2016 BGSU MAC Football Dates Announced

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Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference today announced dates for all 2016 MAC football games. In total, defending MAC champion Bowling Green will play six homes games in 2016 (four in conference) with two home contests each in September, October and November. Game times, which are determined by the league's television partners, will be released at a later date.

In conference action, BGSU will host Eastern Michigan for Homecoming Oct. 1. The Falcons will then renew their rivalry with Miami, a series that has not been played since 2013, on Oct. 22. Bowling Green will close out the regular season at home against Kent State and Buffalo on Nov. 15 and Nov. 25. Previously, it was announced that the Falcons would host North Dakota on Sept. 10 and Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 17 in non-conference contests.

Bowling Green will make the short trek to face Toledo in the Battle Of I-75 on Oct. 15. It marks the earliest date of the annual rivalry game since the Falcons faced the Rockets on Sept. 15, 2012.

BGSU's first conference road game will take place the week prior when the Falcons play at Ohio Oct. 8. Bowling Green will play in a MAC Championship rematch at Northern Illinois Nov. 1. The two programs have met in the league's championship game in each of the past three years, with BGSU winning in 2013 and 2015, but it will be the Falcons' first trip to DeKalb, Ill. since 2008. The road schedule will conclude at Akron Nov. 9.

Season tickets are on sale now for the 2016 BGSU Football season. Fans can renew their season tickets online, in-person at the Stroh Center ticket office, or via phone (877-BGSU TICKET). For complete information on season ticket packages, CLICK HERE.

An updated release of the MAC 2016 football schedule will be released in June with kick times and a television schedule for the first three weeks of the regular season and midweek games during late October and November. All other game kick times and television will be announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game.

A brief rundown of each game on the schedule follows:

Sept. 3 at Ohio State
All-time series: Ohio State leads, 4-0
First meeting: 9/12/92, Ohio State 17-6
Last meeting: 10/7/06, Ohio State 35-7
Notable: Ohio State went 12-1 in 2015, defeating Notre Dame 44-28 in the Fiesta Bowl … The Buckeyes finished the season ranked No. 4 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Top 25 polls … Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was the head coach at BGSU during the 2001 and 2002 seasons … Every game in the BGSU/Ohio State series has been played in Ohio Stadium … Ohio State is 32-1 all-time against Mid-American Conference opponents after defeating Northern Illinois (20-13) and Western Michigan (38-12) a year ago … Ohio State has won 40 straight games over in-state opponents, most recently a 50-28 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 27, 2014 … BGSU defeated two Big Ten teams a year ago, picking up wins over Maryland (48-27) and Purdue (35-28) … The Falcons have won three games over Big Ten schools in the past two years, defeating Indiana 45-42 in 2014.

Sept. 10 vs. North Dakota
All-time series: First meeting
Notable: North Dakota went 7-4 a year ago, including a 5-3 mark in the Big Sky Conference, playing at the FCS level of Division I football … ND improved to 1-7 against FBS programs since moving to Division I in 2008, defeating Wyoming 24-13 a year ago … Bowling Green did not play an FCS opponent a year ago, breaking a string of four consecutive seasons playing an FCS school … The Falcons won all four of those contests by a combined score of 202-35 … The Falcons' only meeting against current Big Sky members came in a 50-6 win over Cal Poly in 1960. Just hours later, a charter plane carrying members of the football team crashed. Twenty-two of the 48 passengers on board were killed, including 16 Cal Poly football players.

Sept. 17 vs. Middle Tennessee State
All-time series: First meeting
Notable: Middle Tennessee State went 7-6 a year ago, including 6-2 in Conference USA … MTSU played one Mid-American Conference opponent a year ago, losing to Western Michigan 45-31 in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl … The Blue Raiders have also faced Miami (35-21 loss in 2010 season), Central Michigan (31-14 loss in 2006 season) and Akron (17-7 loss in 2005) since last beating a MAC team – a 31-14 win over the Zips to open the 2004 season … Bowling Green last faced a Conference USA opponent in 2014, losing to Western Kentucky 59-31 to open the season … BGSU and Middle Tennessee State are also scheduled to play in Murfreesboro, Tenn. in 2017.

Sept. 24 at Memphis
All-time series: Tied, 1-1
First meeting: 12/22/04, BGSU 52-35
Last meeting: 9/19/15, Memphis 44-41
Notable: Memphis finished the 2015 season with a record of 9-4 overall and 5-2 in the American Athletic Conference … The Tigers won their first eight games before losing 4-of-5 to close the season, including a 31-10 loss to Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl … Memphis earned two votes in the final Coaches Poll top 25 to end the season … BGSU and Memphis tangled in a wild affair in Doyt L. Perry Stadium a year ago … The only other game in the all-time series came in the 2004 GMAC Bowl, in which Omar Jacobs threw for 365 yards in a 52-35 win … Memphis opens the 2016 season with three consecutive home games and the BGSU contest is the last of those meetings.

Oct. 1 vs. Eastern Michigan
All-time series: BGSU leads, 25-11-1
First meeting: 10/22/19, Michigan Normal (prior to name change), 10-0
Last meeting: 11/23/13, BGSU 58-7
Notable: Eastern Michigan went 1-11 in 2015 and 0-8 in Mid-American Conference play … The Eagles will enter the game having lost 14 straight MAC contests since a 37-27 win over Buffalo in 2014 … EMU has not won a MAC road game since beating Western Michigan 29-23 in 2012 … Eastern Michigan last won in Doyt L. Perry Stadium on Oct. 4, 2008 … In the last meeting between the two schools, EMU took an early 7-3 lead on a defensive touchdown before the Falcons scored 55 unanswered points … In that contest, Eastern Michigan had just 65 yards of offense (four yards passing), while Ronnie Moore had seven catches for 161 yards and three touchdowns.

Oct. 8 at Ohio
All-time series: BGSU leads, 40-25-2
First meeting: 9/29/45, BGSU 6-0
Last meeting: 11/4/15, BGSU 62-24
Notable: Ohio went 8-5 in 2015 with a mark of 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference … The Bobcats lost to Appalachian State, 31-29, in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl … BGSU has won four straight meetings against Ohio, outscoring the Bobcats 168-51 in those contests … The Falcons have won twice in a row at Ohio, picking up a 26-14 win in 2012 and a 31-13 victory in 2014 … BGSU is 6-1 at Ohio since 2000 … Ohio went 5-1 at home in 2015.

Oct. 15 at Toledo
All-time series: BGSU leads, 39-37-4
First meeting: 10/3/19, Toledo 6-0
Last meeting: 11/17/15, Toledo 44-28
Notable: Toledo went 10-2 in 2015 with a record of 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference … The Rockets defeated Temple in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl 32-17 … Toledo has won six straight in the all-time series … Bowling Green last won in Toledo Nov. 28, 2008 by a score of 38-10 … The Falcons and Rockets annually compete for the Battle of I-75 Trophy … Jason Candle was elevated to head coach following the 2015 season after serving as the team's offensive coordinator … Toledo earned 28 votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and 27 in the Coaches poll to conclude the season … No BGSU all-time series spans longer as the two teams met in the first football game in Bowling Green history.

Oct. 22 vs. Miami
All-time series: Miami leads, 42-23-5
First meeting: 10/11/41, BGSU 9-0
Last meeting: 11/5/13, BGSU 45-3
Notable: Miami went 3-9 in 2015 with a 2-6 record in the Mid-American Conference … The RedHawks won 2-of-3 games to close out the season after starting 1-8 … Miami is the only MAC school that holds a winning record against the Falcons all-time … BGSU has won the last three meetings between the two schools, outscoring Miami 119-38 … Prior to a win in 2012, the Falcons had lost six consecutive meetings to Miami inside Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

Nov. 1 at Northern Illinois
All-time series: BGSU leads, 12-7
First meeting: 11/18/67, BGSU 17-7
Last meeting: 12/4/15, BGSU 34-14
Television: ESPN2/ESPNU
Notable: Northern Illinois went 8-6 a year ago and 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference … The Huskies advanced to the MAC Championship game for the fifth straight season, meeting Bowling Green for the third straight year … BGSU won the 2015 meeting 34-14 to avenge a 51-17 loss in the championship game in 2014. That came on the heels of the Falcons' 47-27 win in 2013 … NIU played in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, losing to Boise State 55-7 … BGSU and Northern Illinois have not met in the regular season since 2011, a 35-14 NIU win … Northern Illinois has won the last three regular season meetings since the Falcons beat the Huskies, ranked No. 12 at the time, 34-18 in 2003 at Doyt L. Perry Stadium as ESPN College Gameday was live from The Doyt in its only appearance at a MAC school in history.

Nov. 9 at Akron
All-time series: BGSU leads, 15-7
First meeting: 10/3/41, Akron 8-0
Last meeting: 10/17/15, BGSU 59-10
Television: ESPN2/ESPNU
Notable: Akron went 8-5 in 2015 and 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference … The Zips defeated Utah State 23-21 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl … Akron won their final five games of the 2015 season … BGSU has won seven straight meetings over the Zips, outscoring Akron 258-117 during that stretch … The Falcons have played just twice at Akron's new InfoCision Stadium, posting a 27-10 win in 2014 and a 24-10 win in 2012 … The 49-point margin of victory by Bowling Green in 2015 is the largest in the 22-game series history.

Nov. 15 vs. Kent State
All-time series: BGSU leads, 58-19-6
First meeting: 11/6/20, BGSU 7-0
Last meeting: 10/24/15, BGSU 48-0
Television: ESPN2/ESPNU
Notable: Kent State went 3-9 overall in 2015 and 2-6 in Mid-American Conference play … One of the top defenses in the MAC, Kent State allowed 30+ points just four times a year ago, including 48 to Bowling Green … The 48-point margin of victory was Bowling Green's largest ever over Kent State … BGSU has won three straight in the all-time series since the Golden Flashes, ranked No. 25 at the time, beat the Falcons 31-24 in 2012 in Doyt L. Perry Stadium … Bowling Green's first win in program history was the 7-0 victory in 1920 to open the all-time series against Kent State.

Nov. 25 vs. Buffalo
All-time series: BGSU leads, 10-3
First meeting: 9/8/01, BGSU 35-0
Last meeting: 10/3/15, BGSU 28-22
Notable: Buffalo went 5-7 overall in 2015 and 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play … The Bulls lost their final three games of the season … BGSU has won five straight meetings with the Bulls since a 28-26 loss in 2010 in Doyt L. Perry Stadium … It will be the fourth time in the past six years in which Bowling Green and Buffalo have closed out the regular season against each other … Two of those contests have been played in neutral sites with the 2012 regular season finale played at Columbus Crew Stadium (BGSU's home game) and the 2013 game played at Ralph Wilson Stadium (Buffalo's home game) … The 24-7 win at Ralph Wilson Stadium clinched the first of BGSU's three consecutive MAC East titles.

2016 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 3	at Ohio State
Sept. 10	NORTH DAKOTA
Sept. 17	MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
Sept. 24	at Memphis
Oct. 1	EASTERN MICHIGAN (HOMECOMING) *
Oct. 8	at Ohio *
Oct. 15	at Toledo (BATTLE OF I-75) *
Oct. 22	MIAMI *
Nov. 1	at Northern Illinois (ESPN2/ESPNU) *
Nov. 9	at Akron (ESPN2/ESPNU) *
Nov. 15	KENT STATE (ESPN2/ESPNU) *
Nov. 25	BUFFALO *
Dec. 2	Marathon MAC Championship Game (at Ford Field, Detroit), 7 pm (ESPN2)

2016 Mid-American Conference Bowl Tie-ins
GoDaddy Bowl (Mobile, Ala.; vs. Sun Belt)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, Ida.; vs. Mountain West)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.; vs. Sun Belt)
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas; vs. American Ath.)
Miami Beach Bowl (Miami, Fla.; vs. American Athletic)
*Secondary in San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
*Secondary to Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, Mich.)

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