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FACTS & STATS: Site: Yager Stadium (24,286) -- Oxford, Ohio. Television: None. Home Record: BGSU 1-1, Miami-Ohio 0-0. Away Record: BGSU 1-0, Miami-Ohio 0-2. Neutral Record: BGSU 0-0, Miami-Ohio 0-0. Conference Record: BGSU 0-0, Miami- Ohio 0-0. Series Record: Miami-Ohio leads, 42-20-5.

GAME NOTES: The Miami-Ohio RedHawks will begin their Mid-American Conference title defense when they host the Bowling Green Falcons this Saturday afternoon at Yager Stadium.

The Falcons fell just short of a 3-0 start with a heartbreaking loss to Wyoming. After opening the year with wins over Idaho and Missouri State, the Falcons found themselves down to Wyoming, but in the final seconds of regulation Bowling Green scored to make it 28-27. All BGSU needed to send the game into overtime was the extra point, but it was blocked and instead of a chance at 3-0 the team suffered its first loss on the year.

Miami-Ohio has started the year with back-to-back losses to Missouri and Minnesota. This will be the first home game though for Miami-Ohio, which finished last season with a 4-1 mark at Yager Stadium in 2010.

These two teams have a long history as this will be the 68th meeting. However, for the most this has been a lopsided series with Miami-Ohio winning 42 of the showdowns. The RedHawks have won nine of the last 12 contests.

The Falcons were not victorious against Wyoming, but quarterback Matt Schilz did everything in his power to keep his team undefeated. The signal caller tossed two touchdowns in the final quarter and if not for a botched extra point, he might have led his team to victory in overtime. In all, Schilz still threw for 437 yards and four touchdowns.

The reason Bowling Green has already reached its win total from last year is because of Schilz, who has given coach Dave Clawson a dangerous passing attack.

Through three games the sophomore has thrown for 986 yards and has 11 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Kamar Jorden hauled in two of his three touchdowns in the loss to Wyoming and has been a solid option for Schilz, coming into this game with 17 catches for 175 yards. However, those numbers pale in comparison to Eugene Cooper's production. The senior has been unstoppable on the year and already has 323 receiving yards to go along with six touchdowns.

Schilz and company took care of business against Wyoming, but the rushing attack did a miserable job at giving the Falcons an offensive balance. The team finished with just 77 yards on a mere 2.3 yards per attempt. Despite the poor effort though the Falcons have improved in this area. Over the previous two seasons the Falcons averaged less than 100 yards per game, but so far BGSU is rumbling for a healthy 177.3 ypg and a lot of that has to do with the emergence of Anthon Samuel, who has rushed for 307 yards on 6.8 yards per attempt.

Over the past two seasons the Falcons have been tormented by the run, but so far in 2011 they have done a solid job in that area. BGSU is currently limiting the opposition to just 112.3 ypg, on 3.8 yards per attempt.

Even in the loss to Wyoming, coach Clawson's squad was not dominated by Wyoming's ground attack. The team did allow two scores on the ground, but held the Cowboys to just 3.8 yards per tote. Where the Falcons had some minor trouble was against the pass, as the Cowboys threw for 267 yards and one touchdown.

If the Falcons are going to improve against the pass, the front line is going to have to supply more pressure. BGSU has only five sacks on the year and two have come from Chris Jones.

The RedHawks are the defending MAC championships, but repeating as the league's top team won't be easy if the squad cannot figure out a way to perform better offensively.

Running the ball successfully has been a problem for the RedHawks over the past couple of seasons. In fact, the team was held under 100 yards per game in 2009 and 2010. Not much has changed under new head coach Don Treadwell.

As of now the RedHawks are posting just 78.0 yards per game on a mere 2.7 yards per carry. Erik Finklea has the only two rushing touchdowns for the team, with one of those coming in the recent loss to Minnesota. The RedHawks totaled just 80 yards rushing in the setback.

With an ineffective ground game the majority of the success for Miami-Ohio against Minnesota came through the air, but even Zac Dysert had some trouble against the Golden Gophers. The quarterback threw for 325 yards and two scores, but he completed just 27-of-47 passes and was intercepted once.

Dysert has thrown for over 500 yards in the two games, but comes into this matchup with just two touchdowns against two interceptions. Dysert is better than those numbers and with players like Chris Givens and Nick Harwell at his disposal he will likely improve as the year goes on.

In fact, look for Dysert and his receiving tandem to find some success Saturday.

The RedHawks were unfortunate in their scheduling as the first two teams they faced had quarterbacks that ran the football. Because of that the defense for Miami-Ohio has allowed 199.0 rushing yards per contest.

Minnesota's quarterback MarQueis Gray churned out 171 yards against Miami-Ohio last week, and as a whole the Golden Gophers racked up 236 yards on 5.0 yards per carry.

Since the Tigers and Golden Gophers relied heavily on the run, the RedHawks have not really been tested by a passing attack. In the first two games Miami- Ohio allowed just 146 yards per game, but the Falcons are going to throw early and often. Miami's inability to stop the pass last year was the team's downfall at times, so it will be interesting to see if the defense is better suited to handle a heavy dose of passing this weekend.

The Falcons only won once on the road last year, but the three previous seasons Bowling Green finished with a winning mark away from home. Miami-Ohio might be the returning league champions, but the Falcons are ready to knock the champ out this Saturday.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Bowling Green 27, Miami-Ohio 21