Game Notes: Football vs Central Michigan

Fresh off of their 20-7 win over Toledo, BGSU football looks for their third win of the year against Central Michigan. Reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Week Grant Loy returns as quarterback after leading the Falcons to their first win over the Rockets in 10 years.

Central Michigan will have Quinten Dormandy under center in his fourth game of the season. He’s thrown for 455 yards and five touchdowns. At running back, Jonathan Ward and Kobe Lewis have doubled up as a dual threat. The two have combined for 1,022 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

First Quarter

CMU wins the coin toss and elects to receive. Bowling Green will kickoff and get the ball at the start of the second half.

The Chippewas are driving right down the field. Ward and wide receiver Jacorey Sullivan collect 62 yards, ending with a 24 yard strike from Dormandy to Sullivan who is wide open in the middle of the field and he slides into the endzone.

Eight plays for 75 yards on that Chippewa touchdown drive.

7-0 CMU

First offensive play for Bowling Green is a Loy rush for nine yards, as he reminds everyone how dangerous he is with his legs. He rushes again for six yards and a first down.

Davon Jones, after a six yard run, goes down awkwardly and is taken out of the game with the help of training staff. Falcons will now have to rely on the legs of Loy and Bryson Denley.

After a nine yard completion to Denley, BGSU can’t convert on the following third down. They go for it on fourth and one and are stopped. CMU ball at the 41 yard line.

CMU makes their way down the field, converting on two third downs. A perfect strike from Dormandy into the endzone is dropped, giving the Falcons a little bit of life.

Four straight rushes for 18 yards from Lewis put the Chippewas in the red zone and BGSU takes their first timeout of the half. Two rushing attempts from the 2 yard line are stopped by Bowling Green.

On fourth down Tommy Lazzaro, in at quarterback for CMU, fumbles the ball at the goal line. Caleb Biggers collects the ball and takes it all the way back for a touchdown. A 100 yard fumble return for a touchdown thanks to Kholbe Coleman, who popped the ball out.

7-7 tie.

Jordan Anderson breaks up a pass and then catches Lewis’ ankles to hold the Chippewas to a three and out.

End of Quarter One: 7-7

Falcons start the second quarter with a three and out of their own and punt the ball right back to the Chippewas. A great return puts them at their own 42 yard line.

CMU running a no-huddle offense on this drive, controlling the pace of this game, and quickly get into the red zone. Ward caps off the drive with a 5 yard touchdown run. This CMU drive totaled five plays for 58 yards and 1:53 time of possession.

14-7 CMU

Bowling Green’s offense, which has only gained 48 yards on the day thus far, cannot get past midfield again as they punt on a three and out. Fortunately for the Falcons, Central Michigan can’t get anything going on their drive and miss their 51-yard field goal attempt.

On its next drive, Bowling Green pins a punt at the six yard line. Tack on three more yards and the Chippewas start their drive at their own three.

CMU has no trouble getting out of it; however, Ward rushes for 40 yards on the second play of the drive. Three more rushes for Ward gets Central Michigan into the end zone once again. He has 99 yards on 12 attempts.

21-7 CMU

With 1:40 left in the first half, BGSU looks to score before time runs out. Back-to-back completions by Quintin Morris get the ball rolling with Bowling Green approaching the CMU 40 yard line.

Two near interceptions move the clock down to 29 seconds, and a 10-yard catch from Austin Dorris puts the team in field goal range with 24 seconds remaining. One more attempt by Loy gets intercepted by Da’Quan Jamison, which will end the half.

End of Quarter Two: 21-7 CMU

First half stat comparison: 47 total offensive plays for Central Michigan for 311 yards. BGSU totals 26 for 96 yards.

The latter half of the game begins with a Bowling Green touchback followed by a quick first down and more on a RB Marlow III 26-yard rush. Five consecutive rushes bring up fourth down when Morris hauls in a pass across the middle to put BGSU in the red zone.

Loy pushes BG to the three yard line and then sneaks in for his third rushing touchdown of the season.

21-14 CMU.

Third down and seven brings a 53-yard completion to Tony Poljan, putting CMU at the 9-yard line. The very next play, Ward rushes untouched into the end zone.

28-14 CMU.

A penalty-ridden drive goes nowhere for Bowling Green and they are forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, Central Michigan is cut short by an interception by Anderson. The first of his career.

A backwards pass for Denley falls and is returned by the Chippewas, but a defensive holding call brings the back to Bowling Green possession. A failed fourth down conversion would give the ball back to CMU mere minutes later.

A field goal attempt on the following drive is unsuccessful. 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Loy answers with a long 36-yard completion to Denley. Morris almost bats in one-handed touchdown on the next play, but can’t connect.

End of Quarter Three: 28-14 CMU.

Falcons go for it on fourth down. Loy’s pass attempt falls with no one close to it. Chippewas take over at their own 25.

A near fumble causes some confusion for everyone on the field. Bowling Green takes their first timeout of the second half. The very next play, Lewis goes right up the middle and to the house on a 51-yard touchdown.

35-14 CMU.

CMU’s kickoff is returned by Jordan Wayne-Prather, but he’s locked up at his own 5-yard line. A double deflection on a Loy pass attempt is collected by a diving Jamison. CMU ball at the 24-yard line.

The Falcons do stop the Chippewas from entering the endzone, but they tack on a field goal to extend their lead.

38-14 CMU.

Bowling Green slowly works their way down field. Denley picks up 14 yards on two rushes. A highlight reel play keeps the drive alive. A Loy pass is almost intercepted, but Morris holds onto the redirection with one hand and drives all the way down to the 5-yard line.

Loy finds Denley on a bootleg to give Bowling Green their third touchdown of the day. Their two-point conversion is incomplete.

38-20 CMU.

Grant Loy picks up another interception with 3:30 left in the game. Chippewas take advantage of that by running the clock out and concluding the game.