Three In A ROW! Falcons Clinch MAC East With 41-27 Win At WMU

Wednesday, November 11

Kalamazoo, Mich.

8:00 p.m. ET

Bowling Green State University

8-2 , 6-0

Western Michigan

6-4 , 5-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Bowling Green

Western Michigan

November 12, 2015 | Football

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF
Postgame Audio: Babers | Johnson
MAC Championship Game Central

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University football team defeated the Western Michigan University Broncos, 41-27, Wednesday (Nov. 11) night at Waldo Stadium. The win clinches BGSU's third straight Mid-American Conference East Division title, as well as a third straight berth in the MAC Championship Game. The MAC title game is set for Dec. 4 at Ford Field.

Bowling Green improves to 8-2 (6-0 MAC) on the season, and has now won seven straight ballgames. The loss for Western Michigan – which snaps a five-game winning streak – drops the Broncos to 6-4 (5-1 MAC).

After Western Michigan scored on its first drive of the third quarter to knot the contest at 27-27, the Falcons scored the final 14 points of the game to secure the two-score victory.

Fittingly, it was Travis Greene who scored the final two touchdowns of the game. Greene – who is now just five yards shy of breaking the career rushing-yards record – ran for a career-best 170 yards on 24 carries, while also scoring three touchdowns for the second consecutive week. Fred Coppet added 64 yards on six carries – good enough for 10.7 yards per rush.

Greene had rushing scores of 26 yards and five yards in the third quarter, which gave the Falcons the lead that they would never relinquish.

The Falcon defense got some huge stops late in the game to preserve the two-score lead. BGSU forced a turnover on downs with 4:33 to play in regulation, after WMU had a first-and-goal at the Falcon four-yard line. After BGSU stuffed a rush on first down for no gain and WMU threw two straight incompletions, defensive lineman Zach Colvin notched a sack.

On Western Michigan's ensuing drive, defensive back Alfonso Mack secured the win with his fourth interception of the season.

Matt Johnson completed 23-of-41 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing just his fourth interception of the year.

To lead all Falcon receivers, Roger Lewis – who caught two touchdowns in the first half – hauled in five balls for 86 yards. Gehrig Dieter grabbed a team-high nine balls for 84 yards. Teo Redding added two catches for 48 yards. Ryan Burbrink caught five Johnson passes for 36 yards, while Ronnie Moore and Greene caught a pass apiece.

Linebacker Austin Valdez led the Orange and Brown with 15 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. Defensive back Clint Stephens and linebacker James Sanford followed with 12 tackles each, while linebacker Trent Greene followed with 11. Defensive back Eilar Hardy recorded nine tackles. Defensive lineman Terrance Bush notched two sacks in the ballgame. Colvin had the one, and defensive linemen Taylor Royster and Izaah Lunsford combined for a sack, respectively.

The Falcons received the ball to open the game – and capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Lewis – BGSU drove 79 yards on 10 plays and took just 1:47 off the clock.

After forcing WMU to settle for one of two first-half field goals, Bowling Green scored another touchdown to race out to a 14-3 lead. Greene rushed for a 24-yard score, topping off a nine-play drive that covered 77 yards and 2:05.

Western Michigan would counter with two touchdown runs – both three-yard runs from Jamauri Bogan – to take a 17-14 lead, but Johnson answered with two consecutive touchdown tosses.

Redding and Lewis got by the WMU secondary for two long connections of 42 and 31 yards, respectively. Redding's touchdown snatch was the third of his career, while Lewis' score – his second on the night – put the Falcons on top by a score of 27-17 with 4:38 to go in the second quarter.

Western Michigan forced a turnover and kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the opening half to trim the BGSU lead to 27-20.

Johnson completed 20-of-33 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the first half. Greene led the rushing attack with 82 yards and one score on nine carries. Dieter had seven catches for 63 yards at the half. Lewis had two touchdowns and five total receptions for 86 yards. Burbrink had four catches for 27 yards, while Redding scored the touchdown on two catches for 48 yards.

The Orange and Brown return to Doyt L. Perry Stadium on Nov. 17 to take on TSUN in the Battle of I-75. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game can be viewed nationally on ESPN2. Bowling Green will then conclude the regular season on Nov. 24 by traveling to Muncie, Ind. to take on Ball State.

NOTES
* The Falcons became the first team to win three straight MAC East titles since Marshall won six consecutive East Division championships from 1997-2002.

* Bowling Green improves to 8-2 overall for the first time since the 2004 season.

* BGSU improves to 6-0 in MAC play for the first time since 1994.

* The victory marks BGSU's first over Western Michigan since a 52-0 win in 2004.

* The seven-game winning streak for BGSU is tied for the second longest in school history. The Falcons also won seven straight in 2004, while the 2002 team won eight straight ballgames.

* Travis Greene rushed for a career-high 170 yards. He now needs just five yards to break the career rushing-yards record at BGSU.

* Defensive back Alfonso Mack intercepted his fourth pass of his career, and has now picked off a pass in four of the last five games.

* The Orange and Brown improve to 5-0 in true road games this season.

* The Falcons have now scored 454 points this season, surpassing last year's total of 420 for fifth most in school history.

* The senior class has now won 34 games, which is tied for third most in school history. The 2001-04 seniors won a program-record 37 games. The 1991-94 seniors are next with 36 wins. The 1982-85 seniors also recorded 34 wins.

* Ronnie Moore (26), Ryan Burbrink (25) and Roger Lewis (23) all caught passes in the game, extending their streaks of consecutive games with at least one catch.