The Falcon football team’s offense was able to put together another dominant performance with a balanced attack to defeat Eastern Michigan.
Quarterback Omar Jacobs passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns and running back P.J. Pope netted 128 yards on the ground, scoring from 18 yards out in the fourth quarter to put away EMU 41-20.
“We are a complete offense,” Jacobs said. “We don’t have weak links.”
BG received a boost from their defense, which came up with big plays at the right time.
“We’re just playing really well together as a team right now,” said BG head coach Gregg Brandon.
Down by 14 with just under six minutes to play, EMU had a first down at the Falcon 38-yard line after completing a 23-yard pass on fourth and 14. On the next play, defensive end Mitchell Crossley broke through the line and crushed quarterback Matt Bohnet, forcing a fumble. BG linebacker Daniel Sayles recovered the ball and put the offense in control to finish the game.
With the success they found all game with Pope, the Falcons handed off to him five straight plays, the last resulting in a touchdown to end any hope of an Eagle comeback.
The Falcons had not run the ball well in their last three games and Brandon made it a point to get back to pounding the ball with success.
“We talked after last week about being able to run P.J., rush the football. We challenged the line that we needed to get P.J. 100 yards and we did a good job of that. For us to continue to win, we have to run the football effectively.”
Crossley was a dominant presence on the field. On the opening possesion of the second half, he shot through the EMU offensive line and made a one-handed grab on a backwards lateral, returning it 30-yards for a touchdown to put BG up 31-10.
“They were running on us, passing on us and s omebody had to make a big play,” Crossley said. “My number was called and I just had to go out there and make the play.”
“I saw Mitch being disruptive,” Brandon said. “(He was) coming off the edge, collapsing the pocket, forcing the quarterback to get out of there more than they wanted to.”
Jacobs spread the ball to seven different receivers for 30 completions. Charles Sharon led the way with a career-high 10 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
“Charles Sharon is a great player,” said a smiling Jacobs, who has connected with him for eight touchdowns this season.
The Eagles were able to throw the ball deep against the Falcons secondary throughout the game. Bohnet finished with 365 yards passing and one touchdown and was on the same page with receiver Eric Deslauriers, who finished with nine receptions for 189 yards and a touchdown.
“They have a nice offense (and) they have a nice scheme,” Brandon said. “Deslauriers’ a good player. Their quarterback, when he has time, has been effective for them.”
Despite the big numbers the Falcon offense put up, they settled for two field goals in the red-zone and were unable to convert on third-down conversions consistently (4 of 13) as a result of being forced into third-and-long situations.
“I don’t know how many times I looked up and saw third and 8, third and 10. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” Brandon said.
BG has won five games in a row and Brandon is pleased with the position his team is in.
“We’ve got six wins now, we’re bowl eligible,” he said. “We’re playing as good as we can play right now, I think, and still have to play better.”
Falcon Notes:
Tight end Todd DiBacco’s eight-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was the second touchdown of his career … Pope’s 128-yard effort was the sixth 100-yard plus game in his career … The offense netted 501 yards on 83 plays … Crossley finished the game with a team-high five solo tackles, seven total, and two sacks … Cornerback Terrill Mayberry’s fourth quarter interception was the first in his career.
