Bowling Green visits Nebraska on Saturday in the first meeting between the programs. They are a 29.5-point underdog after a 20-13 home loss to FCS Tarleton State. Nebraska is coming off a 49-21 win over Ohio that was sloppy early and decisive late. That second-half version is the one that matters. 

Jay Kastantin won the quarterback job over Oregon transfer Austin Novosad and looked the part statistically: 24-of-30 for 262 yards, no interceptions, no sacks. Tight end Jeremiah Scoby was the passing game with 10 catches for 102 yards. The Falcons still struggled to move the ball until the second half. They held it for more than 35 minutes. They just never finished. Zero passing touchdowns. Two drives that died inside the Tarleton 10. A stuffed fourth-and-1. A last-second heave that never had a chance. The run game was worse. Bowling Green managed 104 yards on 37 carries (2.8 per attempt). 

Defensively, the Falcons have some names. Linebacker Dorian Pringle posted 16 tackles against Tarleton. Edges Myles Bradley and Eriq George, interior piece Selah Brown, safety Kal-El Pascal, and corner JoJo Johnson give Joe Bowden something to work with in Year 1 as coordinator. Bowling Green’s biggest problem on defense is also Nebraska’s: stopping the run. Tylan Hines gouged the Falcons for 250 yards on 26 carries, including bursts of 83 and 72 yards.

Nebraska’s plan on offense should be to stay simple. Lean on the run. Use play-action to keep the defense honest. I’d like to see more from Anthony Colandrea through the air, but the likely approach is to keep everything vanilla until Big Ten play. I expect Nebraska to move the ball easily. 

On the other side, Rob Aurich’s group settled in after a nightmare opening series against Ohio. Kastantin is efficient and pocket-friendly. He is not a creator who will beat you with his legs if the first read disappears. If the Blackshirts take away Scoby and kill the run, the Bowling Green offense stalls. I don’t see the Falcons scoring anything but field goals unless someone blows coverage again for an easy touchdown.

Nebraska should start fast and never let off the gas. I’d like the backups in by the start of the third quarter. If they aren’t in by the fourth, Nebraska has serious problems. Bowling Green still looks limited on both sides of the ball and should do little in the first half. The good guys win and stay undefeated. Nebraska 56, Bowling Green 9.