Bowling Green State University Athletics
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Falcons Take 48-45 OT Win Over Western Michigan
October 19, 2002 | Football
Oct. 19, 2002
By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press Writer
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Josh Harris wasn't worried about his sore right knee, at least not until a swarm of his Bowling Green teammates and students piled on him after he scored the winning touchdown in overtime.
The quarterback scored on a 5-yard keeper to give the 25th-ranked Falcons a 48-45 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday.
Harris, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for another TD in regulation, kept the ball on four of the Falcons' five plays in overtime, picking up 17 yards.
On the winning score, Bowling Green had four wide receivers spread out, but he faked a handoff and ran up the middle, setting off a wild celebration.
"I was yelling and screaming for them to get off me," said Harris, who strained a ligament in his knee but played every down. "I didn't know when it was going to end. There were people coming, and then the team, and then it got heavy because the fans came."
Harris led Bowling Green back from a 35-21 deficit, and coach Urban Meyer said there was never any doubt about what to do in overtime.
"Give it to our quarterback and tell him he had four downs," Meyer said.
In its first game as a ranked team since 1985, Bowling Green (6-0, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) didn't take its first lead until the fourth period.
Philip Reed ran for 140 yards and four touchdowns to lead Western (2-5, 1-2). Chad Munson passed for 328 yards.
The Broncos (2-5, 1-2) got the ball first in overtime and had to settle for Anthony Apa's 24-yard field goal after Jermaine Lewis let a pass slip through his hands in the end zone on third-and-goal.
The Broncos had a shot at winning in regulation, but Apa's 39-yard field was blocked with 2 seconds left.
Neither team had much success stopping each other in the second half. Janssen Patton intercepted a pass that went off the hands of Western receiver Kendrick Mosley and took it 12 yards to the end zone, giving Bowling Green a 42-35 lead with 10:52 left.
Western tied it at 42 with 2:29 to play on Reed's fourth touchdown, a 1-yard run.
Harris held his own in a rushing duel between him and Reed. Harris passed for 254 yards, but he also ran for 96. He was virtually all the offense for the Falcons, who entered the game leading the nation in scoring at 50.6 points a game. Harris had to carry even more of the load because leading tailback Joe Alls was out with a separated shoulder.
Western coach Gary Darnell said Harris gave the Falcons another runner in the backfield.
"The thing about Josh is that he's a strong runner," Darnell said. "A true tailback."
Harris threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, including an 18-yard score to Charles Sharon after Bowling Green had blocked a punt to give them possession at the 18.
