringle10 games97 tackles15%
  2. Kal-El Pascal10 games69 tackles10%
  3. Cashmire Lewis9 games49 tackles7%
  4. Eriq George9 games48 tackles7%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 L 13–20 vs Tarleton State. Tarleton State is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  2. Week 2 L 7–56 at Nebraska. The run defense gave ground: Nebraska got 7.8 yards a carry, 3.4 over what it usually gains. The most yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  3. Week 3 L 7–55 at Iowa State. The run defense gave ground: Iowa State got 7.9 yards a carry, 3.4 over what it usually gains. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
  4. Week 4 L 6–14 vs South Florida. The passing game struggled: 4.4 yards an attempt, 1.8 less than South Florida usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  5. Week 5 W 24–20 at Miami (OH). The run defense was the strength: Miami (OH) got 3.1 yards a carry, 1.5 under what it usually gains. The machine had Miami (OH) by 13.3 (80%), so this was a win it did not see coming.
  6. Week 6 W 38–10 vs Sacramento State. The passing game struggled: 6.6 yards an attempt, 1.4 less than Sacramento State usually allows. Its most yards a carry of the season.
  7. Week 7 L 31–32 vs Ball State. The run game struggled: 2.8 yards a carry, 2.2 less than Ball State usually allows. The machine had Bowling Green by 8.3 (70%), so this was a loss it did not see coming.
  8. Week 8 L 24–31 at Buffalo. The run defense gave ground: Buffalo got 6.1 yards a carry, 2.7 over what it usually gains.
  9. Week 9 L 10–23 at Western Michigan. The passing game struggled: 4.7 yards an attempt, 3.2 less than Western Michigan usually allows.
  10. Week 11 W 33–28 vs Kent State. The pass defense gave ground: Kent State got 8.5 yards an attempt, 2.6 over what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 2.

How to read this