Stewart, Falcons Run All Over Zips, 41-14

Saturday, October 21

Bowling Green, Ohio

2 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

4-4 , 2-2

Akron

1-7 , 0-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Akron

Bowling Green

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

October 21, 2023 | Football

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By: BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Terion Stewart ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns as the Bowling Green State University football team rolled along to a 41-14 victory over the University of Akron Saturday afternoon (Oct. 21) at Perry Stadium.

The Falcons (4-4, 2-2 MAC), leading by six points at the half, exploded for three third-quarter touchdowns to seize control. Stewart, who scored the lone TD of the first half, found the end zone twice within a span of less than two minutes in the third period, and Connor Bazelak's 36-yard pass to Harold Fannin Jr. gave the Orange and Brown a commanding 34-7 lead after three quarters.

While Stewart led the way on offense, the BGSU defense had four takeaways, giving the Falcons the ball in Akron territory on all four occasions. BGSU began three of those four drives in the red zone.

The Zips (1-7, 0-4 MAC) spotted the Falcons an Alan Anaya field goal on the game's opening drive, before taking the lead on Lorenzo Lingard's touchdown run late in the opening quarter.

Stewart gave the Falcons the lead for good with his first scoring run just under three minutes into the second quarter, and the Falcons forced an Akron fumble just before the half, which resulted in an Anaya field goal on the final play before the intermission.

Stewart's 16-yard run capped an 88-yard drive to give BG a 20-7 lead, and his third score of the day was followed by TD receptions by Fannin and Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim. The Falcons scored 38 consecutive points before the Zips got a late TD to close the scoring.

The BGSU defense forced four turnovers. Both Darren Anders and Ali Saad had strip-sacks of UA quarterback Jeff Undercuffler, with Jalen Huskey and Trent Simms coming up with interceptions. Dontrez Brown recovered two fumbles on the afternoon.

The Falcons' average field position after the four takeaways was the Akron 15-yard line. BG twice started drives inside the 10.

For the game, BG's average field position was the Akron 48, while Akron's average starting position was the Zips' own 24-yard line.

The Falcons had 214 yards on the ground, while the BG defense limited Akron to only 45 rushing yards in 28 attempts. Twenty two of those yards came when the UA punter pulled down a high snap and ran for a first down, meaning that the Zips had a total of six yards on the other 27 carries.

Anders and Cashius Howell each had two sacks on the day, as BG had five sacks for a total of 58 yards in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took the opening drive and headed into Akron territory, taking an early lead on Alan Anaya's 36-yard field goal just over five minutes into the game.
• Akron's first drive stalled at the Falcons' 27-yard line, and a 45-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right with exactly seven minutes remaining in the first period.
• The Zips forced a punt, and Akron then took the lead on a 13-yard touchdown run by Lorenzo Lingard. The big play on the 72-yard drive was a 35-yard pass from Jeff Undercuffler Jr. to Jasaiah Gathings.
• The Falcons were forced to punt, and Jackson Kleather's 63-yard boot rolled to the Akron 13-yard line. BGSU enjoyed large advantages in the field-position battle for the rest of the game.
• Three plays after Kleather's kick, Jalen Huskey stepped in front of an Undercuffler offering and returned it to the Zips' three-yard line. The next play saw Terion Stewart go off-tackle into the end zone to put the Falcons back in front. Anaya's point-after try gave BG a 10-7 lead with 12:18 left before halftime.
• Cashius Howell's third down resulted in a loss of 12 yards, ending a three-and-out Akron posession that resulted in negative-7 yards. The teams exchanged punts, and PaSean Wimberly downed Kleather's next kick at the Zips' 1-yard line.
• The Falcons got the ball back, but the Zips held on a fourth-down play at the Akron 42-yard line with just under four minutes left before halftime.
• UA punter Dante Jackson pulled down a high snap, avoided the BG rush and gained 22 yards into BG territory. But, several penalties moved the Zips backwards, and on a strip-sack by Ali Saad, Dontrez Brown picked up the loose ball and rumbled to the Akron 13 with just 11 seconds left in the half.
• After one shot at the end zone resulted in an incomplete pass, Anaya came on to hit a 33-yard field goal in the final play of the half.
• On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Zips converted a third-and-long play, and Akron got into BG territory, but a penalty set UA back and forced the Zips to punt.
• Stewart picked up chunks of yardage on each of the next four plays, capped by a 26-yard carry that took the ball into Akron territory. Catches by Ta'ron Keith and Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim got the Falcons into the red zone, and Stewart toted the ball the final 16 yards to cap the 10-play drive.
• After gaining a total of 81 yards in the first half, the Falcons picked up 88 yards on that scoring drive.
• On the very first play of the next drive, Anders got to the QB, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Brown and the Zips' 10-yard line. Back-to-back carries by Stewart moved the ball inside the five, and after a pass interference call in the end zone, Stewart took the ball the final two yards, with Anaya's kick making it a 27-7 game.
• On the following drive, the Zips went for it on a fourth-and-3, and Joseph Sipp Jr. picked off a pass and returned it into Akron territory.
• And, three plays later, Connor Bazelak found Harold Fannin Jr. over the middle for a 35-yard score. BGSU scored three third-quarter touchdowns in a span of 4:34, and Anaya's kick gave the Orange and Brown a 34-7 lead.
• BGSU stopped Akron on the first drive of the fourth quarter, and Camden Orth found Ibrahim for an eight-yard scoring toss midway through the period. The Zips countered with a late touchdown before Lucian Anderson III and the BG offense ran out the clock.

CARRY ON TERION 😤

BGSU goes 88 yards on 10 plays to extend its lead on this 16-yard TD scamper by Terion Stewart. BGSU leads, 20-7.

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— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) October 21, 2023

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"This was a great win as we enter the month of November. Everyone remembers what you do in November, so we get that opportunity to do that in the next four weeks. We want to play good defense and we've done a great job in recruiting really good defensive linemen. If we keep building that defense we have a chance to win a lot of games. We have great running backs. Obviously, Terion (Stewart) is the workhorse, but they are all really good football players and great guys. Normally, when you only have one football, a running back room can get really selfish, but these men are not. They get in there and help the team and I'm really proud of that." - Scot Loeffler, BGSU head coach

STAT LEADERS
• Terion Stewart 19 rushes, 131 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns
• Darren Anders 6 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, FF
• Dontrez Brown 5 tackles, 2 FR

GAME NOTES
• The Falcons recorded at least one takeaway in their ninth-straight game dating back to last year.
• BGSU scored 24 points off of Akron's four turnovers.
• BGSU has forced at least four turnovers in back to-back games.
• BGSU scored a field goal on its opening drive of the game. It is just the second time this season the Falcons scored on their opening possession. The Eastern Illinois game was the other.
• BGSU held an opponent scoreless on its first drive of the game for the second week in a row. In each of BGSU's first six games the Falcons yielded a touchdown to its opponent on their first drive of the game.
• BGSU tallied five sacks, which ties its best output of the season. BGSU also had five sacks against Eastern Illinois.
• RB Terion Stewart finished with 131 rushing yards. It is his fourth game this season and sixth of his career rushing for 100+ yards. He has rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back games and four of the last five.
• Stewart finished with a career-high three rushing touchdowns. He scored on rushes of three, 16 and two yards. His previous best was two rushing touchdowns which he reached three other times.
• ILB Darren Anders had career highs with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks.

UP NEXT
BGSU has next weekend off and returns to Doyt Perry Stadium to host Ball State on Wed., Nov. 1 to start a month of MACtion mid-week games. Kick against the Cardinals is either at 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Television broadcast network will be announced at a later date along with official kick time.