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College sports

Bowling Green State University Falcons Open 107th Football Season

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Bowling Green State University's (BGSU) football team is set to begin its 107th season against Lafayette on Thursday, marking the start of the Eddie George era. George, the 21st head coach in the program's history, is returning to his home state of Ohio, where he won the Heisman Trophy 30 years ago. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Falcons have a 51-48-7 all-time record in season openers and a 70-31-5 all-time record in home openers.
  • Thursday's matchup is the first meeting between BGSU and Lafayette, and the second-ever meeting between a BGSU team and a Patriot League school.
  • Former BGSU head coach Urban Meyer will be honored during the game as part of the National Football Foundation Campus Salute.
  • QB Drew Pyne is poised to make a start for the fourth-straight season, having previously started games at Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Missouri.
  • DE Eriq George, son of head coach Eddie George, and DT Ian van der Merwe, son of Vice President for Athletics Strategy Derek van der Merwe, become the first pair of sons of both a head coach and an athletics director to play on the same FBS team--let alone in the same position group.
  • The Falcons are entering their first season under new head coach Eddie George, who was named the 21st head coach in BGSU program history on March 9, 2025.
  • BGSU ranks No. 130 out of 136 FBS teams in returning production for 2025, at just 35 percent.
  • The Falcons were one of only four FBS programs in 2022 to improve its win total by 4+ games from 2020 to 2021 and by 2+ more games from 2021 to 2022.
  • BGSU's win total in 2024 remained +7 from 2020, marking four straight seasons without a decline in victories.

Statistics:

  • 107th season of football for BGSU
  • 51-48-7 all-time record in season openers
  • 70-31-5 all-time record in home openers
  • 35% returning production for 2025, ranking the Falcons No. 130 out of 136 FBS teams
  • 30 years since Eddie George won the Heisman Trophy
  • 4th season in a row with at least a +7 win total

Sources:

  • Columbus: Bowling Green State University Athletics of Ohio
  • [Source 1 - EXACTLY as mentioned in the original text]

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