With the challenge of facing the top-ranked overall defense in the Mid-American Conference, the Bowling Green State University football team more than stood up to the task.
The Falcon offense totaled 481 yards en route to a 41-16 victory over Ohio University in Peden Stadium, improving their overall record to 5-2 and 3-1 in the MAC.
Quaterback Omar Jacobs had 300 yards passing at halftime, giving BG a 27-9 lead. Jacobs scored the first points of the game with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, capping off a 15 play, 71-yard drive.
“(We wanted) to come out and drive down the field,” Jacobs said. “We let them know off the jump that we came to play ball.”
BG had success all day passing on the OU secondary. Jacobs spread the ball around to his receivers, connecting with four receivers at least five times. Steve Sanders continued his strong play, catching 9 passes for 185, both career highs.
“Steve has a knack for finding seams in coverages,” said BG head coach Gregg Brandon. “(OU) played a lot of zone … and there were seams there.”
“Steve right now is getting open (and) making plays,” said Jacobs, who finished the game 28 of 44 with a career-high 389 yards passing and three touchdowns (one rushing).
Charles Sharon had six catches for 69 yards and a three-yard touchdown reception. Cornelius McGrady tied a career-high with six receptions, gaining 57 yards, and Cole Magner had five catches for 56 yards, including a 16-yard TD reception.
“Everybody’s making plays and we’re on a roll right now,” Jacobs said.
BG did not turn the ball over, which allowed their offense to continuously run up and down the field. The Bobcat defense came in to the game tops in the MAC forcing 21 turnovers, 11 of those coming by interceptions.
“We’re doing a great job taking care of the football,” Brandon said. “(Not turning the ball over) was huge.”
BG’s defense is playing more consistent over the last four weeks and kept OU in check for most of the game. The Bobcats managed only 265 total yards and did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.
“It was a great effort by our defense,” Brandon said. “(OU’s offense) never really did get anything going on us. I thought our defense really strangled them.”
“We always talk about playing together as a team … today we came together,” said linebacker Daniel Sayles, who had four tackles and a sack. “(We said) ‘If we can win this game, the defense is going to have to win it’, so we just came out there and smacked them.”
Magner’s touchdown was the final play of an 11 play, 99-yard drive for the Falcons, their longest drive of the season, putting BG up 34-9. Jacobs connected twice with James Hawkins to start the drive, then found Sanders for 31-yards and 22-yards on third down conversions before hitting Magner.
After halftime, the Bobcats had their first solid drive of the game. The drive lasted for 8:44 but led to no points. OU quarterback Ryan Hawk had a snap go over his head, resulting in a 16-yard loss and killing the drive.
“That was huge,” Brandon said. “If they had any chance of getting back in the football game, in my opinion, they needed to score a touchdown there.”
Falcon Notes:
Kicker Shaun Suisham connected on a 52-yard field goal, a new career-high, as time expired in the first half … Running back P.J. Pope scored his sixth rushing TD of the season with an eight-yard run in the first quarter … Defensive tackle Matt Leininger recorded two sacks … BG had only one penalty in the game for five-yards.
