By Elizabeth Scanland
Louisville will look to remain undefeated as they welcome the Bowling Green Falcons for the first-ever matchup between the two programs.
The Cardinals return to action after a bye week, aiming to sharpen up before entering ACC play.
Heisman-caliber?
Led by Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George in his first year with the program, Bowling Green should have a strong offense under his expert guidance. Right?
Quarterback Drew Pyne is an extremely experienced leader of this Falcons offense, having made stops at Notre Dame, Arizona State and Missouri before transferring to Bowling Green in 2025. While this season has just started, Pyne’s stats are not overly impressive, as he has a total of 529 yards and two touchdowns.
He tends to struggle with deep ball accuracy and mobility, making him a statue and a horrible matchup for the strengths of the Louisville defense. However, he does have several strengths that are worth noting.
Pyne is a pretty accurate quarterback, throwing zero interceptions to start the season. He excels in quick throws, and can stay calm in the pocket.
Alongside Pyne, running back Kaderris Roberts and tight end Jyrin Johnson are likely to be the offensive focus. Although, neither have been that imposing this season. Roberts has 152 of the team’s 413 total rushing yards, marking a pretty abysmal average of 50 yards a game. Johnson leads the team with 138 receiving yards and one of the two receiving touchdowns.
With Louisville’s defense, particularly their front seven, looking as dominant as they have thus far, Ron English and company should be in for a fun day against the Falcons.
Strengths technically
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons have a decent defense.
In their most recent win against Liberty, the Falcons forced four turnovers, including two interceptions.
They excel in third-down defense and defending the run, which does not bode well for a Louisville offense that hasn’t looked great through two games. Teams have stacked the box against the Cards, and Saturday should provide no exception.
Jeff Brohm and company will surely try to establish the run, but the most important factor will be making sure Miller Moss gets into some sort of rhythm. He has been mostly powerless to force defenses to adapt, and some confidence will be necessary for the signal caller moving forward.
The Cardinals have the clear talent edge. They’re deeper at every position group, more explosive on offense, with a more physical group up front. But Bowling Green isn’t the kind of MAC team that rolls over, they’re experienced, clean and opportunistic.
However, the Cards should be able to advance to 3-0. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on ACC Network.
Photo by Vinny Porco
