The Falcons’ season took another remarkable turn with their 42-14 victory over the Miami RedHawks Tuesday night.
While the torrential rain didn’t cancel the game, it certainly destroyed Miami’s home field advantage and washed away the ghosts of the past for BG.
Left for dead three weeks ago, after being demolished by Western Michigan and losing quarterback Omar Jacobs in the process, BG has found itself right where it’s needed to be all along – on the doorstep of a MAC Championship game.
Of course, you can’t have a storybook ending without a little drama in between can you?
And if you’re looking for drama, the Falcons have had it in spades.
They began the season holding their own against Big Ten powerhouse Wisconsin in a 56-42 defeat. Then came a messy win against the rebuilding Ball State Cardinals.
The second setback of the season was in week three when the Falcons were thoroughly embarrassed on national television against Boise State and the usually poised Jacobs made poor decisions and seemed confused.
However, the Falcons had convincing victories against Temple, Ohio and Buffalo, with Jacobs leading an offensive attack that was able to mask weaknesses in other areas of the team.
Weaknesses, including a tissue-thin run defense, poor tackling, erratic special teams and inconsistency all over the field.
Then came the Western Michigan game.
The team lost receiver Marques Parks with a broken leg. Ouch.
The team lost quarterback Omar Jacobs with a separated shoulder. Double ouch.
The team lost the game 45-14. Triple ouch.
Well, no one said winning a championship was going to be easy.
But I’m sure no one, least of all the Falcon faithful with their orange and brown colored glasses, expected the kinds of struggles that have beset the team this year.
But through all of that, they stepped out onto the field in Oxford – a place that has historically been none too friendly to the Falcons – and came out with a victory, and a convincing one at that.
Jacobs returned just in time, with the season on the line, to lead his team to the most important win of his tenure.
People saw Jacobs struggle on national TV and labeled him overrated, they saw him get injured and said he should come back to school because he hurt his draft stock.
He was able to prove all of his doubters wrong and now the team has just one more task in order to play for a championship – beat Toledo.
As if they needed any more motivation.
