Bowling Green will travel to College Station to take on No. 25 Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m.
The Aggies returned to the AP Top 25 with a commanding 33-20 win over the Florida Gators. After missing last weekend’s conference opener at The Swamp, Aggies head coach Mike Elko announced Monday that quarterback Connor Weigman is recovering from a sprained shoulder and is “taking it day-to-day, week-to-week,” meaning fans can expect to see freshman quarterback Marcel Reid make his second start of the year.
Reed completed 11 of 17 passes (64.7%) against the Gators for 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air and 83 yards and another touchdown on the ground, earning him the honor of being named SEC Football Freshman Player of the Week along with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
WK 3 | SEC Football Player of the Week
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Jalen Milroe, @AlabamaFTBL
Jackson Dart, @OleMissFBDefensive
Bradyn Swinson, @LSUfootball
Raylen Wilson, @GeorgiaFootballSpecial teams
Blake Craig, @MizzouFootballOffensive Line
Trey Zoon III, @AggieFootballDefense… pic.twitter.com/IS9xS1xpaK
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 16, 2024
Keys for the Aggies
Texas A&M boasts the ninth-best rushing attack in the country with 789 yards (263.0 per game) and seven touchdowns through the first three weeks of the season. Bowling Green comes into the game with the 14th-worst rushing defense in the country after allowing 34 points and 7.68 yards per play in a loss to Penn State. The Aggies have a deep running back corps, with four different backs handling carries in last week’s win. Junior running back Le’Veon Moss had a team-high 110 yards on 18 carries against UF.
Reid should play a big role this week in his second start against a tamer Falcons defense, and Elko spoke to the media this week ahead of the matchup about his confidence in his true rookie quarterback.
Falcons Keys
Bowling Green came close to pulling off an upset against Penn State in their first game of the season after giving up 41 points against a lower-ranked FCS opponent. Bowling Green’s offense was highly productive through the air, outgaining the Nittany Lions 254 yards passing to 204. Senior quarterback Connor Bazelak was solid early in the game but faltered late, finishing with 25 of 39 completions for 254 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Falcons were able to keep progressing down the field with the help of their three-man running room, but the Aggies’ offense will be a much bigger challenge.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly for the Falcons, keep an eye on junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. He currently leads all tight ends in receptions with 17 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns, both of his scores coming last week against the Lions.
