Bowling Green head football coach Scot Loeffler calls out instructions during the first day of practice on August 2 at the team’s practice field adjacent to Doyt Perry Stadium. (Scott W. Grau/Sentinel-Tribune)
LYNCHBURG, Va. — When Bowling Green State University football hosted Liberty University on Sept. 13, 2003, the Falcons trounced the Flames, 62-3.
Chances are when the two teams meet Saturday it will be a tougher test for the Falcons.
Liberty has gone from NCAA Division I FCS to FBS, are now a member of Conference USA, and last year gave Toledo everything they could, but the Rockets prevailed, 21-19, in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Saturday, BGSU hits the road to take on the Flames at 25,000-seat Williams Stadium for a noon start. The game is nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.
Liberty has a new coach, too, in Jamey Chadwell. Chadwell may be new at Liberty, but he found considerable success at Coastal Carolina and has a 99-57 record in 14 seasons at the helm.
BGSU fifth-year coach Scot Loeffler (13-29) and his five new elected team captains, which include 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior tight end Levi Gazarek (North Baltimore), say they are totally aware of how far Liberty has come.
“On defense it’s (captains) Darren Anders, Anthony Hawkins, Davon Ferguson and on offense it’s Levi Gazarek and Odieu “O.J.” Hilaire. So super proud of those guys,” Loeffler said.
“I think our team elected those guys and any time your team elects the right guys, you know that you’ve got a chance. I’ve been on teams that that they haven’t elected the right guys and I’m super excited that we picked some really, really good captains.
“I think you’re going to hear from them this afternoon (Monday press conference) a ton of respect for Liberty. I think they’ve over the last couple of years have done a great job of dumping a ton of money into football and they’ve completely changed and moved the needle of that program.
“I know Jamey Chadwell coming from Coastal Carolina is going to do a great job at that at Liberty, great scheme, fun to watch on tape. We are super excited to go down and really be in a game equivalent to, probably the best talent that we’re going to see in our conference.
“Liberty has got very good football players they play hard, and I know Jamie’s scheme is difficult and we got to go down there and play our best football to get a win down in liberty.”
Loeffler says the Falcons paid attention to Liberty when they took on the Rockets last year, but he thinks the Falcons are ready.
“I think they’re super talented. I put their talent equivalent to a MAC championship type of team. That’s why the game came right down to the wire last year with Toledo and Liberty,” Loeffler said.
“We’re going to have to go and play a game like we played against Toledo (BGSU win last year). We’re going to play ourvery best football. And there’s a lot of unknown because they’ve got a new staff there. These openers are weird because of the turnover that you have with players.
“It’s just like I said, significantly, we’re different on defense, we’re different on offense than what we’ve ever been, and we have to, we got to adapt and adjust to our talent. Now the days of recruiting towards your system, those are over, and you got to adapt and adjust to what you have. And I think we’ve done a good job with that.”
Loeffler did not comment on who would be the starting quarterback, but the competition has been between 6-3, 225-pound senior Camden Orth and 6-3, 2225-pound senior Connor Bazelak.
On offense, the Falcons return the 6-0, 185-pound Hiliare, a wide receiver who was a catch in 35 straight games, including his career at Alabama A&M before transferring.
It is the sixth best active streak in the nation. The Bella Glade, Florida native has 160 career receptions for 2,112 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
Five-foot-9, 225-pound sophomore running back Terion Stewart returns after sitting out in 2022. He enters the season with 707 career rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His 6.6 yards per carry for his career currently ranks first in program history.
On defense, 6-4, 245-pound senior outside linebacker Demetrius Hardamon is the Mid-American Conference’s leading sack returnee with six. Hardamon was second in the MAC and 28th nationally among linebackers in sacks in 2022. BGSU notched 38 team sacks last year, which dating back to 1990, is tied for most in program history with the 1992 and 2012 teams.
