Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Football Falls To Ohio, 23-21
November 11, 2000 | Football
Nov. 11, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A third-quarter safety proved to be the difference as Ohio University posted a 23-21 victory over the Bowling Green State University football team Saturday afternoon (Nov. 11). The Mid-American Conference game was held at BGSU's Perry Stadium.
The loss ends the home portion of the schedule for the Falcons, who drop to 2-8 overall and 1-5 against MAC East Division foes. Ohio improves to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in league divisional games.
With the teams tied, 21-21, late in the third quarter, and BGSU facing a punting situation, Ohio's Matt Weikert blocked Pat Fleming's punt. The ball rolled through the end zone for a safety with 16 seconds left in the third quarter. Those points were the last of the game.
The game marked the final home contest in the 10-year tenure of head coach Gary Blackney.
"The emotion that it was my final game here did not hit me until I saw the faces of my seniors after the game," said Blackney. "We played our hearts out and gave everything we had."
The teams combined for 35 points in the first 20 minutes of the contest, then scored a total of just nine points the rest of the way.
BGSU broke out to a quick 7-0 lead, taking the opening kickoff and marching 80 yards in just five plays. Falcon sophomore Andy Sahm completed a 22-yard pass to junior Kurt Gerling on the first play of the game, and hit junior David Bautista for a 54-yard completion just two plays later, putting the ball at the OU two-yard line. Two plays later, junior John Gibson bulled into the end zone.
The Falcons forced the Bobcats to punt, but on the ensuing drive, Art Adams intercepted a Sahm pass and rumbled 10 yards for a touchdown.
After a BG punt and a missed field-goal attempt by Ohio, Sahm took the Falcons on a 69-yard drive, again using just five plays. He hit tight end Jason Van Dam for 27 yards to the Bobcat 37-yard line, then -- after a three-yard keeper -- handed off to sophomore Joe Alls, who went 34 yards for the score.
The Bobcats answered with a 69-yard drive of their own, taking six plays. Jamel Patterson went the last 11 yards to score on the final play of the first quarter.
The visitors forced the Falcons to punt, and Raynald Ray's 41-yard return set Ohio up at their own 49-yard line. The Bobcats called Patterson's number on the first five plays, moving the ball to the BG eight. From there, Ray took the ball in to give OU the lead, and the teams went to halftime with Ohio up by that 21-14 margin.
The only touchdown of the third quarter came when the Falcons' Khary Campbell intercepted Ohio quarterback Dontrell Jackson and returned it 28 yards to paydirt. Mike Knapp's extra point tied the game and set the stage for Weikert's heroics.
"I was scared to death coming into this game," said Ohio head coach Jim Grobe. "I knew we would get Bowling Green's best shot. They played an outstanding game."
BGSU's final chance came with 2:16 left, when Knapp's field-goal attempt was just wide to the left. The Falcons got the ball back at their own 32-yard line with just seven seconds left, and a final pass attempt was batted down to end the game.
BGSU had 338 yards of total offense to Ohio's 294, and the Falcons held a 236-17 advantage through the air. Sahm completed seven passes in 12 attempts for 146 yards before suffering an injury late in the first half. Freshman Josh Harris was 7-of-12 for 90 yards for the Brown and Orange.
Bautista had five catches for a career-high 131 yards, while Gerling had seven receptions for 75 yards.
Jackson was 2-of-12 through the air for the Bobcats. Ohio ran 55 running plays, with Patterson leading the way with 78 yards. Chad Brinker ran for 71 yards, and Ray had 59 yards on the ground.
Alls led the Brown and Orange with 63 yards rushing.
The Falcons will complete the 2000 season with a nationally-televised game against arch-rival Toledo on Wednesday, Nov. 22. The game, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at UT's Glass Bowl, will be aired by ESPN2.
