Sept. 20, 2003
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -
The Bowling Green State University football Falcons gave defending national champion Ohio State University everything it could handle in a 24-17 setback Saturday (Sept. 20) ... the following are some notes and numbers from the game...
Senior QB Josh Harris completed a career-high 33 passes vs. the Buckeyes ... his previous best also came against a Big Ten Conference team on the road, as Harris had 30 completions in a 43-42 win at Northwestern two seasons ago.
Harris also set a career standard with his 54 pass attempts against Ohio State ... his previous high was 52 passes, set last year at Northern Illinois.
Harris threw for a total of 326 yards, his second 300-yard game of the season (both vs. Big Ten schools), and the fourth of his career.
Three of Harris' four 300-yard games have come vs. the Big Ten ... in those three games, Harris has gone 85-of-141 (a completion percentage of 60.3) for a total of 1,085 yards ... Harris has thrown eight touchdown passes and just four interceptions in those three road contests vs. Big Ten schools.
The Falcons' loss to Ohio State breaks a six-game winning streak against BCS opponents ... Harris is now 5-1 in his career as a starting quarterback vs. BCS foes.
No fewer than three BGSU receivers set career standards in the OSU game ... junior Cole Magner set career bests with a game-high 13 catches for 168 yards ... his previous highs were eight catches and 127 yards in the Falcons' win at Purdue two weeks ago.
Additionally, junior Cornelius McGrady had a career-high six catches in the game ... McGrady, who set career bests for the second consecutive Saturday (3 catches for 50 yards last week vs. Liberty), entered the OSU game with career totals of eight catches ... McGrady's touchdown catch vs. OSU was the first of his career.
Sophomore Steve Sanders caught six balls for 55 yards vs. the Buckeyes ... Sanders' previous career bests were three catches for 44 yards, set vs. Eastern Kentucky in the 2003 season opener ... on the Falcons' second touchdown drive, Sanders had three receptions for a total of 30 yards, and had a 12-yard grab called back due to a Falcon penalty.
Kicker Shaun Suisham made both of his point-after-touchdown tries in the 'Shoe, extending his own school career records ... Suisham, only a junior, now has made 123 of his 127 PAT kicks.
On the Falcons' 87-yard drive that culminated in a first-quarter TD, Harris completed 8-of-9 passes for a total of 72 yards ... the Falcons went 80 yards, as Harris actually threw for 81 yards, on a fourth-quarter TD drive ... Harris was 7-of-9 on that drive.
Senior Janssen Patton's third-quarter interception was the 12th of his career ... he is the Falcons' active career leader, and is now tied for fourth on the school career list with four other players ... Patton also recovered a BGSU onside kick in the fourth quarter.
The attendance of 104,358 marked the second-largest crowd ever to witness a Bowling Green football game ... the Falcons played in front of 110,585 at Michigan on Sept. 2, 2000.
