Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions for the Toledo Blade's Michael Burwell

Coming out of their first bye week of the young 2025 season, the Louisville football program hopes to continue on their undefeated start to the year when Bowling Green marches into town.

Kickoff between Jeff Brohm's Cardinals and Eddie George's Falcons is set for Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Ahead of the matchup, Louisville Cardinals On SI sat down with Michael Burwell of the Toledo Blade to find out more about the Falcons.

1. Considering Eddie George took over Bowling Green right before the start of spring ball, how difficult was it for him to assemble and keep together the roster after Scot Loeffler left?

Surprisingly, Eddie George was able to keep most of the roster intact after taking over in early March. A handful of key players from last year, as well as a few recent transfers, decided to leave the program. But most players, especially their top athletes, decided to give George a chance. The Falcons went through spring practice in late March and early April, and George did a solid job of bringing in some key players afterward via the transfer portal, including power conference quarterback Drew Pyne. The roster turnover from the 2024 team was already significant with roughly 30 seniors from that team gone, but given how late the coaching change happened, it could have been a lot worse. BGSU ended up with the No. 1-ranked transfer class in the Mid-American Conference for the 2025 season, according to 247Sports.

2. BGSU already has three running backs with 100 yards on the season. How big of a role do the running backs play in this offense?

George’s biggest concepts that he has repeatedly talked about with his team are being able to run the ball and stop the run, so the running backs play a critical role in what the Falcons want to do. The running game was an enormous question mark entering the season with BGSU’s top four backs from last year gone, but transfers Kaderris Roberts and Chris McMillian, as well as redshirt freshman Cameron Pettaway, have shown some bright spots early on. BGSU has a veteran offensive line that had 100 combined starts entering the season; four of the five starters have been with the Falcons for multiple years. That unit has been important for the Falcons early on.

3. What has been the key factor behind the Falcons’ exceptional turnover margin up to this point?

BGSU puts an enormous emphasis on turnovers. The Falcons go through hectic drills during practice on both sides of the line that help offensive players protect the ball and defensive players find a way to rip it out. The Falcons are one of nine FBS teams to have not committed a turnover this season, and a lot of that is also due to Pyne’s decision making at quarterback. He hasn’t forced anything so far and has taken what the defense has given him. 

4. Over on the defensive side of the ball, who are the top players to watch out for, and what is their overall identity?

BGSU’s two linebackers, sophomore Dorian Pringle and junior Gideon Lampron, have been spectacular so far. Pringle appeared in 12 games last year as a freshman, but has thrived in a starting role this year with 27 total tackles (six for loss), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception. Lampron was a first-team FCS All-American at Dayton last year and hasn’t skipped a beat transitioning to the FBS. Sophomore safety Kal-El Pascal is coming off the best game of his young career when he had an interception and forced fumble in a win over Liberty. Along the defensive line, Eddie George’s son, Eriq, had a pair of sacks against Liberty in what was his best of three games in a BGSU jersey. The Falcons do a great job of flying to the ball, and everything they do is based on stopping the run.

5. If Bowling Green is to pull off the upset, what is the one thing they must do?

The Falcons have to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. When BGSU stunned ACC foe Georgia Tech 38-27 in 2023, the Falcons had a 42:45 to 17:15 advantage in time of possession. The offensive line must be able to generate enough time for Pyne to throw and open up holes in the run game so the Falcons can control the time of possession. The defensive line must be able to limit Louisville’s big plays. Winning the turnover battle like they have in two of the three games to start the season will be critical as well.