There is an awful lot to like about yesterday's win. It gives me a completely different view of our team and changes the view of the season 100%. To win going away against a Big 10 team on the road, this was just a huge thing for our program and for these guys. This is going to be a very big season that seems to be pointing toward a Northwest Ohio final at Ford Field.
Enough of that for now.
Coach said in his presser that BG improved a lot from the first game, and that was certainly true on all three phases of the game. We'll look at each of those later.
Certainly at halftime, things were frustrating. BG had moved the ball all over the field but only had six points. A drive to the 9 ended in a missed FG, a drive to the 25 ended in a failed 4th conversion, and a drive to the 26 ended in a failed 4th down conversion. That's just very frustrating and seemed to call back to issues that the offense had last year and also issues that impacted us throughout our previous experience with a system offense.
Meanwhile, though, the defense was keeping the Falcons in the game. They had given up only 13 points, forced 3 punts and just seemed to be competing the whole way.
So, at halftime it was 13-6. Then, the rains came and the teams ended up spending most of an hour waiting until it was safe to play. Coach said that during this time the Falcons scrapped their second half game plan and went to another game plan...which, I think it is safe to say, was a winning maneuver.
For as frustrating as the first half was, the second half was all Bowling Green, as the Falcons turned into a machine on offense that scored at will and a defense that was getting increasingly stingy and getting some takeaways. In all, BG outscored Maryland 48-14 in the second half for a victory formation triumph that was just incredibly satisfying.
BG got the ball to start the half, drove down the field (featuring a 64 yard completion to Robbie Rhodes) and then missed another FG, so things were still a little craggy at first. The defense got a 3 and out and then BG launched a 4-play, :35 scoring drive that tied the game, culminating in a 58 yard completion from Matt Johnson to Roger Lewis. 13-13.
Unfortunately, Lewis was called for an unsportsmanlike after the TD and BG was kicking off from the 20. On the kickoff I am not sure what was being attempted but Tate squibbed it right out of bounds and MD started at the BG 45 and they scored a couple plays later to go back up 20-13.
The next sequence might well be the key sequence in the game. BG down 7 and gets a 3 and out. Davidson booms the punt (this dude has got some leg) and the William Likely, the star punt returner fumbled the ball and BG covered inside the Terp 20. BG was still struggling a little...false start made it 3rd and 10 from the 14 and then BG went for it on 4th and 3 from the 7. MD made it easy for BG by jumping offside and then Greene scored to tie the game again at 20.
BG forced the Terps into a 3rd and 11 and got the punt, but Johnson threw a pick (that was probably half on him and half on Moore) but the defense did the job again forcing another 3 and out for the Terps, who punted BG down to the 1.
So, if the fumbled punt wasn't the biggest part of the game, this next part is. The simple thing is BG went on a (I am not making this up) 15 play, 5 minute+ TD drive to cover the entire 99 yards and get into the end zone. Along the way, they converted a 3rd and 10, got a DPI on 3rd and 13 and then scored on a play where Johnson was pressured in the pocket, moved around and threw a tracer to Burbrink in the back of the end zone...a play that Coach Babers called "big time."
Early fourth, BG finally leads 27-20.
On the next drive, it was BG's chance to help out. BG had the Terps off the field on 3rd and 8 but Clint Stephens was called for an unsportsmanlike to extend the drive and Maryland took advantage, scoring 5 plays later to tie the game back up at 27.
The final 12:26 was just beautiful.
BG took the ball, Johnson went 5 of 6 passing, finishing with a 27 yard pass to Lewis for the TD on a 7 play, 2:33 drive. BG up 34-27.
Maryland made one first down but then the BG defense tightened. From their own 44, Maryland decided to go for it on 4th down (I assume figuring that nothing was going to be accomplished giving the ball back to BG) and Dernard Turner intercepted the ball. Then, :34 later, Johnson hit Rhodes from 44 yards out and BG was up 41-27.
You have to feel good but the game was not over.
Md switched QBs and their new QB threw a pick on his first play--this time Clint Stephens. Starting on the +40, BG now slowed things up a little bit but still scored in 5 plays to put the game away at 48-27.
For good measure, MD's new QB and threw a complete pass and then another pick. BG finished with 7 straight hand offs to Donovan Wilson and ended up inside the 10 when it all ended.
Just a great team victory. So proud of our guys...more to come.
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