Liberty heads to Bowling Green for a Week 3 non-conference game as both teams are looking to get back on track following a road loss.

Game Overview

  • Matchup: Liberty Flames (1-1, 0-1 CUSA) at Bowling Green Falcons (1-1, 0-0 MAC)
  • Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Doyt L. Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, Ohio. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+. It is homecoming for Bowling Green.
  • Series History: Tied, 1-1. Liberty won the previous matchup, 34-24, on Sep. 2, 2023.

Preview of the Falcons

Former Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State Eddie George has returned to the state of Ohio where he made a name for himself. He comes to Bowling Green as the head coach after several successful seasons at Tennessee State where he led them to their first playoff berth since 2013 and first conference title since 1999. Taking over a team that averaged three wins per year in the immediate history prior to him, George had Tennessee State posting consecutive winning seasons, including a 9-win mark last year.

Bowling Green opened the Eddie George era with a 26-7 win over Lafayette. This past Saturday, they played in-state Power Four opponent Cincinnati. The Falcons trailed 21-0 late in the first half and then 24-3 late in the third quarter before attempting to mount a comeback, ultimately losing, 34-20.

Drew Pyne is the starting quarterback for the Falcons and George. On his fourth Division I school, Pyne is 9-3 as a starter over his previous stops. He started his career at Notre Dame (2020-22) then transferred to Arizona State (2023) before playing at Missouri last year. He returned to Notre Dame for a semester after ASU in order to graduate from the school. He started 10 games for the Irish in 2022. Pyne has had some success so far this season. Just last week at Cincinnati, he was 29 for 36 passing with 274 yards and a touchdown. On the season, he has completed 75.9% of his 54 passes for 383 yards, and a touchdown. He’s not much of a rushing threat as he has -16 yards on the ground through the first two games. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in five straight seasons which is the longest active streak in the nation.

It’s been a balanced rushing attack for Bowling Green early in 2025. Three backs have split the bulk of the carries, with Cameron Pettaway leading the way with 21 carries for 107 yards. Pettaway is also the team’s kick returner, and he returned the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown – the second straight season the Falcons have done that. Pettaway is a redshirt-freshman and is poised for a breakout season. He is currently 16th in the country with 149 all-purpose yards per game.

Tight end Jyrin Johnson is the top receiver. He has 8 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown on the season with 7 for 80 and the score coming this past week in the loss to Cincinatti. He enters this weekend ranking No. 17 nationally in receiving yards among tight ends. The Falcons have a history of really good tight ends. Just last season, Harold Fannin, Jr. had eight 100-yard receiving games and leading all FBS tight ends in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

Through the first two games, Bowling Green is averaging 23 points, 127.5 yards rushing, and 191.5 yards passing.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons are holding teams to 20.5 points, 82.5 yards rushing, and 225.5 yards passing each game. Brandon Fisher, the son of former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher, is Bowling Green’s first-year defensive coordinator, a position he held at Tennessee State under George for the prior four seasons. The Falcons lead the MAC and rank No. 28 nationally in third-down defense as opponents having converted only seven third-down opportunities this season, including Cincinnati going just 2 of 7.

Dorian Pringle leads the team with 20 tackles and four tackles for a loss. He ranks 10th in the nation with his four TFLs, posting all four of them in the opener against Lafayette.  Gideon ESPN Lampron is second on the team with 15 tackles and three tackles for loss. He is in his first season at Bowling Green after an FCS All-American season at Dayton in 2024. His legal middle name is ESPN.

The Falcons have a very capable kicker as Jackson Kleather was a perfect 4 for 4 on his field goals in the season opener, including a 56-yarder which is tied for second in program history for longest field goal.

Coach George on the Flames

“I wasn’t here two years ago (when we last met). That’s in the past. This is a brand-new era. We’re mindful of this team. We’re mindful of the success they’ve had. They (were) 21-5 in the last two years, an undefeated season. They have some explosive players offensively. They are capable of doing some great things defensively. They are battle-tested. With that in mind, I can’t worry about what they did two years ago or what Bowling Green did two years ago. It’s what we do moving forward, who we are now, this team, this unit, and making sure our minds are right, our hearts are right. We know who this opponent is. We know our plan. We know the situations we are going to be in, and then we have to execute thereafter at a high level and not worry about what happened two years ago.”

Coach Chadwell on the Falcons

“They are big and physical. When you play a MAC team, some of them are built similar. They are big guys. They move well. They are well-coached. From a defensive standpoint, their D-Coordinator, his father was a long-time NFL coach. They are well-coached. They play hard. I think they have two really, really great linebackers. They are a big, physical group.”

“Offensively, they are a traditional, pro-style where they’re gonna run the ball at you down your throat. Run power and some things that you typically see in Big 10 type situations. You can see his mindset on them. The way he ran, the way he played. He was a tough physical back. You can tell they’ve taken on his personality.”

“It’s going to be a big challenge for us because they’ve got some good players. They’re confident. They played Cincinnati well, had opportunities in that Cincinnati game. Really good in the return game. We will have to play well to have a chance to win.”

Prediction

Spread: Liberty -4.5

My forecast: Liberty 28, Bowling Green 20

My record this season: 1-1 straight-up, 2-0 against the spread