Bowling Green State University Athletics
Saturday, October 2
Kent, OH
3:30 PM
Bowling Green State University
2-3 , 0-1
20
at
27
Kent State
2-3 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Bowling Green
3
3
14
0
20
Kent St.
10
3
7
7
27
Photo by: Luke Allen, BGSU Athletics
Flashes Squeak Past Falcons, 27-20
October 02, 2021 | Football
Box ScoreBGSU-KSU StatsBowling Green Postgame NotesBowling Green Postgame QuotesVideo HighlightsPhoto Gallery
BGSU Gives MAC East Division Favorites All They Can Handle Before Succumbing
KENT, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University football team gave Kent State University everything it wanted and more on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 2), but a late touchdown gave the Golden Flashes a 27-20 win. The game, the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams, was held at Dix Stadium.
The Falcons (2-3, 0-1 MAC) scored two touchdowns in the first six minutes after halftime to take a 20-13 lead, but Marquez Cooper rushed for a score to tie the game later in the third quarter, and Dustin Crum's 11-yard rush with 6:03 left in the game proved to be the winning score.
Nate Needham kicked a pair of field goals, including a career-long 52-yarder, in the first half, and BGSU trailed by a 13-6 score at the intermission. Taron Keith returned the second-half kickoff 76 yards to the Flashes' 15-yard line, and Matt McDonald found Tyrone Broden for a four-yard scoring pass. Then, Nick Mosley's 11-yard carry put BG on top, before the Golden Flashes (2-3, 1-0) rallied.
McDonald completed 29 of 45 passes for 263 yards and a TD, and Jaison Patterson had a team-high 60 yards on the ground.
Kent State, the preseason favorite to win the MAC's East Division, had a narrow 396-318 lead in total offense in the game. Crum ran for 93 yards and threw for 134 for the hosts, while Cooper had 120 yards on the ground.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
Head Coach Scot Loeffler
"Congratulations to Kent State. I thought that was one heck of a football game and both teams gave tremendous effort. We're better, but we're just still not good enough. Too many penalties, too many sacks, too many missed opportunities, plain and simple. We're excited that we played hard, but disappointed with the results."
Quarterback Matt McDonald
"You can tell this a different team. It's not even close. We know how good we can be and we're still not there. It's a process and we're going to continue to get better and better every week."
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kent State took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 12 plays for the game's first points. Marquez Cooper carried the ball eight times for 46 yards on the drive, including the final four yards to give the Flashes the lead with 11:44 left in the opening quarter.
• The Falcons drove 48 yards on their first offensive drive of the afternoon, and Nate Needham booted a 42-yard field goal with 5:44 left in the opening quarter. That drive saw BGSU pick up three first downs, as Matt McDonald was 6-for-7 through the air, and Jaison Patterson had a 21-yard run to take the ball into KSU territory.
• The Flashes drove to the BGSU 32-yard line before Davon Ferguson broke up a pass into the end zone on a fourth-and-5 play. However, a personal foul penalty kept the drive alive. But, the next three plays netted a total of just two yards, and Andrew Glass hit a 33-yard field goal to give KSU a 10-3 lead late in the opening quarter.
• BGSU responded with a 10-play drive, taking the ball into KSU territory again. Needham capped that drive with a career-long 52-yard field goal. McDonald hit Tyrone Broden for a 22-yard gain on that possession.
• KSU drove inside the BGSU 20, but the BG defense held, and Glass kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the hosts a 13-6 lead with 8:33 remaining in the half.
• The next drive saw the Falcons convert a fourth-and-2 play, as McDonald scrambled and found Christian Sims, but a penalty nullified the play and the BGSU was forced to punt.
• The Falcons, however, forced KSU to punt on the next drive, taking over at the BG 12 with 3:04 left in the half.
• A fake punt by BGSU, however, was unsuccessful, but the Falcon defense held, and Glass missed a field goal on the final play of the half.
• Keith returned the second-half kickoff 76 yards, all the way to the KSU 15. Four rushes gained a total of 11 yards, with Patterson gaining nine, and McDonald keeping the ball and gaining two yards on a fourth-and-1 play.
• On the next play, McDonald found Broden for a 4-yard touchdown pass, and Needham's point-after try tied the score at 13-13 with 12:48 left in the third quarter.
• KSU began the next drive at their own 43 after a long kickoff return of their own, but that drive netted negative-10 yards before the home team was forced to punt the ball back to the Falcons.
• And, the Brown and Orange took the lead, going 66 yards in 7 plays. Broden caught passes of 18 and 17 yards from McDonald on the drive, which culminated with a Nick Mosley 12-yard run. Needham's PAT gave BGSU a 20-13 lead with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter.
• The Flashes tied the score on the next drive. Cooper carried the ball seven times on the 13-play drive, taking it the final four yards for a score, and the extra point tied the contest, 20-20, with 5:30 remaining in the third period.
• A fumble on the first play of the next drive gave the ball back to the Flashes at the BGSU 34. But, the Falcons' defense held, with KSU's offense losing five yards on three plays before punting the ball back to BG.
• The ensuing drive saw the Falcons start at their own 8-yard line. A 19-yard completion from McDonald to Austin Osborne took the ball out to the BG 42, but a pair of sacks stalled the drive, and the Falcons were forced to punt on the opening play of the fourth quarter, and KSU took over at the Flashes' 18.
• BGSU held the Flashes to a three-and-out, with Billie Roberts batting down Crum's third-down pass.
• The Falcons drove to the KSU 20-yard line, with the big play a McDonald-to-Sims completion for 28 yards on a third-and-10 play, but an interception stopped the BG drive with 10:25 to go.
• KSU retook the lead on the ensuing drive, as Crum's 11-yard run and the Glass PAT made it a 27-20 game with 6:03 remaining.
• The Falcons drove as far as the KSU 23 on the next drive, but a fourth-down play came up short of the first-down marker, and the Flashes took over with 2:38 to go.
• The Falcons held the Flashes on the ensuing drive. After a third-down rush came up short, KSU ran the clock down before using back-to-back timeouts. Jhaylin Embry's fair catch on the ensuing punt gave BG the ball at the Falcons' 27-yard line with 1:36 to go. The Falcons turned the ball over on downs, and KSU ran out the clock.
BGSU TEAM NOTES
• Bowling Green played in its third-straight Homecoming game of the season. They are 2-1 this season in homecoming games.
• Bowling Green scored on its opening drive of the first half and the second half. It is the second time this season the Falcons have scored on the opening drives of each half. Against Murray State they scored touchdowns on both opening drives of the half.
BGSU PLAYER NOTES
• PK Nate Needham connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal in the second quarter. It is tied for the third-longest in program history, a distance that has been reached five times now.
• Needham is one of three players currently in FBS with multiple 50+-yard field goals so far in 2021.
• RB Jaison Patterson had a career-long 21-yard rush in the first quarter.
• RB Taron Keith had a career-long 76-yard kick return to start off the third quarter.
• WR Tyrone Broden's 4-yard TD reception in the third quarter was his first career score.
• QB Matt McDonald passed for 263 yards. It is the third time this year and fourth time in his career throwing for 200+ yards in a game.
• For additional BGSU notes, click the PDF link at the top of the page
BGSU STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Matt McDonald
29-for-45, 263 yds., 1 TD, 1 INT
• Tyrone Broden
5 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD
• Jaison Patterson
12 carries, 60 yards
• Christian Sims
7 receptions, 55 yards
• Austin Osborne
6 receptions, 52 yards
• Nick Mosley
3 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to face Akron next Saturday (Oct. 9), with kickoff set for 12:00 p.m. That game will be streamed via ESPN+.
Gallery: (10-2-2021) Football at Kent State - Oct 2 2021
The Falcons (2-3, 0-1 MAC) scored two touchdowns in the first six minutes after halftime to take a 20-13 lead, but Marquez Cooper rushed for a score to tie the game later in the third quarter, and Dustin Crum's 11-yard rush with 6:03 left in the game proved to be the winning score.
Nate Needham kicked a pair of field goals, including a career-long 52-yarder, in the first half, and BGSU trailed by a 13-6 score at the intermission. Taron Keith returned the second-half kickoff 76 yards to the Flashes' 15-yard line, and Matt McDonald found Tyrone Broden for a four-yard scoring pass. Then, Nick Mosley's 11-yard carry put BG on top, before the Golden Flashes (2-3, 1-0) rallied.
McDonald completed 29 of 45 passes for 263 yards and a TD, and Jaison Patterson had a team-high 60 yards on the ground.
Kent State, the preseason favorite to win the MAC's East Division, had a narrow 396-318 lead in total offense in the game. Crum ran for 93 yards and threw for 134 for the hosts, while Cooper had 120 yards on the ground.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
Head Coach Scot Loeffler
"Congratulations to Kent State. I thought that was one heck of a football game and both teams gave tremendous effort. We're better, but we're just still not good enough. Too many penalties, too many sacks, too many missed opportunities, plain and simple. We're excited that we played hard, but disappointed with the results."
Quarterback Matt McDonald
"You can tell this a different team. It's not even close. We know how good we can be and we're still not there. It's a process and we're going to continue to get better and better every week."
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kent State took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 12 plays for the game's first points. Marquez Cooper carried the ball eight times for 46 yards on the drive, including the final four yards to give the Flashes the lead with 11:44 left in the opening quarter.
• The Falcons drove 48 yards on their first offensive drive of the afternoon, and Nate Needham booted a 42-yard field goal with 5:44 left in the opening quarter. That drive saw BGSU pick up three first downs, as Matt McDonald was 6-for-7 through the air, and Jaison Patterson had a 21-yard run to take the ball into KSU territory.
• The Flashes drove to the BGSU 32-yard line before Davon Ferguson broke up a pass into the end zone on a fourth-and-5 play. However, a personal foul penalty kept the drive alive. But, the next three plays netted a total of just two yards, and Andrew Glass hit a 33-yard field goal to give KSU a 10-3 lead late in the opening quarter.
• BGSU responded with a 10-play drive, taking the ball into KSU territory again. Needham capped that drive with a career-long 52-yard field goal. McDonald hit Tyrone Broden for a 22-yard gain on that possession.
• KSU drove inside the BGSU 20, but the BG defense held, and Glass kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the hosts a 13-6 lead with 8:33 remaining in the half.
• The next drive saw the Falcons convert a fourth-and-2 play, as McDonald scrambled and found Christian Sims, but a penalty nullified the play and the BGSU was forced to punt.
• The Falcons, however, forced KSU to punt on the next drive, taking over at the BG 12 with 3:04 left in the half.
• A fake punt by BGSU, however, was unsuccessful, but the Falcon defense held, and Glass missed a field goal on the final play of the half.
• Keith returned the second-half kickoff 76 yards, all the way to the KSU 15. Four rushes gained a total of 11 yards, with Patterson gaining nine, and McDonald keeping the ball and gaining two yards on a fourth-and-1 play.
• On the next play, McDonald found Broden for a 4-yard touchdown pass, and Needham's point-after try tied the score at 13-13 with 12:48 left in the third quarter.
• KSU began the next drive at their own 43 after a long kickoff return of their own, but that drive netted negative-10 yards before the home team was forced to punt the ball back to the Falcons.
• And, the Brown and Orange took the lead, going 66 yards in 7 plays. Broden caught passes of 18 and 17 yards from McDonald on the drive, which culminated with a Nick Mosley 12-yard run. Needham's PAT gave BGSU a 20-13 lead with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter.
• The Flashes tied the score on the next drive. Cooper carried the ball seven times on the 13-play drive, taking it the final four yards for a score, and the extra point tied the contest, 20-20, with 5:30 remaining in the third period.
• A fumble on the first play of the next drive gave the ball back to the Flashes at the BGSU 34. But, the Falcons' defense held, with KSU's offense losing five yards on three plays before punting the ball back to BG.
• The ensuing drive saw the Falcons start at their own 8-yard line. A 19-yard completion from McDonald to Austin Osborne took the ball out to the BG 42, but a pair of sacks stalled the drive, and the Falcons were forced to punt on the opening play of the fourth quarter, and KSU took over at the Flashes' 18.
• BGSU held the Flashes to a three-and-out, with Billie Roberts batting down Crum's third-down pass.
• The Falcons drove to the KSU 20-yard line, with the big play a McDonald-to-Sims completion for 28 yards on a third-and-10 play, but an interception stopped the BG drive with 10:25 to go.
• KSU retook the lead on the ensuing drive, as Crum's 11-yard run and the Glass PAT made it a 27-20 game with 6:03 remaining.
• The Falcons drove as far as the KSU 23 on the next drive, but a fourth-down play came up short of the first-down marker, and the Flashes took over with 2:38 to go.
• The Falcons held the Flashes on the ensuing drive. After a third-down rush came up short, KSU ran the clock down before using back-to-back timeouts. Jhaylin Embry's fair catch on the ensuing punt gave BG the ball at the Falcons' 27-yard line with 1:36 to go. The Falcons turned the ball over on downs, and KSU ran out the clock.
McDonald ➡️ Broden!!!
— BG Football (@BG_Football) October 2, 2021
After a 76-yard KR by Taron Keith, McDonald finds Tyrone Broden for his first career TD.
We are tied, 13-13.
12:41 | 3QT
Watch Live: https://t.co/BxG4cJi0wf ($$) pic.twitter.com/rfPgLzAKCl
TOUCHDOWN FALCONS!
— BG Football (@BG_Football) October 2, 2021
First career touchdown for Nick Mosley on the 12-yard rush! BGSU leads for the first time in the game, 20-13.
9:02 | 3rd QT
Watch Live: https://t.co/BxG4cJi0wf ($$) pic.twitter.com/xJ7zkUDEgj
BGSU TEAM NOTES
• Bowling Green played in its third-straight Homecoming game of the season. They are 2-1 this season in homecoming games.
• Bowling Green scored on its opening drive of the first half and the second half. It is the second time this season the Falcons have scored on the opening drives of each half. Against Murray State they scored touchdowns on both opening drives of the half.
BGSU PLAYER NOTES
• PK Nate Needham connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal in the second quarter. It is tied for the third-longest in program history, a distance that has been reached five times now.
• Needham is one of three players currently in FBS with multiple 50+-yard field goals so far in 2021.
• RB Jaison Patterson had a career-long 21-yard rush in the first quarter.
• RB Taron Keith had a career-long 76-yard kick return to start off the third quarter.
• WR Tyrone Broden's 4-yard TD reception in the third quarter was his first career score.
• QB Matt McDonald passed for 263 yards. It is the third time this year and fourth time in his career throwing for 200+ yards in a game.
• For additional BGSU notes, click the PDF link at the top of the page
BGSU STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Matt McDonald
29-for-45, 263 yds., 1 TD, 1 INT
• Tyrone Broden
5 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD
• Jaison Patterson
12 carries, 60 yards
• Christian Sims
7 receptions, 55 yards
• Austin Osborne
6 receptions, 52 yards
• Nick Mosley
3 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to face Akron next Saturday (Oct. 9), with kickoff set for 12:00 p.m. That game will be streamed via ESPN+.
Team Stats
BGS
KSU
Total Yards
318
396
Pass Yards
263
134
Rushing Yards
55
262
Penalty Yards
55
90
1st Downs
18
25
3rd Downs
7
10
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
32:15
27:45
1st Quarter
BGS 0, KSU 7
KSU - Cooper,Marquez 4 yd run (Glass,Andrew kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:16
BGS 3, KSU 7
BGS - Needham,Nate 42 yd field goal 11 plays, 38 yards, TOP 05:56
BGS 3, KSU 10
KSU - Glass,Andrew 32 yd field goal 12 plays, 59 yards, TOP 04:29
2nd Quarter
BGS 6, KSU 10
BGS - Needham,Nate 52 yd field goal 10 plays, 37 yards, TOP 04:33
BGS 6, KSU 13
KSU - Glass,Andrew 32 yd field goal 11 plays, 40 yards, TOP 02:56
3rd Quarter
BGS 13, KSU 13
BGS - Broden,Tyrone 4 yd pass from McDonald,Matt (Needham,Nate kick) 5 plays, 15 yards, TOP 01:59
BGS 20, KSU 13
BGS - Mosley,Nick 12 yd run (Needham,Nate kick), 7 plays, 66 yards, TOP 02:03
BGS 20, KSU 20
KSU - Cooper,Marquez 4 yd run (Glass,Andrew kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:32
4th Quarter
BGS 20, KSU 27
KSU - Crum,Dustin 11 yd run (Glass,Andrew kick), 13 plays, 74 yards, TOP 04:22
Game Leaders
CMP
29
TD
1
YDS
263
INT
1
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
WR
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WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
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/ Football
RB
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K
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
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DL
/ Football
TE
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