Bowling Green vs. Miami: RedHawks face major QB worry at 2-2
Bowling Green vs. Miami opens Mid-American Conference play Saturday at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio, where the winless Falcons (0-4) try to stop their skid against a RedHawks team (2-2) that could be without its starting quarterback. Miami rallied past UConn 24-21 last week, but David McComb left that game with an injury in the fourth quarter and is “very, very doubtful” for Saturday, coach Chuck Martin said Monday.
Bowling Green vs. Miami carries little national weight, but it matters plenty to both programs trying to find footing five weeks into the season. Miami has alternated losses and wins through four games, while Bowling Green has struggled to score in losses to Tarleton State, Nebraska, Iowa State and South Florida.
Bowling Green vs. Miami game information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Yager Stadium, Oxford, Ohio
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Bowling Green outlook
The Falcons have lost four straight to open the season, starting with a 20-13 home loss to Tarleton State, followed by blowouts at Nebraska (56-7) and Iowa State (55-7) and a 14-6 home defeat to South Florida last week, according to ESPN. Quarterback Jay Kastantin has completed 58 of 91 passes for 565 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Austyn Dendy leads the ground game with 174 yards on 55 carries, and Winn Sharp paces the receiving corps with 10 catches for 154 yards.
On defense, Myles Bradley has 5.5 sacks and Dorian Pringle leads the team with 39 tackles, per ESPN.
Miami (OH) outlook
Miami opened with a 59-14 loss at Pittsburgh, beat Holy Cross 45-7, fell 35-31 at Cincinnati and then overcame a 14-point deficit to beat UConn 24-21, according to The Associated Press. McComb threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score against the Huskies before leaving in the fourth quarter, and Brady Stidham’s 33-yard field goal with 1:58 left won it.
McComb has thrown for 1,121 yards and seven touchdowns against one interception this season. But Martin said he has “upper body issues” and “lower body issues,” and Caleb Heavner, a transfer from Division II Fort Hays State who finished the UConn game, is expected to start, according to By The Belt. True freshman Drew Bellisari would back him up.
Maleek Huggins leads Miami’s receivers with 11 catches for 225 yards, and Lazaro Rogers tops the rushing chart with 86 yards on 18 carries.
Key matchup in Bowling Green vs. Miami: Heavner vs. the Falcons’ pass rush
Bowling Green has allowed lopsided scores to Nebraska and Iowa State, but Bradley’s 5.5 sacks give the Falcons a weapon against a quarterback making his first start of the season. If Heavner is under pressure early, Miami may lean more on Rogers and the run game. If he settles in, the RedHawks’ receivers, led by Huggins, present a tougher aerial test than most of what Bowling Green has seen.
Players to watch
Caleb Heavner, QB, Miami (OH)
Heavner led Miami’s final drive against UConn after McComb went down, and Bowling Green vs. Miami would be his first start of the season.
Jay Kastantin, QB, Bowling Green
Kastantin has completed 58 of 91 passes for 565 yards this season, but Bowling Green has scored only 20 points in its last three games combined.
What to watch
Bowling Green is trying to avoid an 0-5 start in Bowling Green vs. Miami. Miami looks to win consecutive games for the first time this season and improve to 3-2. The quarterback situation in Oxford will be the key variable in how both offenses attack Saturday. For more, follow our college football coverage and the latest across college sports.
Reporting from The Associated Press, By The Belt and the Houston Chronicle contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN.