Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Eastern Michigan
Falcons Have Factory Business in Ypsilanti on Saturday
November 03, 2025 | Football
Saturday, Nov. 8  | 1 p.m. |  Rynearson Stadium |  Ypsilanti, Mich. |
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BOWLING GREEN
FALCONS (3-6, 1-4 MAC) |
vs. | EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES (2-7, 1-4Â MAC) |
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| WATCH : WatchESPNÂ |Â LISTEN : WFRO The Eagle 99Â |Â STATS : View | ||||
Falcons Have Factory Business in Ypsilanti
• Bowling Green State University returns to the road for an infrequent trip to Ypsilanti, Mich., on Saturday to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
• Despite being located just 68 miles apart, BGSU is making only its third trip to Rynearson Stadium in the past 18 seasons.
• The game will air on ESPN+.
Bowling Green vs. Eastern Michigan
• Bowling Green continues Mid-American Conference action on Saturday at Eastern Michigan.
• BGSU leads the all-time series with EMU, 25-14-1. Eastern Michigan has been a member of the MAC since 1972.
• EMU is the third team on BGSU's schedule in 2025 that faced the Falcons after having a bye, joining Louisville and Toledo.
• Since 2000, Bowling Green is 3-0 against EMU when holding the Eagles below 300 yards of total offense. The Falcons are 6-4 against EMU in that span when recording 350+ yards of total offense.
• Since 2000, Bowling Green is 5-1 against EMU when winning the turnover battle and 2-2 when not.
Five Top Storylines
• TE Jyrin Johnson ranks No. 1 in the nation with an active reception streak of 42 games. He is tied for No. 18 nationally and No. 1 in the MAC among tight ends with 28 receptions, sharing the spot with Eastern Michigan's Joshua Long. His 12.4 yards per reception ranks No. 4 among tight ends with at least 40 targets, while his 347 receiving yards rank No. 23 among FBS tight ends and No. 1 among MAC tight ends.
• LB Gideon Lampron ranks No. 6 in the nation in solo tackles (46) and No. 8 in total tackles (88). Lampron is also No. 10 nationally and No. 5 among linebackers with 12.0 TFLs. He is one of only two players in the country with 85+ tackles, 12.0+ TFLs, 1.5+ sacks, and 1+ pass defended — the other being Buffalo's Khalil Murdock. Last time out vs. Buffalo he had 11 tackles and five were third down stops that forced a fourth down.
• CB MJ Cannon is the only defensive back in the nation with 45+ tackles (47), 1.0+ sack (1), 1+ interception (1), 1+ fumble recovery (1), and 5.0+ TFLs (5.0). Cannon is one of just 11 players nationally — regardless of position — to meet those standards, and the only player in the MAC to do so.
• In records dating back to 1995, RB Austyn Dendy's 155 rushing yards are the fourth most in program history through the first two collegiate games, trailing Anthon Samuel (263), Freddie Barnes (257) and Terion Stewart (162).
• RB Cameron Pettaway ranks No. 1 in the nation in kick return average (33.0). He also leads the country in kick returns of 40+ yards (3) and 50+ yards (2). Pettaway's 33.0 yards per return currently stands as a BGSU single-season record and the third-best mark in the MAC since 1995.
Last Win in the Series for BGSU
• The last time Bowling Green defeated Eastern Michigan came in 2013, which was also the Falcons' last win in Ypsilanti.
• BGSU rolled to a 58-7 victory at Rynearson Stadium, holding Eastern Michigan to just 65 total yards of offense and only four passing yards.
• Current BGSU special teams coordinator Alex Bayer was a senior tight end on that team and recorded one catch for 17 yards.
• The Falcons' defense did not allow an offensive touchdown, giving up the Eagles' lone score on a 10-yard interception return in the first quarter.
• Freshman Ronnie Moore led the Falcon offense with seven receptions for 161 yards and three touchdowns, while Travis Greene rushed for 126 yards and two scores as part of BGSU's 296-yard rushing effort, the highest total of the Dave Clawson era.
• Quarterback Matt Johnson threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns, all to Moore, as Bowling Green piled up 560 total yards of offense.
• The 58 points marked the Falcons' largest margin of victory since 2005 and the most points scored since 2011.
• Defensively, BGSU allowed just four first downs, one shy of the school record, and did not allow a point in the second half for the third straight game.
• Tyler Tate was perfect on the day, going 3-for-3 on field goals and converting all seven PATs for a career-high 16 points.
Bowling Green - EMU connections
• EMU offensive lineman Owen Snively redshirted in 2021 at Colorado State, where BGSU senior analyst/running backs coach Brian White served as interim head coach.
• EMU wide receivers coach Grant Heard was on Hugh Freeze's staff at Ole Miss alongside BGSU wide receivers coach Bruce Johnson from 2012–16. Heard coached wide receivers, while Johnson held multiple roles, including special teams quality control, assistant offensive line, and assistant tight ends coach.
• In 2018, Johnson was on staff at Indiana with EMU defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator Kasey Teegardin. Johnson served as assistant AD for on-campus recruiting, while Teegardin was the safeties coach.
• BGSU quarterback Baron May spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Eastern Michigan, where he did not appear in any games before transferring to East Tennessee State for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Rare Offensive Line Feat
• Against Buffalo last time out, OL Tunde Fatukasi started at center, making him the sixth known player in FBS since 2010 to start at least one game at all five offensive line positions in his career. Fatukasi owns 15 starts at left tackle, seven at right guard, seven at left guard and one at right tackle.
• Fatukasi is of Nigerian descent. His oldest brother, Folorunso played football at UConn and currently plays defensive tackle for the Houston Texans. His other older brother, Olakunle, played linebacker at Rutgers with Tunde. Olakunle spent the past three seasons in the NFL. He recently spent this spring playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL.
• The Fatukasi family were one of many left homeless due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The damage to their home forced them to live in a one-room motel for four months, then accepting a friend's offer to live in her two-bedroom apartment for two-plus years until their house was sufficiently repaired to live there again.
Nation's Longest Active Reception Streak
• BGSU's Jyrin Johnson is No. 1 in the nation for the longest active receptions streak in the nation at 42 games.
Steady Dendy Impresses in the Backfield
• RB Austyn Dendy made his collegiate debut at Kent State, rushing 20 times for 93 yards and one touchdown. His 93 rushing yards are the most by a Falcon in a debut since Anthon Samuel rushed for 141 yards at Idaho on Sept. 1, 2011.
• In records dating back to 1995, Dendy's 155 rushing yards are the fourth most in program history through the first two career collegiate games, trailing Anthon Samuel (263), Freddie Barnes (257) and Terion Stewart (162).
• Dendey is in his first season at BGSU after redshirting at Missouri in 2014.
Caden Marshall is Next Man Up
• LB Caden Marshall has stepped into the starting rotation following the season-ending injury to LB Dorian Pringle. Marshall has totaled 30 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, and 3 PBUs in seven games.
• Marshall is averaging 0.5 TFLs per game, which ranks tied for No. 4 nationally among freshman linebackers.
• Marshall is the only freshman defensive player (true or redshirt) with at least 30 tackles, 3.5+ TFLs, and 3+ PBUs this season. Only 33 other FBS linebackers players meet those marks — and Marshall has done it in just seven games.
• Pringle suffered his season-ending injury against Liberty (Game 3). At the time, he led the nation with 6.0 TFLs.
• Marshall joined BGSU in 2025 after redshirting the 2024 season at Tennessee State.
Locked and Loaded: Cannon Brings the BoomÂ
• CB MJ Cannon is tied for No. 17 nationally among defensive backs with 5.0 TFLs.
• Cannon is one of two defensive backs in the nation with 5.0+ TFLs, 1.0+ sacks, 1+ interception and 1+ fumble recovery. Walker O'Steen (Jacksonville State) is the other.
• Cannon joined BGSU this season after appearing in 24 career games at Illinois State, where he earned second-team All-MVC honors in 2024.
EstoEsta gets the call at safety
• True freshman Preston EstoEsta made started his first collegiate game at Kent State.
• With 17 tackles and 1.0 TFL, he is the first true freshman for the Falcons to reach those numbers through his first four collegiate games since S Jordan Anderson in 2019 who had 18 stops and 1.0 TFL.
