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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Falcons Respond By Beating Bobcats, 21-9
September 30, 2006 | Football
Sept. 30, 2006
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
Athens, Ohio - Using a dominating defensive front and timely execution on offense, the Bowling Green State University football team responded to a tough loss a week ago, by pounding the Ohio Bobcats, 21-9, Saturday in Athens.
"Our defense was dominating today, said BGSU Coach Gregg Brandon."They get a field goal off a shanked punt and a trick play, that's their scores. It was a tremendous team effort all around."
The Falcons used a season-high four sacks and nine tackles for a loss and put endless pressure on OU quarterback Austin Everson in winning on the road for the fifth straight time overall and fifth straight conference game, both dating back to last season.
Sophomore defensive end Diyral Briggs had a career-high two sacks and three and four tackles for loss and busted up a reverse play for a nine-yard loss which had burned the Falcons twice in the last two weeks. That play gave the Falcons the lift they needed and the Bobcats never challenged again.
Briggs also gave the Falcons a lift when he forced an Everson fumble on an option play in the third quarter which was recovered by sophomore cornerback Antonio Smith.
"My job is to bring energy to the team and that is what I was able to do," said Briggs.
The Falcons never trailed from the start. After OU missed a field goal on their opening drive, BGSU scored on its first possession for the fourth time in five games.
The Falcons went 69 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a four-yard run by freshman Freddie Barnes. On that drive, freshman punter Alonso Rojas decided to run on his own and gained six yards for a Falcon first down. The big play on the drive was a 30-yard burst by freshman Chris Bullock which took the Falcons to the Bobcat four-yard line.
The Bobcats kicked a 32-yard field goal with 12:02 to play to cut the lead to 7-3.
After holding on defense, the Bobcats turned the ball over when Everson's pass was picked off by freshman Jahmal Brown.
Sophomore Anthony Turner, who started after sitting out last week with a shoulder injury, completed a second down pass for 16 yards to sophomore Corey Partridge and a key first and goal pass for nine yards to junior Sean O'Drobinak to set up a one-yard keeper for Barnes as the Falcons led 14-3 at halftime.
"It definitely was great to be back out there, said Turner. "I felt a little rusty and my timing was off a few times but it really doesn't matter because we got the win."
The Bobcats cut the lead to 14-9 when wide receiver William Norwood hit tight end Justin Fitzgerald for a 23-yard score.
BGSU got the ball back and went 68 yards in seven plays and were two of two on third down conversions on that drive. First, Turner hit Barnes for a 19-yard reception and then Bullock responded with an eight yard rush on third and six at the Bobcat 44-yard line.
However, the big blow came on the next play when Partridge threw back to Barnes who went 31 yards to the five yard line. Bullock then scored his first collegiate TD on the next play.
"It was huge for the team to go out and play hard on all cylinders, said Barnes. "It was real big for us. We are just taking the necessary steps to get back to where we want to be."
Neither team was able to score in the fourth quarter and the only Bobcat threat late in the game was ended when junior Loren Hargrove intercepted an Everson pass with under a minute to play.
Bullock had a career-day rushing for 114 yards on 21 carries, his first 100-yard effort of his career. Barnes caught a career-high four passes for 68 yards and rushed for 37 more.
On defense, senior linebacker Terrel White, the top tackler in the MAC, had 13 stops and sophomore John Haneline and Brown added eight tackles.
Briggs, Williams, senior Devon Parks, freshman Brady Minturn, and freshman Michael Ream combined for eight tackles for loss for 49 yards, two pass deflections and nine QB hits.
"We did not want to go on a slide," said Williams. "We wanted to come back and get back to our type of football. It was stressed all week. It started up front with the defensive line and the defense came out and had a pretty good game."
