• Blog
  • About Us
  • Links
  MAC Reporter Online

Falcons remain MAC unbeaten with win at Ohio

10/11/2014

 
Picture
Justin Holbrock
ATHENS, Oh -- Despite 513 yards of total offense and a program record of 110 offensive plays (five shy of the NCAA record), the Ohio Bobcats (3-4, 1-2 MAC) struggled to find the end zone and fell on their homecoming day to the Bowling Green Falcons, 31-13. 

The Bobcats not only had 42 more plays than the Falcons (5-2, 3-0 MAC), but they also beat Bowling Green in nearly every offensive category. In all, Ohio held the ball for nearly 20 minutes longer than the Falcons and also had more total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs and a better third down conversion percentage.

Nontheless, Ohio found a way to lose to Bowling Green for the third consecutive season.  Among the factors were penalties, which certainly didn't help the Bobcats' cause.

(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )
“It doesn’t necessarily come down to the number of plays you run. It doesn’t come down to the number of first downs you have. It doesn’t come down to the amount of possessions you have,” head coach Frank Solich said. “Those things all don’t matter, because what matters in the end is making plays to put points on the board and not hurting yourself as you’re trying to do that.”

By the end of the game, Ohio committed an astounding 16 penalties for 153 yards. A majority of them killed any chance that the ‘Cats had to get the ball into the end zone.

“We’re just shooting ourselves in the foot,” quarterback J.D. Sprague said. “We can’t do that and expect to win a MAC game, especially against a high-powered offense like Bowling Green. We can’t put the ball in the end zone if we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Senior running back and captain Tim Edmond also expressed his frustration about the number of penalties called on his team but realizes it’s something that needs to be fixed before next week’s game.

“I feel like it wasn’t a fair game to be honest with the refs,” running back Tim Edmond said. “For 16 penalties to get a 150, I’ve never heard of that, but at the same time the refs are refs and you just got to play with it and stay poised.”

Another factor in Ohio’s first loss at home was the defense’s inability to stop the Falcons on their first two possessions of the game. 

On its first drive, Bowling Green marched 75 yards down the field in less than two minutes and struck first with a 23-yard touchdown screen pass from quarterback James Knapke to running back Travis Greene. 

Knapke finished the day 20-of-39 for 260 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, his eighth pick this season. Six of Knapke’s completions went to Roger Lewis, who finished with exactly 100 yards receiving -- the fourth time he has reached at least 100 receiving yards.

Sprague followed up the touchdown by coughing up the football on the Bobcats first play, putting Bowling Green on Ohio’s 32-yard line. 

The Falcons wasted no time capitalizing on Sprague’s fumble as Knapke found Greene once again on a screen pass for 15 yards. That set up a two-yard touchdown run by Andre Givens.

Starting out slow has been problematic for Ohio all season long and the early 14-0 deficit marks the third time this year that the ‘Cats have trailed by two touchdowns after the game’s first four possessions.

“We need to work on not giving up freebees coming out of the game,” corner back Ian Wells said.

Two field goals by Ohio and another BG touchdown put the Falcons ahead 21-6 at the half. It was feast or famine for Bowling Green in the first half as the visitors either scored a touchdown or went three-and-out to Ohio’s defense.

The third quarter presented much of the same, with yet another touchdown for Bowling Green on a 30-yard touchdown run by Greene. That put BG up 28-6 with 5:30 left in the quarter. 

The touchdown run was the longest of the day for the Falcons and also gave them more yards rushing on a single play than they had in the entire first half.

An early fourth quarter touchdown by Edmond gave the Bobcats a small hope of coming back, but it proved to be Ohio's final score of the day.

Aided by penalties, Bowling Green drove 66 yards for a final tally. Tate nailed a 26-yarder for the final 31-13 score.

Things weren’t all bad for Ohio as it eclipsed 500 yards of total offense for the first time this season and also had a few notable receivers, including Sebastian Smith, who hauled in nine catches for 86 yards. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Reid also had a strong outing with six receptions for 84 yards.

Although Sprague overthrew his fair share of passes, he still finished the game with a career-high 325 yards passing on 56 attempts and also led the team in rushing with 16 carries for 49 yards.

Ohio remains home next Saturday, hoping to snap its two-game losing streak to the Akron Zips (4-2, 2-0 MAC). Bowling Green plays host to Western Michigan (3-3, 1-1) at 2 p.m. 


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    MAC Football 

    UPCOMING GAMES
    All times Eastern

    ​

    MAC FOOTBALL STANDINGS
    -- Final - 2022 -- 
    MAC EAST
    OHIO 7-1
    BUFFALO 5-3
    BOWLING GREEN 5-3

    MIAMI 4-4
    KENT STATE 4-4
    AKRON 1-7

    MAC WEST
    TOLEDO 5-3

    EASTERN MICHIGAN 5-3
    WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-4
    ​BALL STATE 3-5
    CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3-5

    NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2-6

    MAC Basketball 
    MAC BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
    CLICK HERE

    ​





    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Basketball
    Football
    Other

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly