Bowling Green Downs Central Michigan, 45-35

Oct. 12, 2002

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University football team recorded a 45-35 win over host Central Michigan University Saturday afternoon (Oct. 12). The following are a few individual and team notes from the game...

The Falcons improved to 5-0 on the year ... the start is BG's best to a season since the 1985 team won its first 11 games.

BGSU has started MAC play with two wins for the first time since the 1997 squad began 3-0 in conference action.

The win marked BGSU's first at Central Michigan since the 1992 season ... CMU had won the last two meetings at Kelly/Shorts Stadium ... the Falcons have won the last three overall meetings between the teams, and BGSU now holds a 19-16 advantage in the all-time series.

The 10-point margin of victory was BGSU's closest of the season ... prior to the CMU game, the Falcons had posted wins by margins of 34, 23, 23 and 51 points.

Central Michigan's 35 points was the highest total for a Falcon opponent since last November's Northwestern game (a 43-42 BGSU road win).

For the third consecutive game, BGSU's opponent scored first.

B.J. Lane blocked a CMU punt on the last play of the first quarter ... then, Cornelius McGrady blocked a CMU punt with 13:22 left in the third quarter ... it marked the third and fourth times this season that the Falcons had blocked a punt ... Keon Newson blocked two punts in the season opener vs. Tennessee Tech.

Marcus Allen recovered Lane's blocked punt in the end zone on the final play of the first quarter, giving BGSU the lead for good ... the last time BGSU returned a blocked punt for a touchdown was Nov. 13,1999 (Matt Bunsey vs. Ball State).

The Falcons scored "only" 28 points in the first half vs. CMU ... BGSU had entered the game averaging 33.5 points in the first half this year -- more than 11 MAC teams were averaging for an entire game.

BGSU's first-half scoring output marked the sixth consecutive game that the Falcons scored at least 22 points in the first half.

Shaun Suisham connected on a 35-yard field goal early in the third quarter ... he is a perfect 8-for-8 on field-goal attempts this season.

Josh Harris ran for three touchdowns in the win ... Harris has rushed for at least two TDs in each of the last seven games ... his three TD carries vs. CMU set a new career high, and he had a game-high 138 rushing yards in the win.

BGSU's scoring drive that culminated with the second Harris TD run, with 9:30 left in the game, was the Falcons' longest drive, in terms of time ... the drive took 6:43, as the Brown and Orange moved 72 yards in 13 plays ... all 13 plays were running plays.

Sophomore Jovon Burkes had a career-high 11 tackles, including two sacks... freshman defensive back Terrill Mayberry, in his first collegiate start, had eight tackles.

The Falcons return home for the next two games ... BGSU will take on Western Michigan next Saturday (Oct. 19) in a 6:00 p.m. start, then will face Ball State the next week (Oct. 26 at 4:00 p.m.).

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Bowling Green Downs Central Michigan, 45-35

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