The BG football team took flight in its 45-3 victory against the Miami University RedHawks Tuesday night in Oxford.
“We finally, I think, played a full game,” head coach Dave Clawson said. “We got off to a fast start on offense. Defensively, to me, we gave up too many yards on the first two drives but we found ways to get off the field with just a field goal.”
The Falcons started quick with a touchdown on their first drive with a six-yard pass from quarterback Matt Johnson to wide receiver Shaun Joplin.
Following the touchdown, Miami came back but was forced to try for the field goal. Miami kicker Kaleb Patterson kicked a 51-yard field goal to put the RedHawks on the board.
However, BG would dominate Miami for the rest of the game.
BG responded in the second quarter with 17 points. The Falcons matched the RedHawks’ field goal with one of their own after an 11-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to wide receiver Ryan Burbrink was called back.
On Miami’s first play of the following drive, running back Spencer Treadwell fumbled the ball on the play and BG recovered the ball. It only took the Falcons four plays to convert the turnover into a touchdown to put BG up 17-3.
The Falcons forced Miami to punt on the following drive and drove up the field to set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to tight end Alex Bayer, which put BG up 24-3 with the extra point.
Miami would turn the ball over on downs on the following drive and BG tried to drive down the field with 18 seconds left in the half but was only able to make one pass and went into halftime up 24-3.
BG blew up the scoreboard in the third quarter with three touchdowns. The first came from Johnson who ran one yard into the endzone after two failed attempts by running back William Houston.
The second touchdown of the third quarter was a big play from defensive back BooBoo Gates who returned a fumble 11-yards for a touchdown.
The final touchdown, and what would be the final score of the game, was a 38-yard pass from Johnson to wide receiver Chris Pohlman. That made the score 45-3, and the game ended at that score.
This game had a few significant aspects to it. The team became bowl eligible for the second-consecutive season with its sixth win of the season and with his 112 rushing yards, Greene became the first Falcon running back to amount over 1,000 yards in a season since P.J. Pope did so in 2004.
“[The offensive line] is a big part,” Greene said. “I give a thanks to the offensive line because they’re big and they’ve gotten me through this season.”
BG will return to Doyt L. Perry Stadium next Tuesday for its final home game against the Ohio University Bobcats.
