Consider Bowling Green in trouble.

The Falcons are allowing 181.1 yards per game on the ground this season and over the last three games the average is 219 yards per game.

On Saturday, BG, 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Mid-American Conference East, hosts Kent State, the No. 1 rushing team in the conference and 14th in the nation at 217.5 yards per game.

 

“You can tweak your personnel a little bit, maybe (change) some schemes to give you a chance to do that,” BG head coach Gregg Brandon said when asked about what the Falcons can do to slow down the opposition’s running attack. “Our defensive coaches are working on getting that done.”
 

“We have to get our fastest guys on the field,” Brandon added about the Kent State game. “We faced these guys before and did a nice job last year against them. It’s not anything we haven’t seen and can prepare for. Our players just need to execute and believe we can win.”
 

Last season in BG’s 31-20 win over Kent State, Eugene Jarvis ran 33 times for 171 yards and Julian Edelman had 110 yards on 17 carries for the Golden Flashes. That was off-set somewhat by BG’s Willie Geter, who had 22 carries for 203 yards.

Edelman, a 6-foot, 198-pound senior quarterback, is second in the MAC in rushing, averaging 97.6 yards per game. He has scored eight touchdowns on the ground and thrown for nine scores.
Jarvis, a 5-5, 170-pound junior running back, is rounding into shape after battling a high ankle sprain earlier this season. Jarvis is averaging 72.4 yards while playing in five games this fall. He rushed for 1,699 yards last season.

The Golden Flashes are coming off a 54-21 win at Miami, a game in which they rushed for 305 yards on 54 attempts. Edelman had 16 carries for 158 yards, running for a touchdown and also throwing for a score. Jarvis carried 23 times for 105 yards and scored four touchdowns against the RedHawks.

“They don’t pound it like maybe a Pitt and a Boise did and a Northern,” Brandon said. “Edelman will just take the snap and look like he’s dropping back and then just take off. Jarvis is a good back, very shifty and elusive. But not one that’s going to keep punishing you.”

BG is also being hurt by not being able to get three-and-outs against the opposition. BG is 12th in the MAC in allowing third-down conversions at 44.7 percent (51-of-114).

“That really showed up Saturday (in BG’s 16-13 loss at Northern Illinois),” Brandon said. NIU was 10-of-16 on third downs.

BRIGGS IN THE MIX: Diyral Briggs, an all-conference selection at defensive end last fall, did not start Saturday against NIU, but played well when he did get in. Briggs and Adrian Baker, who started for Briggs, combined for 11 tackles.

“He kept his poise,” Brandon said about Briggs. “For us to win and be successful ... he’s got to be in the mix and making plays for us.”

BACK ON TARGET: Sinisa Vrvilo struggled to start the season as BG’s place-kicker, missing six of his first eight field-goal attempts.

He’s turned things around and has made five straight field goals over the last three games.

“Early on, he was making excuses ... Finally, we said ‘Let’s just kick; let’s go.’’’ Brandon said.

 

“He wants to be so good, he puts a lot of pressure on himself.”

RUNNING GAME: The Falcons continue to struggle to find a completely healthy running back.

Eric Ransom was lost before the season while Geter, Chris Bullock and Anthony Turner have all missed playing time because of injuries.

Geter is out again this week meaning Bullock and Turner will have to share the load while Jason Rice also might see some playing time.

Not being able to use Freddie Barnes to take direct snaps has also hurt BG’s running attack.

“We’ve got to find a way to win, we’ve got to find a way to score points with the guys who are available,” Brandon said.
 

Brandon laughed and said ‘No’ when asked about possibly moving safety P.J. Mahone to running back. As a high school senior, Mahone has over 2,000 total yards of offense and scored 30 touchdowns.

Neither Barnes nor Geter are expected to play against Kent State.