Bowling Green Continues Non-Conference Slate With Trip To Iowa State Saturday

Saturday, September 19

Ames, Iowa

12 p.m. EST

Bowling Green State University

Iowa State

Tickets From $83

Photo by: Coyle Withrow/Falcon Media Sports Network

Bowling Green Continues Non-Conference Slate With Trip To Iowa State Saturday

September 14, 2026 | Football

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Falcons, Cyclones To Face For First Time Since 1979

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

Saturday, Sept. 19 \| 12 p.m. EST \| Jack Trice Stadium \| Ames, Iowa

	BOWLING GREEN FALCONS (0-2, 0-0 MAC)	at	IOWA STATE CYCLONES (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)

WATCH : WatchESPN \| LISTEN : WFRO The Eagle 99 \| STATS : View

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team will remain on the road for their next game, traveling to Ames, Iowa to go against the Iowa State Cyclones. The Falcons and Cyclones are set for a 12 p.m. EST, 11 a.m. CT kickoff on ESPNU on Saturday (Sept. 19) inside Jack Trice Stadium.

Bowling Green vs. Iowa State

Iowa State will be Bowling Green's first opponent this year with a history of matchups, having faced twice previously.
The Cyclones have won the previous two meetings, being a 1977 matchup in Bowling Green and a 1979 contest in Ames.
This will mark the first of two straight seasons of BGSU-Iowa State matchup with the Falcons set to return to Ames next season as well.

Back To The Midwestern Plains

Bowling Green State University hits the road for the second time this season with nearly the same trip in back-to-back weeks, this time traveling 223 fewer miles than week two against Nebraska.
The last win for the Falcons against a power conference opponent came during the 2023 season, topping Georgia Tech on Sept. 30 in a 38-27 final score.

Five Top Storylines

Bowling Green is one of two teams in the country to have multiple players inside the nation's top 10 for tackles per game this season, joined by Tulane. Dorian Pringle currently ranks fourth in the nation, and first in the MAC with 11.5 tackles per game. Kal-El Pascal joins the list with 11.0 tackles per game, ranking sixth in the nation and second in the MAC behind only his teammate, Pringle.
Jay Kastantain began his BGSU career with an 80-percent completion percentage against Tarleton State in week one. He maintained the mark rather well against Nebraska in week two, now with a 73.9-percent percentage through two games to rank 17th in the country and third in the MAC.
The Falcons have managed the clock in their games, averaging 31:39 in time of possession through the first two weeks, ranking fourth in the MAC and 49th in the nation.
Bowling Green had three different players log new career-highs in tackles against Nebraska. Pascal led the list with 13 followed by 10 from Preston EstoEsta and seven by Nick Sawyer. JoJo Johnson also matched his career-high with five tackles.
Bowling Green's backfield is emerging as a two-headed monster. Last season, Austyn Dendy closed the year with three-straight 100-yard rushing games. Now, Nakai Amachree is coming off leading the team in rushing against Nebraska, setting career-highs in carries and yards.

Getting To Know The Cyclones

Iowa State is in year one under head coach Jimmy Rogers with Rogers arriving after one season at Washington State and two seasons at the helm of South Dakota State.
Rogers took over after the departure of Matt Campbell for Penn State. Campbell won 72 games over 10 years with the Cyclones.
Iowa State enters the weekend 1-1 on the season following a 16-13 road loss to in-state rival Iowa last weekend.
The Cyclones began the season with a home win over SEMO, 38-19, on Sept. 5.

Matching Up With Iowa State

Bowling Green and Iowa State are meeting for the third time in program history with the Cyclones taking the first two meetings.
The first meeting between the two came in 1977 with Iowa State claiming a 35-21 final in Bowling Green.
The most recent meeting between BGSU and Iowa State was in 1979, the lone trip to Ames for the Falcons in program history. Iowa State claimed the meeting with a 38-10 final score.
This will be the first of two consecutive seasons for BGSU and Iowa State playing. The two will again face off in Ames next year, currently scheduled for Sept. 18, 2027.
Bowling Green is currently the only MAC school on Iowa State's future schedule outlook.
The Falcons are the first MAC opponent for Iowa State since 2023 when they lost on the road at Ohio, 10-7. Bowling Green is the first MAC team to visit Ames since Ohio in 2022, a game the Cyclones claimed in a 43-10 final.

Pringle: The Fun Don't Stop

Dorian Pringle didn't waste any time getting back into form for the Falcons, leading the team in tackles against TSU in the season opener with 16, ranking second in the nation at the time.
Pringle's career-high in tackles also marked the first 15+ tackle game by a Falcon since Brock Horne had 15 at Buffalo on Oct. 30, 2021.
Pringle followed it up with seven tackles against Nebraska, averaging 11.5 tackles per game through two weeks, leading the MAC and ranking fourth in the nation.
The start to the season marked the return to the field for Pringle after missing majority of the 2025 season due to an injury. Prior to the injury, Pringle had registered a team-leading 27 tackles through three games.

Kal-El: Becoming Bowling Green's Superman

Kal-El Pascal has ranked in the top two for tackles in each of Bowling Green's two games, racking up nine against Tarleton and a team-leading 13 against Nebraska.
Pascal's 13 tackles against Nebraska marked a career-high for the safety while giving him 11.0 tackles per game through two weeks. The per game total ranks sixth in the nation and second in the MAC.
With Pringle and Pascal both in the nation's top 10 for tackles, Bowling Green joins Tulane as the only two teams with multiple players in the top 10. For Tulane, their two are Dickson Agu (11.5) and Kevin Adams III (10.5).
Pascal serves as the veteran of Bowling Green's defensive unit, now with a team-leading 14 starts at free safety, the most of any BGSU player at any position for the Falcons. Tight end Blane Cleaver follows closely with 12.

Connecting With Kastantin

In his Bowling Green debut, Jay Kastantin put up impressive numbers in the completion percentage department. Kastantin completed 24 of his 30 passes for an 80-percent mark.
Kastantin targeted eight different players in the game, connecting with five of them for the 24 completions, but none more than Jeremiah Scoby who he hit 10 times on 11 targets.
Kastantin followed it up against Nebraska with a 62.5-percent mark, moving his season percentage to 73.9-percent to rank 17th in the nation.
Against Nebraska, Kastantin again moved the ball around, targeting eight different Falcons for the second straight game and connecting with six of them, including Leo Kemp for a 19-yard touchdown, the first BGSU score for both players.

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