Utilizing their offensive machine, the Falcon football team (3-2, 1-1) cruised to a 38-14 victory over host Central Michigan (2-3, 1-1) Saturday.
BG finished with 510 yards of total offense and did not turn the ball over against the Chippewas. Quarterback Omar Jacobs continued his early season success, throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns. It was the second consecutive game in which Jacobs has thrown four touchdowns, which is his career-high.
“We felt we could throw the football and we did,” said Falcon head coach Gregg Brandon. “We did a nice job mixing things up and keeping (CMU) off balance, and I don’t really think it was a close game.”
Wide Receiver Steve Sanders had the finest day of his career, catching six passes for 107 yards and three scores.
“Usually going in (to the game), we have set plays that we run and just look and see what’s open,” Sanders said. “As the game went on, it just so happened that a lot of the plays were open for me and my number was called.”
Sanders first touchdown was a 25-yard circus catch as he leaped over CMU linebacker James King, tipped the ball to himself, juggled it, then held on for the score.
“Omar made a great throw, he put it up in the air where I could go make a play on it,” said Sanders, who also caught touchdowns of 16 and four yards. “I kept my eye on the ball and I made a play.”
After being forced to punt on their first possession of the game, BG rebounded with a nine play, 93-yard drive, their longest of the season. P.J. Pope ran in for a one-yard touchdown, his fourth of the year, for the first score of the game.
The Falcon defense gave up 401 yards to the Chippewas, but held them to two scores.
Senior Jovon Burkes and junior Teddy Piepkow each had 14 tackles, which was a career-high for both. Burkes also had the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter.
Coming in to the game, the Falcons concentrated on stopping CMU running back Jerry Seymour, the leading Mid-American Conference rusher. Seymour, who is small and quick, was able to pick up 155 yards on the ground, but never found the end zone.
“There’s only one defensive statistic that matters, scoring defense,” Brandon said. “I would hope that we would contain (Seymour) a little bit better, but we kept him out of the end zone and that’s the key thing.”
“He’s an excellent little back,” Burkes said. “Going in to this game, we knew we had to dominate on defense to give our team a chance, and that’s what we did.”
Jacobs, who was honored Monday as the MAC Offensive Player of the Week , is using his experienced receiving core to make plays and take some pressure off him. He had success with Sanders, but also connected with Cole Magner nine times for 113 yards, Charles Sharon five times for 60 yards, and found Cornelius McGrady for a 10-yard touchdown pass, Jacobs fourth and final of the game.
“I have confidence in all my receivers,” Jacobs said. “I don’t think of any of my receivers less or more … or who I should go to at any given time. We have a great nucleus of receivers and we’re just going out and playing football.”
Jacobs consistent play and growth in the system are making for comparisons between him and former BG quarterback, now Baltimore Raven, Josh Harris.
“Everybody wants Omar Jacobs to be Josh Harris,” Brandon said. “I think it’s interesting that Omar is playing probably better right now than Josh Harris played. I couldn’t ask anything more of Omar Jacobs.”
Falcon Notes
BG is 14-0 since 2001 when their offense totals 500 or more yards … Jelani Jordan recorded his first interception of the season … Magner’s 113 receiving yards marked the fifth time in his career he has had 100+ yards … Jacobs ran for 75 yards on 11 carries … Starting safety Keon Newson sat out the first half for disciplinary reasons earlier in the week. He finished the game with seven tackles.
