The Orange and Brown drop to 2-2 (0-0 MAC) with the loss, while the #17/19 Badgers improve to 2-1 (0-0 Big Ten).
Three Badgers – Melvin Gordon, Corey Clement and quarterback Tanner McEvoy -- rushed for over 100 yards. Gordon scored five touchdowns and gained 253 yards on 13 carries, while Clement ran for 111 yards on 16 carries. McEvoy completed 9-of-16 passes and rushed for 158 yards on 11 touches.
Roger Lewis led all receivers with a game-high five receptions for 68 yards for BGSU. Quarterback James Knapke completed 13-of-28 passes for 163 yards, while Andre Givens led all Falcon running backs with 67 yards on five carries and one touchdown. Fred Coppet also scored on the ground and averaged seven yards per touch on five rushes.
True freshman punter Joe Davidson averaged 45.1 yards per punt. Two of his 11 punts traveled 57 yards.
After a Wisconsin opening-drive touchdown, defensive end Kendall Montgomery forced a fumble in Badger territory on Wisconsin's ensuing drive. Linebacker Nate Locke recovered the ball at the 35-yard line and Coppet rushed for a game-tying touchdown on the very next play.
After another Wisconsin touchdown, Bowling Green cut the deficit to 14-10 with a Tyler Tate 28-yard field goal with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter. Knapke found Lewis for 36 yards four plays earlier to help set up the score.
With BGSU trailing, 21-10, in the second quarter, the Falcons faced third and goal when Knapke threw an interception in the end zone. It was returned for 43 yards. Three plays later, Gordon rushed it in from 50 yards out to give Wisconsin a 28-10 lead.
The Falcon defense forced two more turnovers in the first half to keep the game close into the second quarter. Defensive lineman Taylor Royster recovered a fumbled snap and true freshman defensive back Nick Johnson intercepted a pass at the BGSU four-yard line late in the second half.
Despite the BGSU takeaways, Wisconsin scored 27 second-quarter points to take a 41-10 halftime lead.
Givens rushed for a 60-yard touchdown with 11:37 remaining in the contest to snap a stretch of 51-straight Badger points. With the game out of reach, the BGSU defense limited Wisconsin to a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter.
True freshman quarterback Cody Callaway saw action for the Falcons late, as he completed 2-of-5 passes for 15 yards while also guiding the Orange and Brown to the second-half touchdown.
Bowling Green will open Mid-American Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 3 p.m against University of Massachusetts at McGuirk Stadium.
(Courtesy of BGSU Athletics)