Falcons Fall to Flashes

The topline is this.  Bowling Green is better than they were over the last two years.  We hoped to see signs of progress and they are out there.  BG competed with a team that destroyed them the last two years. The Falcons were in this game--on the road.

Having said that, this team is not ready to consistently win.  There were just too many mistakes, too many holes (especially on offense), too many turnovers, too many missed opportunities.

Whether they get there or not remains to be seen.  I am optimistic.  We are ahead of where I feared we would be at this point.  But there is still more to be done.  As the team matures, you hope these things fill out.  

Kent State set the early tone right away, taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards to go up 7-0, with 6 of the last 7 plays on the ground.  Bowling Green took the next kick and put together a nice drive.  They were first and 10 on the Kent 16 with a chance to tie the game when you see what is happening.  On first down there was a hurried incompletion.  BG lost a yard on a pass play on second down.  Before BG could run the third down play they had 2 false start penalties.  And then McDonald couldn't find anyone open and had to scramble for 3 yards.  Needham 42 yd FG good.

Kent marched back down the field, BG stiffened in the red zone and a FG made it 10-3 (aided by a BG roughing the passing penalty when BG was off the field and an earlier face mask penalty).  BG took the kick off, marched inside the Kent 30...only to have McDonald take a 16-yard sack very similar to the one in the South Alabama game, running in the opening field, backing up, not throwing it away and eventually getting run down.  Even with that, Nate Needham hit a 52 YARD FG...that is tied for the third longest FG in BG history...he is only the 5th Falcon to make a FG of the distance or longer.  (School record is 60).  And his second over 50 this year.

Kent drove down the field again (see the trend?) but BG's defense stiffened in the red zone and it was another FG to go 13-6.  (My preview noted Kent is not good in the red zone).

The teams traded punts (PUNTS!!) and then BG had the ball on its own 12 with 3 minutes to play.  Kent had all their time outs.  This is a time when you need to make a couple first downs and keep Kent off the field.  BG made one first down but ended up 4th and 1 on its own 32.

Here BG made a fateful choice.  The Falcons attempted a fake punt that was wide open but did not connect.  My first reaction always is that you had to have a better shot running a regular play than doing that.  It was Naranjo to Karl Brooks.  After the game, Coach said that as much as we struggle on offense, we need to make plays like that (I'm guessing the McKinstry pass plays are in the same category).  "We are not naive to it," he said.

So Kent starts deep in BG territory.  They start with 1:40 left in BG territory.  They actually had a TD called back and the missed 33-yard FG (their kicker is not good) and the Falcons dodged the bullet and trailed 13-6 at the half.

BG was getting the ball to start the second half.  They said later they were pointing to this and they got it done.  They got some help from a huge play from Taron Keith--who is going to be a big contributor for this team--running the kickoff back 76 yards.  I honestly don't remember the last impact kick return we had.  BG got to the Kent 6 and had 4th and 1.  If you fake that punt, you have to go here, and BG did and converted and then scored, McDonald to Broden.  And it's a 13-13 tie.

Something crazy happened next.  Kent went 3 and out.  BG started on their own 35.  McDonald hit Broden twice for 15+ gains, BG benefitted from a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when a Kent player spit on one of our guys (kudos to ESPN for capturing the spray effectively) and Nick Mosely ran a 12 yard run into the end zone.  Lo and behold....BG was ahead 20-13.

And then as they say in those rockumentaries....the laughter turned to sadness.

Kent drove 75 yards in 3:30 or so and tied the game.

BG fumbled on the first play from scrimmage.  The defense holds.  BG starts on its own and 8 and makes two first downs and is outside its own 40.  Sack, sack....punt.

4th Quarter starts.  Kent goes 3 and out. BG drives to the Kent 14...and then McDonald throws a pick.  There are 10 minutes left when that happens.

Kent takes that, goes 74 yards on 13 plays (10 runs) to score and take a 27-20 lead with about 6 minutes to play.

Pretty much this is it.  BG drove to the Kent 29 and then completely stalled out, including a completely blown up 4th down and 7 play.  BG got the ball back one more time, went four and out, (with McDonald missing a wide open Broden on 3rd down) including a second McDonald fumble in the last minutes...and it was over.

There were decent moments in there.  A competitive game.  But the last 10 minutes of the game or so were one-sided and that's how you lose.

More to come.