Saturday, Sept. 18 -- 5:00 p.m. ET
Doyt L. Perry Stadium - Bowling Green, OH
ESPN3
After coming ever-so-close to a win last week, the Bowling Green Falcons resume their hunt this Saturday when they face Murray State.
The Racers are 1-1 after opening with a 35-0 shutout over Mississippi Valley State, followed by a 42-7 loss at #7 Cincinnati. Bowling Green, meanwhile, fell in the final seconds to South Alabama.
Here’s more on the two teams . . .
MURRAY STATE RACERS (1-1)
>> Quarterback Preston Rice has completed 26-of-44 attempts (59.1%) for 265 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. He has been sacked four times.
>> WR LaMartez Brooks and Deshun Britton are averaging just over 12 yards per catch. They have combined for 14 receptions and 175 yards.
>> Three Racer players have more than 100 rushing yards through two games. Cortez Jones leads the group with 109 yards and a 9.1 ypc average. Damonta Witherspoon has the most carries with 30 trips totaling 101 yards.
>> Kicker Aaron Baum has hit all six PATs, but he has yet to connect on a field goal through three tries.
>> MSU drew first blood against Cincinnati when Rice capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard run. It was a 7-7 game at halftime, but UC scored five unanswered touchdowns after intermission.
>> Murray State committed five turnovers while forcing just one Bearcat miscue.
>> What better time to break a losing streak than on homecoming? Murray State comes to town as Bowling Green looks to break a 10-game losing streak going back to November of 2019.
>> It’s the second series meeting between the two teams. The Falcons hold a 1-0 all-time record against the Racers after winning 48-7 during the only other previous meeting in 2013 at Doyt Perry Stadium.
>> Bowling Green scored the game’s first eight points against South Alabama. The Jaguars took a 12-11 lead t 10:16, only to see the Falcons respond with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion for a 19-12 edge. Less than two minutes remained in the contest when USA finished a 16-play, 87-yard drive with Terrion Avery’s 13-yard run. The successful PAT kick tied things at 19-all and just 1:39 remaining.
Bowling Green had the ball … but not for long. Three plays into that possession, South Alabama jumped on a Falcon fumble. That set up a 44-yard Jaguars field goal as time expired, and USA left with the win.
>> Four Falcons recorded career highs in either receptions, receiving yards, long reception, or all three against South Alabama. TE Christian Sims had a career-high eight receptions on a career-high 76 yards and his 51-yard reception in the third quarter was a career long. WR Tyrone Broden made his season debut and caught three passes for 76 yards and had a 47-yard reception. All were career bests. RB Taron Keith had career highs in catches (2), receiving yards (55) and long reception (44) as well against South Alabama. TE Andrew Bench, who moved from defense to offensive this offseason, caught his first career pass for 33 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.
>> After playing all of 2020 injured, QB Matt McDonald is settling in. Through two games, McDonald is No. 1 in the MAC in passing yards (495), passing yards per game (247.5), total offense (234) and completions per game (24.0).
>> WR Austin Osborne made eight catches in his Bowling Green debut at Tennessee. Osborne, a transfer from Washington, entered the 2021 season with one career reception. He was high school teammates with Bowling Green quarterback Matt McDonald at Mission Viejo High School in Southern California. Osborne followed up his BGSU debut with seven catches against South Alabama. • Osborne is No. 11 in the nation and No. 1 in the MAC with 7.5 receptions per game.