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1985 Bowling Green

11–⁠1 (9–⁠0 Mid-American Conference), coached by Dennis Stolz.

Schedule and results

Bowling Green in 1985, game by game: won at Ball State 31–6; won at Kentucky 30–26; won vs. Miami (OH) 28–24; won vs. Akron 27–22; won at Western Michigan 48–7; won at Eastern Michigan 42–24; won vs. Central Michigan 23–18; won vs. Kent State 26–14; won at Northern Illinois 34–14; won vs. Toledo 21–0; won at Ohio 38–17; lost vs. Fresno State 7–51+41−44Won 31–6 at Ball State+25Ball StateWon 30–26 at Kentucky+4KentuckyWon 28–24 vs. Miami (OH)+4Miami (OH)Won 27–22 vs. Akron+5AkronWon 48–7 at Western Michigan+41Western MichiganWon 42–24 at Eastern Michigan+18Eastern MichiganWon 23–18 vs. Central Michigan+5Central MichiganWon 26–14 vs. Kent State+12Kent StateWon 34–14 at Northern Illinois+20Northern Illino…Won 21–0 vs. Toledo+21ToledoWon 38–17 at Ohio+21OhioLost 7–51 vs. Fresno State-44Fresno State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 7atBall StateW 31–⁠669%
Sep 14atKentuckyW 30–⁠2649%
Sep 21vsMiami (OH)W 28–⁠2474%
Sep 28vsAkronW 27–⁠2286%
Oct 5atWestern MichiganW 48–⁠773%
Oct 12atEastern MichiganW 42–⁠2479%
Oct 19vsCentral MichiganW 23–⁠1863%
Oct 26vsKent StateW 26–⁠1485%
Nov 2atNorthern IllinoisW 34–⁠1478%
Nov 16vsToledoW 21–⁠086%
Nov 23atOhioW 38–⁠1786%
Dec 14Bowls & playoffvsFresno StateCalifornia BowlL 7–⁠5161%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Fresno State 51–⁠7 in the California Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; Mid-American Conference champions.

In program history: The 3rd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 73 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 15: 20
  2. Wk 16: 20

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1985.

Mid-American Conference champions9–⁠0 in the conference

Led the nationBernard White: rushing touchdowns (18 TD), points (114 pts), points per game (10.4)

Record
11–⁠1
Conference
9–⁠0 first in Mid-American Conference
AP final
Unranked peak No. 20
Points
355–⁠223
Coach
Dennis Stolz
Elo
1651 +77 this season
SP+ rating
13.7 No. 24 of 106; offense No. 19, defense No. 41
SRS
1.5 No. 53 of 110 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—

Roster 38

The 1985 roster

38 players as Bowling Green printed the roster in its 1985 media guide, with numbers, positions, heights, weights and hometowns. See the roster

1985 Mid-American Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Bowling Green9–⁠011–⁠1
Miami (OH)7–⁠1–⁠18–⁠2–⁠1
Central Michigan6–⁠37–⁠3
Western Michigan4–⁠4–⁠14–⁠6–⁠1
Northern Illinois4–⁠44–⁠7
Ball State3–⁠64–⁠7
Toledo3–⁠64–⁠7
Eastern Michigan3–⁠64–⁠7
Kent State2–⁠63–⁠8
Ohio2–⁠72–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.