2026 MAC Football Week 6 Game Preview: Sacramento State Hornets at Bowling Green Falcons

Sacramento State (1-4, 0-2) travels to Bowling Green (1-4, 1-0) for a battle between two teams that have struggled to get their season going. The Hornets have looked listless against their FBS opponents, with their one win coming against Mississippi Valley State.

The Falcons can tell a similar story for the 2026 season. The Falcons started off the year 0-4, including a loss to FCS powerhouse Tarleton State, looking every part the also-ran against FBS competition. However, BG recovered some of their pride in their most recent game, a 24-20 thriller over Miami to clinch their first win of the season.

Sac State wants to show they've fixed the issues that have ailed them coming out of the BYE week, while Bowling Green hopes to extend their winning streak and continue their recent run of new-found form.

Game Notes

• Time and Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026, at noon Eastern time/9 a.m. Pacific time
• Location: Doyt L. Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio
• TV Options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+. A valid subscription is required for viewing. 
• Sac State radio: Jason Ross (play-by-play) and Steve McElroy (color) will provide the home call for ESPN 1320 Sacramento.
• Bowling Green radio:Todd Walker (play-by-play) and John Gibson (color) will provide the BGSU call for Eagle FM 99.
• Gambling Considerations: Bowling Green are 8.5-point home favorites, with the over/under set at 43.5-44.5 by book, per Covers. 
• History: This will be the first matchup between these two teams.

Sacramento State Outlook

The Hornets, who have been riddled with injuries in their FBS debut season, come off their BYE week needing a win. Their FBS games have followed a similar script so far, surrendering a multiple-score lead within minutes, before showing life when the game was out of reach. They have a -83 point differential in the first halves of games, a trend they desperately need to reverse this Saturday. 

With Carson Conklin still sidelined with a wrist injury, Jackson Sharman will continue in his role as starting quarterback. The Idaho State transfer has had ups and downs in his first tenure as a collegiate starting quarterback. He’s thrown for 856 yards and five touchdowns, but leads the conference in interceptions with five. When he’s in rhythm, he’s shown that he’s capable of orchestrating touchdown drives, but he’s had to play catch up for nearly his entire time with Sac State.

Senior wideout Matthew Coleman and junior wideout Onterrio Smith Jr. have been his two weapons of choice, with the former racking up the second-most receiving yards in the conference with 369. Their veteran presences have given Sharman and head coach Alonzo Carter some amount of stability while the run game has struggled.

The Hornets have averaged just 111.2 yards per game on the ground, and have struggled to establish themselves early in games. The most experienced back, senior running back Jamar Curtis, has had a down season in comparison to his prior years, and missed last week's game against UMass. With his status for this Saturday in question, the Hornets will rely on a rotation of true freshman Isaiah Ene, junior Daniel Swinney, and sophomore Cincere Rhaney. Ene is the most electrifying of the trio, and while he shows moments of youth, his explosive running style jumps off the screen. The Hornets need a big game from the young runner.

Defensively, Sac State has done well against the run. In spite of injuries to playmakers like senior lineman Xavier Williams and junior linebacker Derek Houston, the linebacker core has been able to keep opposing offenses one-dimensional.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, they've been shredded through the air. Opposing FBS quarterbacks average 234 yards in the air, a number made even more impressive considering that Sac State has trailed by multiple scores for the majority of the year. Missed tackles have defined the defensive troubles, leading to many moments where the Hornets feel outclassed at the FBS level. Additionally, the Hornets have struggled to produce turnovers on defense, getting just two on the year. 

The special teams have been the shining light for the Hornets, who have done well to win the field position battle with redshirt freshman punter Hamish Adams. Sac State also leads the nation in blocked punts, getting two from freshman Chakai Scott and one from MAC alumnus Ivan Moore Jr.

Placekicker Grant Meadors has been shaky, missing a pair of field goals so far this season, a 40-yarder and a 22-yarder. The junior Oregon transfer is good for a 75 percent make rate on field goals.

Bowling Green Outlook

The Falcons got a much-needed win last week against Miami, getting the Falcons off the schneid after an 0-4 start to the 2026 campaign. Down three with under two minutes to go, Bowling Green put together a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a touchdown from fullback Leo Kemp to win the game. Prior to last week, BGSU had lost nine of their last 10 game dating back to 2025.

The win over Miami featured quarterback Jay Kastantin’s best as a Falcon. After winning the starting job in camp, he struggled through their first four games as Bowling Green played tough non-conference opponents. He threw for over 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns, completing his passes at a 67.6 percent clip. The D-II transfer will look to continue his good form against a defense that is prone to allowing big passing plays. 

He’s found the most success with hulking six-foot-five wideout Winn Sharp, who leads the team in scrimmage yards thanks to his unique combination of size and speed. He’s recorded more than fifty in his last three games, and will likely be guarded by Sac State’s similarly framed cornerback Dionte Thornton (six-foot-four), an intriguing matchup to watch. 

Like the Hornets, the Falcons’ rushing attack has been anemic, averaging just 84.8 yards per game, the lowest mark in the conference and the second-lowest in the nation. In the win against Miami, it was Kemp, the fullback, who led the team in rushing yards. Austyn Dendy figures to get the majority of the work, but he’s struggled to make the most of it in recent games, turning his seven carries into just seventeen yards against the RedHawks.

Defensively, the problems with the run continue. The Falcons allow the most running yards to opponents per game in the conference (231.4), a mark which stands as the third-most in the nation. They have been able to get to the quarterback though, an effort powered by Myles Bradley, who’s recorded 6.5 sacks so far this year, by far the most in the conference. Alongside him, Eriq George (who had three solo sacks last week) and Cashmire Lewis will give a porous Sac State offensive line trouble.

Prediction

This may be Sac State’s best shot at a win this season, but Bowling Green is home and rolling off a morale-boosting win, even if it was against Miami’s third-string quarterback. If this is the game where the Hornets finally put their run game together, Sac State can pull this out. If they get to yet another slow start, however, the Falcons have the pass rushing talent to rattle Jackson Sharman. The Hornets need a big game from Isaiah Ene, a tall task for the true freshman. 

Sac State 20, Bowling Green 24