Austin Novosad finally got the chance he’d been waiting on, and he made it count.
The former Oregon quarterback delivered in his first career college start Tuesday night, throwing for 229 yards and three touchdowns as Bowling Green held off Kent State, 33-28, in a MAC matchup. Novosad finished 15-of-25 through the air and helped the Falcons survive a late push after Kent State briefly grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter.
His first touchdown pass set the tone. On third-and-six, Novosad stood in with a free rusher bearing down on him and still uncorked a 70-yard strike to his running back for a score. It was the kind of throw that turns a first start into a statement.
Bowling Green had built a two-score cushion, but Kent State fought back and went ahead 28-27 with 2:00 left in the fourth quarter. Novosad answered with a 16-yard completion, then watched Nakai Amachree take over from there, bursting down the left sideline for a 48-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winner. The Falcons then shut down the Golden Flashes on the next possession to seal the victory.
Novosad’s road to this moment took some patience. He spent three seasons with the Oregon Ducks, where he waited behind others for his shot. The four-star quarterback from the 2023 class battled Dante Moore for the starting job in 2025, lost that competition, and later entered the transfer portal after completing 12 of 15 passes for 99 yards in his time as a Duck.
He landed at Bowling Green hoping for a fresh start and a chance to compete for the job as a junior, but he was beaten out again, this time by Division-II Assumption College transfer Jay Kastantin. Kastantin’s injury finally opened the door for Novosad, and the first opportunity came with a win attached.
With Bowling Green sitting at 2-7 with Kastantin at quarterback, the Falcons would have plenty of reason to take a longer look at Novosad going forward.
In Other News...
Oregon Still Owes Fans Answers On Messiah Hampton Situation
Oregons off-field questions around Messiah Hampton are still hanging over the program as the freshman wide receiver moves through the early stages of the legal process following an October 18 incident that led to felony attempting to elude a police officer and misdemeanor reckless driving charges. The case stems from a high-speed chase that involved multiple vehicles with Oregon football players, a detail that has kept the story tied closely to the Ducks even as the legal proceedings have moved forward.
Hampton was arrested on October 30 and arraigned on November 2, and the next scheduled step is a pre-trial conference on December 17. For Oregon, the unresolved part is not just the court calendar but the broader need for clarity around what happened and how the program is handling a situation that has already put an unwanted spotlight on one of its young players. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Just Put Oregons Tight End Future In Focus
Dan Lannings latest comments offered a useful glimpse into where Oregon thinks its tight end room is headed, and Kendre Harrison sits right at the center of it. The freshman has already shown enough in the 2026 season to matter, with five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown, but what has stood out most is the way the Ducks view his all-around game. Lanning pointed to Harrisons versatility and physicality, along with his blocking, as traits that can help shape the position beyond just this fall.
The bigger picture is that Oregon does not appear content to leave the room as is. Lanning also said the Ducks plan to add talent through the transfer portal in the offseason, which adds another layer to Harrisons development and the overall competition at the position. For a program that wants to keep stacking difference-makers, the message is clear: Harrison is part of the future, but Oregon is still looking to build around him. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Now Faces The Same Offensive Problem Penn State Couldnt Solve
Northwesterns offense has become one of the more unusual problems Ohio State will see this season, and it comes with a familiar face on the other sideline. Under Pat Fitzgerald and his offensive coordinator, a former Ohio State coach, the Wildcats have leaned into a modified wing-T look that has helped them pile up rushing yards in recent games, including a strong showing against Penn State. It is the kind of scheme that forces defenses to stay disciplined snap after snap, and it has clearly earned the Buckeyes attention.
Ohio State players and coaches have already acknowledged how creative and difficult Northwesterns approach can be, which is part of what makes this matchup so interesting. Penn State had its own trouble sorting it out, and now the Buckeyes are preparing for the same challenge with little room for error. For Oregon fans watching the broader Big Ten picture, it is another reminder that style points do not matter much when an offense can make a game feel strange in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]