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Bowling Green vs. Kent State

Bowling Green and Kent State have 63 meetings on file, the first in 1962; Bowling Green leads the series 47–⁠16 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Kent State 6–⁠4. The winner takes home the Anniversary Award, played for since about 1985. Kent State has held it since the 2025 game.

Bowling Green wins
47
Kent State wins
16
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1962
Longest streak
14 Bowling Green
Current streak
1 Kent State
Last 10 meetings
Kent State 6–⁠4
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1960s7–⁠1
1970s8–⁠2
1980s9–⁠1
1990s8–⁠2
2000s8–⁠1
2010s5–⁠5
2020s2–⁠4
Average margin
17.8 points; 18 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Bowling Green
23–⁠8 Bowling Green’s record at home
At Kent State
8–⁠23 Kent State’s record at home
Neutral sites
1–⁠0 Bowling Green first
Shutouts
4

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Anniversary Award

Played for since
about 1985
Held by
Kent State since the 2025 game
Games for it on file
40 Bowling Green 27, Kent State 13

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since about 1985 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: Bowling Green leads, 27–⁠13. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Anniversary Award.

Games that tell the story

  1. Bowling Green’s biggest win2015: Bowling Green 48, Kent State 0by 48 points
  2. Kent State’s biggest win2019: Kent State 62, Bowling Green 20by 42 points
  3. Upset2006: Kent State 38, Bowling Green 3Kent State had a 20% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1972: Kent State 14, Bowling Green 10Kent State had a 22% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1977: Bowling Green 14, Kent State 10Bowling Green had a 31% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsBowling GreenSeriesKent State
1965–⁠1967Bob Gibson2–⁠1Leo Strang
1968–⁠1970Don Nehlen3–⁠0Dave Puddington
1971–⁠1974Don Nehlen2–⁠2Don James
1978–⁠1980Dennis Stolz3–⁠0Ron Blackledge
1983–⁠1985Dennis Stolz3–⁠0Dick Scesniak
1988–⁠1990Moe Ankney2–⁠1Dick Crum
1991–⁠1993Gary Blackney3–⁠0Pete Cordelli
1994–⁠1997Gary Blackney3–⁠1Jim Corrigall
1998–⁠2000Gary Blackney2–⁠1Dean Pees
2005–⁠2008Gregg Brandon3–⁠1Doug Martin
2019–⁠2022Scot Loeffler0–⁠4Sean Lewis

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Bowling Green’s side (Gibson 2–⁠1 against Strang). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Bowling Green and Kent State, 1962 on130015001700197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Tyler Sheehan Bowling Green44 of 63, 505 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT2009 Passing
Matt Johnson Bowling Green27 of 40, 430 yards, 5 TD2015 Passing
Freddie Barnes Bowling Green22 catches, 278 yards, 3 TD2009 Receiving
Dri Archer Kent State17 carries, 241 yards, 2 TD2012 Rushing
Kamar Jorden Bowling Green12 catches, 203 yards, 1 TD2011 Receiving
Harold Fannin Jr. Bowling Green10 catches, 171 yards2024 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

Every game

Nov 10, 2026Kent State at Bowling Green upcomingat Bowling Green
Oct 25, 2025Kent State 24, Bowling Green 21at Kent State
Oct 19, 2024Bowling Green 27, Kent State 6at Bowling Green
Nov 8, 2023Bowling Green 49, Kent State 19at Kent State
Nov 9, 2022Kent State 40, Bowling Green 6at Bowling Green
Oct 2, 2021Kent State 27, Bowling Green 20at Kent State
Nov 10, 2020Kent State 62, Bowling Green 24at Bowling Green
Sep 21, 2019Kent State 62, Bowling Green 20at Kent State
Oct 30, 2018Kent State 35, Bowling Green 28at Bowling Green
Oct 31, 2017Bowling Green 44, Kent State 16at Kent State
Nov 15, 2016Bowling Green 42, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Oct 24, 2015Bowling Green 48, Kent State 0at Kent State
Nov 12, 2014Bowling Green 30, Kent State 20at Bowling Green
Sep 7, 2013Bowling Green 41, Kent State 22at Kent State
Nov 17, 201225Kent State 31, Bowling Green 24at Bowling Green
Oct 29, 2011Kent State 27, Bowling Green 15at Kent State
Oct 23, 2010Kent State 30, Bowling Green 6at Bowling Green
Oct 10, 2009Bowling Green 36, Kent State 35at Kent State
Nov 1, 2008Bowling Green 45, Kent State 30at Bowling Green
Oct 20, 2007Bowling Green 31, Kent State 20at Kent State
Sep 23, 2006Kent State 38, Bowling Green 3at Bowling Green
Nov 5, 2005Bowling Green 24, Kent State 14at Kent State
Nov 15, 200325Bowling Green 42, Kent State 33at Bowling Green
Nov 2, 200221Bowling Green 45, Kent State 14at Kent State
Oct 6, 2001Bowling Green 24, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Sep 30, 2000Bowling Green 18, Kent State 11at Kent State
Sep 25, 1999Kent State 41, Bowling Green 27at Kent State
Oct 24, 1998Bowling Green 42, Kent State 21at Bowling Green
Nov 1, 1997Kent State 29, Bowling Green 20at Kent State
Oct 12, 1996Bowling Green 31, Kent State 24at Bowling Green
Nov 11, 1995Bowling Green 26, Kent State 15at Kent State
Nov 5, 1994Bowling Green 22, Kent State 16at Kent State
Nov 6, 1993Bowling Green 40, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Nov 7, 1992Bowling Green 28, Kent State 22at Kent State
Nov 9, 1991Bowling Green 35, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Nov 3, 1990Bowling Green 20, Kent State 16at Kent State
Nov 4, 1989Bowling Green 51, Kent State 28at Bowling Green
Nov 5, 1988Kent State 31, Bowling Green 19at Kent State
Nov 7, 1987Bowling Green 30, Kent State 20at Bowling Green
Oct 25, 1986Bowling Green 31, Kent State 15at Kent State
Oct 26, 1985Bowling Green 26, Kent State 14at Bowling Green
Nov 17, 1984Bowling Green 27, Kent State 10at Kent State
Nov 19, 1983Bowling Green 38, Kent State 3at Bowling Green
Oct 30, 1982Bowling Green 41, Kent State 7at Kent State
Oct 31, 1981Bowling Green 13, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Oct 18, 1980Bowling Green 24, Kent State 3at Bowling Green
Oct 13, 1979Bowling Green 28, Kent State 17at Kent State
Oct 14, 1978Bowling Green 28, Kent State 20at Bowling Green
Oct 15, 1977Bowling Green 14, Kent State 10at Kent State
Oct 16, 1976Bowling Green 17, Kent State 13at Bowling Green
Oct 18, 1975Bowling Green 35, Kent State 9Neutral site
Oct 12, 1974Bowling Green 26, Kent State 10at Bowling Green
Oct 13, 1973Kent State 21, Bowling Green 7at Kent State
Oct 14, 1972Kent State 14, Bowling Green 10at Bowling Green
Oct 16, 1971Bowling Green 46, Kent State 33at Kent State
Oct 17, 1970Bowling Green 44, Kent State 0at Bowling Green
Oct 18, 1969Bowling Green 7, Kent State 0at Kent State
Oct 19, 1968Bowling Green 30, Kent State 7at Bowling Green
Oct 21, 1967Bowling Green 7, Kent State 6at Kent State
Oct 22, 1966Kent State 35, Bowling Green 12at Bowling Green
Oct 23, 1965Bowling Green 7, Kent State 6at Kent State
Oct 24, 1964Bowling Green 41, Kent State 0at Bowling Green
Oct 26, 1963Bowling Green 18, Kent State 3at Kent State
Oct 20, 1962Bowling Green 45, Kent State 6at Bowling Green

Every game is listed as played on the field.