Bowling Green used its opening possession ' a nine-play, 69-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions ' to take the momentum, and a key divisional game, from the Ohio football team Saturday, as it defeated the Bobcats 21-9 at Peden Stadium.
Facing fourth-and-three on their own 48-yard line, the Falcons sent punter Alonso Rojas scampering for 6 yards and the first down, catching the Ohio punt return team napping with the fake and extending the drive.
Four plays later in a similar fourth-and-two situation, Bowling Green called upon tailback Chris Bullock to keep the drive alive. He delivered the first down and more for the Falcons, carving up the Bobcat defense for 30 yards before being hauled down on the Ohio 4-yard line.
Falcons quarterback Freddie Barnes capped off the drive with a 4-yard keeper for the score, giving the Falcons an early lead they would never relinquish.
That supplied some momentum for them
Ohio coach Frank Solich said afterward. In a game like this when you can get a little momentum it's a key. It's not the whole ball game.
The Bobcats (2-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, never recovered.
We had the energy
linebacker Matt Muncy explained. The guys were excited. I never thought that this would happen. It seemed like we just couldn't get one play that would just break it open for us and get a momentum going on our side.
Ohio would have to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Matt Lasher in the first half. The Bobcats would not produce a momentum-changing play until midway through the third quarter when, down 14-3, wide receiver William Norwood would connect with tight end Rudy Sylvan on an end-around pass for Ohio's only touchdown of the day.
We shouldn't have needed a trick play
Norwood said of his first-career touchdown pass. We should have been winning from the start
but unfortunately we weren't. The offense needed a spark
but we just couldn't get good momentum and couldn't get things rolling.
The Bobcats went for the two-point conversion but failed, leaving the game still in reach at 14-9, but by a touchdown instead of a field goal.
On the ensuing drive, Bowling Green responded with some trickery of its own. Barnes completed a pass behind the line of scrimmage to receiver Corey Partridge, who proceeded to throw back across the field to Barnes who dashed for a 31-yard gain.
Bullock all but sealed Ohio's fate on the next play, rushing 5 yards into the end zone for his only touchdown on the day, bringing the score to its final, 21-9.
It's disappointing for us because we all felt that we had a good week at practice
Muncy said. I think we all studied them harder than we've done any team this year. We really knew what they were going to do
but they executed
and I think they beat us up a lit,",17,Archives,Mark Shugar,200610023686midsize.jpg,Though Ohio quarterback Austen Everson got the pass off before being dragged down by Bowling Green linebacker Terrel White (48) and defensive end Diryal Briggs (99)
the Falcons notched four sacks Saturday for losses totaling 29 yards. The Bobcats lost
