BGSU football (6-4, 5-1) and the Western Michigan Broncos (5-5, 4-2) faced off in a mid-week MACtion contest with bowl bids and conference championship aspirations in the balance for both teams. The Falcons won the matchup decisively, 31-13.
The Falcons and Broncos came into the game both 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and a tie for first place along with Miami (OH) and Ohio. With both teams also having five overall wins on the year, bowl eligibility was also on the line.
The Bowling Green student section brought the energy to the Doyt, and they were dressed in black for the “blackout” themed game.
The Orange and Brown started the game’s scoring on their first drive with a career-long 50-yard field goal from junior kicker Zach Long.
Long started the season as the backup kicker before starter Jackson Kleather got injured in week seven against Northern Illinois.
“The message to all our players is ‘you never know when your number is going to get called.’ That’s hard at times for young guys…you’re either ready, or you’re not; Zach was ready,” said head coach Scot Loeffler postgame.
Another record was broken on the very next drive, with junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. catching his 139th career reception. This broke the record for most receptions by a tight end in BGSU school history.
Bowling Green ended up leading the game 3-0 at the end of the first quarter behind a stellar defensive performance that limited Western Michigan to just two total first downs and 51 total yards of offense in the quarter.
One of the defensive standouts was senior linebacker Brock Horne, who had a six-yard sack in the quarter.
“We went out there and executed. The d-line played great, the back end played great, and (the linebackers) were firing on all cylinders,” said Horne.
The Broncos battled back early in the second period, however, with a run-heavy drive that culminated in a six-yard touchdown from sophomore running back Jalen Buckley, his fifth rushing touchdown on the season.
The very next kickoff was fumbled by Bowling Green sophomore defensive lineman Bam Booker and recovered by Western Michigan. Falcon fans’ main concern, though, was the health and safety of Booker, who took a dangerous hit to the head. The Doyt was left silent for roughly 10 minutes before he was eventually carried off the field on a stretcher.
The Booker injury seemed to ignite the Falcons on both sides of the ball. After the Broncos’ ensuing drive was stopped short, Fannin Jr. caught a 25-yard touchdown for BGSU, his seventh receiving touchdown of the season.
Bowling Green’s senior cornerback, Jacorey Benjamin, picked off the first Western Michigan play of the next drive, which led to a quarterback sneak touchdown by Connor Bazelak. In the blink of an eye, the Falcons 3-7 deficit turned into a 17-7 lead, which was the score at the end of the half.
The Orange and Brown came roaring out of the gate in the second half with a 65-yard drive down the field that ended with a 17-yard touchdown run by junior running back Terion Stewart. The score was Stewart’s sixth touchdown of the year and put the Falcons up 24-7.
After a Bronco three-and-out, Stewart continued his momentum with a 60-yard rush down the left sideline.
On the next play, Fannin Jr. caught a 10-yard touchdown pass, which was his eighth touchdown of the season. This broke yet another school record: the most touchdowns scored by a tight end in a single season. It also extended his record for most games in a single season with 100 receiving yards by a tight end in school history, with this being his seventh 100-yard game.
The subsequent Western Michigan possession resulted in another Jalen Buckley rushing touchdown. The score was the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year’s second of the game.
After a missed two-point conversion attempt, the score was a Bowling Green 31-13 lead at the end of the third quarter.
After no offense through the first half of the fourth quarter for Western Michigan, both coaches began to empty out the benches. As the clock wasted away in the fourth, Bowling Green cruised to a 31-13 victory.
Overall, Bowling Green’s defense stifled the Bronco offense all game long, holding them to 292 total yards and just 97 total rushing yards. Only Ohio State and Wisconsin have held Western Michigan to under 100 yards on the ground before Bowling Green did tonight.
“The coaches put together a great game plan tonight,” senior defensive lineman Anthony Hawkins said postgame.
On the other side of the ball, the Falcon offense was extremely explosive and balanced. They amassed 226 total rushing yards and 176 total receiving yards.
“We had to be balanced. I also thought we had a really good plan with the misdirection, and some of the RPO stuff was excellent,” said Loeffler.
Team leaders included Harold Fannin Jr., who had 137 total receiving yards and two touchdowns. Terion Stewart had 150 total rushing yards and one touchdown. Connor Bazelak also had a great game under center with 176 total passing yards, a rushing touchdown, two passing touchdowns, and no turnovers.
With Ohio and Miami (OH) both playing tomorrow, Bowling Green is currently standing alone in first place in the MAC with a 5-1 conference record. The Falcons are also now bowl-eligible for the third season in a row.
However, Terion Stewart doesn’t want to overlook the bigger picture.
“BG hasn’t been in a MAC Championship for a while. We’re used to going to bowl games, but we can’t settle for that,” said Stewart.
Similarly, coach Loeffler doesn’t want his team to get too caught up in the moment.
“Our full attention will be on finding a way to beat Ball State. If we’re not locked in, we’ll get our tail kicked in a minute,” said Loeffler.
The Orange and Brown will look to continue the momentum gained from this victory next Saturday, November 23, at Ball State, which is currently 3-7 (2-4) and in 9th place in the MAC.
