Saturday, October 16
DeKalb, IL
3:30 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
2-5 , 0-3
26
at
34
Northern Illinois
5-2 , 3-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Bowling Green
7
6
3
10
26
Northern Ill.
0
21
10
3
34
Photo by: Wade Duerkes - Northern Illinois
Falcons Come Up Just Short at NIU, 34-26
October 16, 2021 | Football
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BGSU hosts Eastern Michigan at the Doyt next Saturday
DeKALB, Ill. – A spirited comeback effort came up just short on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 16), as the Bowling Green State University football team fell, 34-26, at Northern Illinois University. The Mid-American Conference game was held at Huskie Stadium.
The Falcons (2-5, 0-3 MAC) trailed by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, but made it a one-score game when Matt McDonald found Austin Osborne for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 6:25 to go.
The BGSU defense then stopped the Huskies (5-2, 3-0 MAC) and forced a punt, but the Falcons turned the ball back over on downs with 2:11 to go.
BG forced a second-straight three-and-out drive, and NIU punted the ball back to the Falcons with 1:02 on the clock. McDonald and the BG offense moved from the Falcons' 20-yard line as far as midfield before time ran out.
Jay Ducker ran for 210 yards on 33 carries to lead the hosts, who had 59 rushing plays and just eight pass attempts in the game. For the Falcons, McDonald threw for 235 yards and ran for 75 more.
Christian Sims had a four-yard TD on his first collegiate rushing attempt, and Nate Needham was a perfect 4-for-4 on field-goal tries.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons picked up a pair of first downs before the drive stalled near midfield. Matt Naranjo's 41-yard punt was downed at the Huskies' 12-yard line.
• NIU's next drive consisted of seven plays, all on the ground. Twice, the Huskies converted on third down. But, on a first-down play, Jalen Burton forced a fumble by Antario Brown, with Jordan Anderson recovering the ball at the NIU 36.
• The next drive saw the Falcons keep the ball on the ground as well. Jamal Johnson took the ball 11 yards on the first play, with rushes by Taron Keith and Tarion Stewart taking the ball to the 12. After two more Keith carries put the ball at the 4-yard line, Christian Sims took a handoff and scored untouched. Nate Needham's extra point gave BG a 7-0 lead with 4:59 left in the opening quarter.
• The Huskies responded by driving down the field, again primarily via the running game. NIU kept the ball on the ground for 12 of the 13 plays, with quarterback Rocky Lombardi rolling out and taking it the final three yards for the score. The PAT tied the contest with 13:13 left in the first half.
• NIU took the lead with a six-play, 73-yard drive. Jay Ducker carried the ball on four-straight plays, including a 28-yard rush that took the ball to the BG 28. Mason Blakemore went the final 17 yards to give the hosts the lead with 8:56 remaining in the second quarter.
• After the teams exchanged punts, the Falcons took over at the 30 and quickly drove inside the redzone. Matt McDonald completed a 9-yard pass to Levi Gazarek on a third-and-1 play, then hooked up with Tyrone Broden for a 44-yard completion. The Huskie defense held inside the 10-yard line, however, and Nate Needham's 23-yard field goal made it a 14-10 game with 1:50 left before the intermission. But, Trayvon Rudolph returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards, putting the hosts ahead by 11.
• A 21-yard return by Keith on the ensuing kickoff gave BG the ball at the Falcons' 41-yard line with 90 seconds remaining in the half. McDonald completed passes to Jaison Patterson and Austin Osborne on the drive, and rushed twice for a total of 21 yards, including a 13-yard carry on fourth down. The drive ended when Needham boomed a 49-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the half.
• NIU took the second-half kickoff and drove from the Huskies' 35 to the BGSU 7-yard line. Darren Anders, however, stopped back-to-back NIU rushers for short gains, and a third-down pass was broken up by Devin Taylor. John Richardson's 23-yard field goal gave the Huskies a 24-13 lead with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter.
• McDonald kept the ball and rumbled 49 yards off left tackle on the second play of the next drive, moving the Falcons into Huskie territory. Needham's 42-yard field goal made it a one-score game once again. But, after four-straight Ducker carries on the ensuing drive, Lombardi found Rudolph for a 20-yard scoring play and a 31-16 NIU lead with 3:16 left in the third period.
• The Huskies drove inside the BGSU 10 on the next drive, but Anders came up with a tackle for loss on first down, and Anderson broke up a third-down pass in the end zone, forcing the hosts to kick a field goal.
• The ensuing drive saw McDonald find Jhaylin Embry on a crossing pattern that went for 54 yards. Yet another Needham field goal, this time from 42 yards, made it a 34-19 game with 13:02 to go.
• BGSU forced NIU to turn the ball over on downs, as Davon Ferguson made a stop short of the sticks on a fourth-down play, and the Falcons took over at the BG 38-yard line. McDonald ran for eight yards on a third-and-7 play to pick up a first down near midfield, and he found Keith for another first down. Then, McDonald hit Osborne for a 36-yard score, and Needham's PAT cut the NIU lead to 34-26 with 6:25 to go.
• The Falcons forced a three-and-out, before BG turned it back over on downs. Again, the BG defense forced the Huskies into a three-and-out drive, and got the ball back at the Falcons' 20 with 1:02 remaining. McDonald completed passes to Cavon Croom and Gazarek for 18 and 12 yards, respectively, on the ensuing drive. But, time ran out on the Falcons.
BGSU TEAM NOTES
• BGSU is 3-7 all-time at Huskie Stadium.
• The Falcons rushed for a season-high 161 yards.
• BGSU had at least three players (Davon Ferguson, Darren Anders, Brock Horne) with 10+ tackles in the same game for the first time since the 2019 Central Michigan game.
BGSU PLAYER NOTES
• PK Nate Needham notched a career-high four field goals (23, 49, 42, 42). He is a perfect 13-for-13 on field-goal tries this season to date.
• DB Davon Ferguson tied his previous career high for tackles (11) in the first half. He finished with 17.
• TE Christian Sims notched his first career rush in the first quarter, resulting in a 4-yard touchdown. It was Sims' second career touchdown. He had one receiving touchdown in 2019.
• CB Jalen Burton made his first career start, and forced his first career fumble in the first quarter. It led to the Falcons' first-quarter touchdown.
• QB Matt McDonald had a career-long 49-yard rush in the third quarter. He finished with a team- and career-high 75 rushing yards.
• Matt Naranjo averaged 42.5 yards on four punts. He put two of those four kicks inside the NIU 20-yard line. His first punt of the day pinned the Huskies at their own 12-yard line, and he also had a 51-yard punt that went out of bounds at the NIU 8-yard line.
STAT LEADERS
• QB Matt McDonald 75 rushing yards • 235 passing yards and 1 passing touchdown
• WR Austin Osborne five receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown
• S Davon Ferguson 17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 10 solo tackles
• LB Darren Anders 12 tackles, 1.0 TFL
• LB Brock HOrne 11 tackles
• PK Nate Needham 4-of-4 on field goals (23, 49, 42, 42)
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"Our kids played really hard. I told our guys at the end of the game that we are competitive now and these games are going to come down to two, three or four plays and you never know when they are going to show up. We have to work our tail off to push this boulder over the hill and finish games. We gave up a kick return for a touchdown, we missed two opportunities to score touchdowns in the red and they [NIU] won the rushing battle." - Scot Loeffler
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to face Eastern Michigan next Saturday (Oct. 23), with kickoff set for 12 p.m. That game will be streamed via ESPN+.
The Falcons (2-5, 0-3 MAC) trailed by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, but made it a one-score game when Matt McDonald found Austin Osborne for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 6:25 to go.
The BGSU defense then stopped the Huskies (5-2, 3-0 MAC) and forced a punt, but the Falcons turned the ball back over on downs with 2:11 to go.
BG forced a second-straight three-and-out drive, and NIU punted the ball back to the Falcons with 1:02 on the clock. McDonald and the BG offense moved from the Falcons' 20-yard line as far as midfield before time ran out.
Jay Ducker ran for 210 yards on 33 carries to lead the hosts, who had 59 rushing plays and just eight pass attempts in the game. For the Falcons, McDonald threw for 235 yards and ran for 75 more.
Christian Sims had a four-yard TD on his first collegiate rushing attempt, and Nate Needham was a perfect 4-for-4 on field-goal tries.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons picked up a pair of first downs before the drive stalled near midfield. Matt Naranjo's 41-yard punt was downed at the Huskies' 12-yard line.
• NIU's next drive consisted of seven plays, all on the ground. Twice, the Huskies converted on third down. But, on a first-down play, Jalen Burton forced a fumble by Antario Brown, with Jordan Anderson recovering the ball at the NIU 36.
• The next drive saw the Falcons keep the ball on the ground as well. Jamal Johnson took the ball 11 yards on the first play, with rushes by Taron Keith and Tarion Stewart taking the ball to the 12. After two more Keith carries put the ball at the 4-yard line, Christian Sims took a handoff and scored untouched. Nate Needham's extra point gave BG a 7-0 lead with 4:59 left in the opening quarter.
• The Huskies responded by driving down the field, again primarily via the running game. NIU kept the ball on the ground for 12 of the 13 plays, with quarterback Rocky Lombardi rolling out and taking it the final three yards for the score. The PAT tied the contest with 13:13 left in the first half.
• NIU took the lead with a six-play, 73-yard drive. Jay Ducker carried the ball on four-straight plays, including a 28-yard rush that took the ball to the BG 28. Mason Blakemore went the final 17 yards to give the hosts the lead with 8:56 remaining in the second quarter.
• After the teams exchanged punts, the Falcons took over at the 30 and quickly drove inside the redzone. Matt McDonald completed a 9-yard pass to Levi Gazarek on a third-and-1 play, then hooked up with Tyrone Broden for a 44-yard completion. The Huskie defense held inside the 10-yard line, however, and Nate Needham's 23-yard field goal made it a 14-10 game with 1:50 left before the intermission. But, Trayvon Rudolph returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards, putting the hosts ahead by 11.
• A 21-yard return by Keith on the ensuing kickoff gave BG the ball at the Falcons' 41-yard line with 90 seconds remaining in the half. McDonald completed passes to Jaison Patterson and Austin Osborne on the drive, and rushed twice for a total of 21 yards, including a 13-yard carry on fourth down. The drive ended when Needham boomed a 49-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the half.
• NIU took the second-half kickoff and drove from the Huskies' 35 to the BGSU 7-yard line. Darren Anders, however, stopped back-to-back NIU rushers for short gains, and a third-down pass was broken up by Devin Taylor. John Richardson's 23-yard field goal gave the Huskies a 24-13 lead with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter.
• McDonald kept the ball and rumbled 49 yards off left tackle on the second play of the next drive, moving the Falcons into Huskie territory. Needham's 42-yard field goal made it a one-score game once again. But, after four-straight Ducker carries on the ensuing drive, Lombardi found Rudolph for a 20-yard scoring play and a 31-16 NIU lead with 3:16 left in the third period.
• The Huskies drove inside the BGSU 10 on the next drive, but Anders came up with a tackle for loss on first down, and Anderson broke up a third-down pass in the end zone, forcing the hosts to kick a field goal.
• The ensuing drive saw McDonald find Jhaylin Embry on a crossing pattern that went for 54 yards. Yet another Needham field goal, this time from 42 yards, made it a 34-19 game with 13:02 to go.
• BGSU forced NIU to turn the ball over on downs, as Davon Ferguson made a stop short of the sticks on a fourth-down play, and the Falcons took over at the BG 38-yard line. McDonald ran for eight yards on a third-and-7 play to pick up a first down near midfield, and he found Keith for another first down. Then, McDonald hit Osborne for a 36-yard score, and Needham's PAT cut the NIU lead to 34-26 with 6:25 to go.
• The Falcons forced a three-and-out, before BG turned it back over on downs. Again, the BG defense forced the Huskies into a three-and-out drive, and got the ball back at the Falcons' 20 with 1:02 remaining. McDonald completed passes to Cavon Croom and Gazarek for 18 and 12 yards, respectively, on the ensuing drive. But, time ran out on the Falcons.
TOUCHDOWN
— BG Football (@BG_Football) October 16, 2021
First career rush for @chris_sims15 results in a 4-yard touchdown!!! BGSU leads early, 7-0.
4:49 | 1 QT#AyZiggy 🟠🟤
Watch the Game Live on ESPN+: https://t.co/Z4VzfYPMBW ($) pic.twitter.com/3AKhlVlnZ3
BGSU TEAM NOTES
• BGSU is 3-7 all-time at Huskie Stadium.
• The Falcons rushed for a season-high 161 yards.
• BGSU had at least three players (Davon Ferguson, Darren Anders, Brock Horne) with 10+ tackles in the same game for the first time since the 2019 Central Michigan game.
BGSU PLAYER NOTES
• PK Nate Needham notched a career-high four field goals (23, 49, 42, 42). He is a perfect 13-for-13 on field-goal tries this season to date.
• DB Davon Ferguson tied his previous career high for tackles (11) in the first half. He finished with 17.
• TE Christian Sims notched his first career rush in the first quarter, resulting in a 4-yard touchdown. It was Sims' second career touchdown. He had one receiving touchdown in 2019.
• CB Jalen Burton made his first career start, and forced his first career fumble in the first quarter. It led to the Falcons' first-quarter touchdown.
• QB Matt McDonald had a career-long 49-yard rush in the third quarter. He finished with a team- and career-high 75 rushing yards.
• Matt Naranjo averaged 42.5 yards on four punts. He put two of those four kicks inside the NIU 20-yard line. His first punt of the day pinned the Huskies at their own 12-yard line, and he also had a 51-yard punt that went out of bounds at the NIU 8-yard line.
STAT LEADERS
• QB Matt McDonald 75 rushing yards • 235 passing yards and 1 passing touchdown
• WR Austin Osborne five receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown
• S Davon Ferguson 17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 10 solo tackles
• LB Darren Anders 12 tackles, 1.0 TFL
• LB Brock HOrne 11 tackles
• PK Nate Needham 4-of-4 on field goals (23, 49, 42, 42)
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"Our kids played really hard. I told our guys at the end of the game that we are competitive now and these games are going to come down to two, three or four plays and you never know when they are going to show up. We have to work our tail off to push this boulder over the hill and finish games. We gave up a kick return for a touchdown, we missed two opportunities to score touchdowns in the red and they [NIU] won the rushing battle." - Scot Loeffler
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to face Eastern Michigan next Saturday (Oct. 23), with kickoff set for 12 p.m. That game will be streamed via ESPN+.
Team Stats
BGS
NIU
Total Yards
396
357
Pass Yards
235
38
Rushing Yards
161
319
Penalty Yards
55
30
1st Downs
17
23
3rd Downs
5
3
4th Downs
1
2
TOP
25:19
34:41
1st Quarter
BGS 7, NIU 0
BGS - Sims,Christian 4 yd run (Needham,Nate kick), 6 plays, 36 yards, TOP 03:03
2nd Quarter
BGS 7, NIU 7
NIU - Lombardi,Rocky 3 yd run (Richardson,John kick), 13 plays, 63 yards, TOP 06:41
BGS 7, NIU 14
NIU - Blakemore,Mason 17 yd run (Richardson,John kick), 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 02:45
BGS 10, NIU 14
BGS - Needham,Nate 23 yd field goal 8 plays, 65 yards, TOP 03:04
BGS 10, NIU 21
NIU - Rudolph,Trayvon 100 yd kickoff return (Richardson,John kick)
BGS 13, NIU 21
BGS - Needham,Nate 49 yd field goal 10 plays, 28 yards, TOP 01:23
3rd Quarter
BGS 13, NIU 24
NIU - Richardson,John 23 yd field goal 14 plays, 60 yards, TOP 07:21
BGS 16, NIU 24
BGS - Needham,Nate 42 yd field goal 6 plays, 51 yards, TOP 02:30
BGS 16, NIU 31
NIU - Rudolph,Trayvon 20 yd pass from Lombardi,Rocky (Richardson,John kick) 5 plays, 63 yards, TOP 01:53
4th Quarter
BGS 16, NIU 34
NIU - Richardson,John 29 yd field goal 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 02:36
BGS 19, NIU 34
BGS - Needham,Nate 42 yd field goal 5 plays, 52 yards, TOP 01:38
BGS 26, NIU 34
BGS - Osborne,Austin 36 yd pass from McDonald,Matt (Needham,Nate kick) 8 plays, 62 yards, TOP 02:59
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
16
TD
1
YDS
235
INT
0
Players Mentioned
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WR
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CB
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WR
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WR
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CB
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TE
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RB
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CB
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