Bowling Green has a flair for the dramatic when it comes to season openers. For the second time in as many years, the Falcons took the opening kickoff to the house to begin its Week 1 contest. Cameron Pettaway sprinted 98 yards to the end zone to get the Falcons’ matchup with Lafayette underway in explosive fashion, one year after Justin Pegues went 100 yards against Fordham to open the 2024 season. It also opened the Eddie George era as the first play of the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner’s coaching tenure in the MAC.
Pettaway handled the ball at his 2-yard line, caught a seam around the 20 and passed the kicker on the Bowling Green side of midfield before gliding across the goal line for the first touchdown of the Falcons’ campaign.
Not only was it a thrilling start to Bowling Green’s season, but it also marked an unforgettable moment in the earliest stages of Pettaway’s career. The redshirt freshman running back housed the kickoff on his first career touch after he did not appear in a single game last season. It was a statement of a debut for the Farmington (Mich.) product, who joined the Falcons last year as the No. 170 running back recruit in the country.
Pettaway’s return was nearly identical to Pegues’ from a year ago. Both returners scooted down the right sideline after their blockers opened up a lane deep in their own territory, and they both needed to get past the kicker around midfield on their way to pay dirt. The only difference of note was that Pegues covered a mere two additional yards with his 2024 return.
In addition to his duties as the primary kickoff return specialist, Pettaway will have a role in the backfield for the first time in his career. The Falcons listed him in a three-man committee atop the Week 1 depth chart with veterans Chris McMillian and Kaderris Roberts at the running back spot.
Bowling Green seeks a fourth-straight run to bowl eligibility this season after Scot Loeffler closed his tenure with back-to-back winning seasons and another six-win campaign in 2022. George — an Ohio State legend and College Football Hall of Famer — took over for Loeffler in February after the latter departed to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. George is an FBS coach for the first time this season but picked up five years of experience from 2021-24 at Tennessee State, where he reached the FCS playoffs for the first time last fall.
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