Bowling Green QB Situation Could Shake up Early Season for Iowa State

The Bowling Green Falcons are throwing a wrench in the game plan for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad throws a pass during warmups as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting closer and closer to the opening game of their 2026 season, where they will take on the SEMO Redhawks to open the Jimmy Rogers era.

But there is actually some interesting news coming from a future Iowa State opponent, who may have a very different look than originally projected.

In Week 3, the Cyclones are hosting the Bowling Green Falcons in a non-conference battle. While that game definitely looked to be one of the easier ones on the schedule, there was a quarterback who was intriguing for Bowling Green. His name is Austin Novosad.

Novosad was projected to be QB1 for the Falcons after seeing limited time with the Oregon Ducks, learning behind some great quarterbacks. His big move to the Group of Five level seemed to be the one that would finally give him his starting role. But the starting quarterback to open the season will actually be Jay Kastantin.

Bowling Green makes surprising starting QB announcement

Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of a Bowling Green Falcons helmet on the sideline during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Kastantin is coming out of nowhere. He spent three seasons with the Assumption Greyhounds at the Division II level, where he appeared in 22 games. He was a solid passer, throwing for 3,658 yards and 28 touchdowns throughout his career. His rushing stats were good too, putting up 710 yards and nine touchdowns.

In 2025, Kastantin won the Northeast-10 Conference Most Valuable Player Award, which led him to get a roster spot at the FBS level. And now he’s proven enough to roll as the starter to begin the season.

He also comes from an athletic family. His dad, Matt, played football for the Dartmouth Big Green, while his mom, Sany, spent time with the UConn Huskies swim and dive team. To say that it was meant for him to make his FBS move would be an understatement.

While it’s a big jump, Kastantin has earned it, and he has proven that he can be dominant when on the field. Now the real question is whether he can perform where the lights shine the brightest.

NEWS: Bowling Green has named Assumption College transfer Jay Kastantin the starter at quarterback, coach Eddie George told ESPN. He'll debut for Bowling Green against Tarleton State. He had 3,658 career passing yards and 28 TDs at Assumption. pic.twitter.com/oN51D9M3M2

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 30, 2026

Shockingly, Novosad isn’t going to be the starter, but it shouldn’t change too much about how Iowa State approaches the game. They need to stop the run game and get Cameron Pettaway going if they want to be able to come away victorious.

It’s clear now that they definitely want to cause havoc in the backfield, making it tough for the quarterback to make plays. And I'll tell you, the Cyclones are going to have a legit defensive line and get to the passer easily.

Week 3 just got a whole lot more interesting, and now Coach Rogers and Iowa State have a new guy on their bulletin board to watch and analyze.