Dec. 4, 2003
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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
Miami University, Mid-American Conference East Division champions, earned the league title with a 49-27 win over the Bowling Green State University football team in Thursday's (Dec. 4) MAC Championship ... some notes and numbers from the game...
BOWLING GREEN NOTES
Bowling Green was making its first championship game appearance.
BGSU has accepted a bid to the Motor City Bowl and will face a team from the Big Ten on December 26 at Ford Field. Kickoff is at 5:00 p.m.
The Falcons had their 13-game home winning streak snapped. BGSU's last loss at Perry Stadium was in November, 2001 when the RedHawks topped BGSU, 24-21.
T.J. Carswell had his first blocked punt of the season. It was the Falcons' second blocked kick of the season.
Josh Harris had his 12th rushing TD of the season. It was his 42nd career rushing TD and 46th overall TD score, both school records.
B.J. Lane had a season-long 33-yard kickoff return.
Cole Magner set a new BGSU season record for receptions with 87, breaking the old mark of 83 set by Robert Redd in 2002.
Charles Sharon caught a seven-yard touchdown pass, the fifth straight game in which he has caught a TD pass. He has caught 10 TD passes this season, tying for second-highest single-season total in Falcon history. Ronnie Redd also caught 10 in 1994. Jim Ladd holds the record with 11 in 1952.
Magner had a 41-yard kickoff return, the longest for the Falcons this season.
Shaun Suisham made a 42-yard field goal, his second-longest of the season. He also made a 29-yard field goal. His 16 field goals tie him for the second-highest in BGSU single season history with Jason Zeller (16, 1989). They trail only Brian Leaver (21, 1994).
Harris became just the third MAC player, along with Byron Leftwich (2001 and 2002) and Ben Roethlisberger (2003) to surpass 4,000 yards of total offense in a season.
BGSU recovered its second onside kick of the season. Tim Arnold made the recovery for the Falcons.
Craig Jarrett caught his second career TD pass.
MIAMI NOTES
Playing in its first MAC Championship game, Miami won its first MAC Championship since 1986, and league-record 14th overall, while also setting school single-season records for wins and consecutive wins (12).
After having a punt blocked on its opening possession, Miami allowed a Josh Harris rushing touchdown -- the first time an opponent has scored first against the RedHawks this season ... it was also the first time Miami had trailed since the Oct. 25 Kent State game and only the second time since its season-opening loss at Iowa.
The 17 first-half points allowed by Miami's defense were the most this season, tying the season-high 17 points surrendered to Cincinnati on Sept. 27.
Miami's defense responded to open the second half, by forcing Bowling Green fumbles on the Falcons' first two possessions ... junior defensive tackle Will Rueff and sophomore linebacker John Busing forced the fumbles.
With 49 points, the RedHawks have now topped the 40-point mark 10 times, extending their school record.
MAC Championship games records broken by the RedHawks: passing yards (440), totals yards (576) and margin of victory (22 points).
MAC Championship games records tied by Miami: points (49), touchdowns (7) and touchdown passes (4).
With three rushing touchdowns, Miami tied a school mark for rushing TDs in a season (34).
Miami closes out its season on Dec. 18 when it travels to Mobile, Ala., to take on the University of Louisville in the fifth annual GMAC Bowl ... it will mark Miami's first bowl game appearance since the 1986 California Bowl.
Junior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger continued an impressive run completing 26-of-35 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns ... he notched his seventh 300-yard passing game this season and 21st straight game with at least 200 yards passing ... Roethlisberger has thrown 13 TDs in his past three games.
On the night, Roethlisberger became only the second MAC quarterback to go over 4,000 yards of total offense and passing in a season ... Marshall's Byron Leftwich achieved the feat twice (BGSU's Harris surpassed the 4,000-yard total offense plateau later in the game).
With 440 yards and four touchdowns, Roethlisberger set a MAC Championship game record for yards and tied another for touchdowns ... both records were previously held by Leftwich.
Ryne Robinson's 53-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, his second TD reception in as many games and of his career, was the second-longest pass play of the season for the RedHawks ... he added a 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high, and game-high, 97 yards receiving.
Junior wide receiver Michael Larkin, who caught a pass for the 36th straight game, put Miami ahead for the first time with a 16-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter ... he finished with seven receptions for 91 yards, breaking into Miami's single-season top five (fifth/744) and career top two (second/1,852) for receiving yards.
Senior running back Cal Murray tallied a rushing touchdown for the seventh straight game with a one-yard plunge in the third quarter, moving him into eighth-place all-time at Miami with 22 career rushing TDs ... Murray finished the game with 80 yards rushing, and another 83 yards receiving, for 163 all-purpose yards.
Junior running back Mike Smith moved into fifth on Miami's single-season charts with his 15th and 16th rushing TDs of the season, a 13-yard third-quarter score and eight-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
