RedHawks Top Falcons, 28-12

Friday, November 29

Bowling Green, Ohio

12 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

7-5 , 6-2

Miami (OH)

8-4 , 7-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Miami (OH)

Bowling Green

Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

November 29, 2024 | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Bowling Green Postgame Notes Bowling Green Postgame Quotes

By: BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Miami University got a first-quarter touchdown to take an early lead, and the RedHawks were able to hold off every comeback effort by the Bowling Green State University football team Friday afternoon (Nov. 29). The RedHawks picked up a 28-12 win in Mid-American Conference action at Doyt Perry Stadium.

With the victory, Miami (8-4, 7-1 MAC) earned a berth in next weekend's MAC Championship game in Detroit. The Falcons (7-5, 6-2 MAC) saw a five-game winning streak come to an end.

BGSU cut that early deficit to just two points on two occasions, getting within 7-5 midway through the second quarter and 14-12 early in the fourth. But, the RedHawks responded with touchdown drives in each case, and MU salted the game away with a late score.

Brett Gabbert threw for 255 yards and three scores for the visitors. Only three Miami players caught passes, but that trio combined for 28 receptions.

For the Falcons, Connor Bazelak was 26-of-41 for 201 yards through the air, while Malcolm Johnson Jr. and Harold Fannin Jr. each had eight catches.

Jaison Patterson scored BGSU's touchdown on a fourth-quarter run, while Patrick Day and Anthony Hawkins combined to tackle a Miami runner in the end zone for a second-quarter safety.

Zach Long made his only field-goal attempt on the day, connecting from 41 yards away.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons picked up two first downs on the opening drive of the game, but that drive stalled just past midfield, and BG was forced to punt. The RedHawks also gained two first downs on their opening drive, but that drive ended when CJ Brown picked off Brett Gabbert at the BGSU 13-yard line.
• But, Miami held the Falcons to a three-and-out, then took the lead as Gabbert found Cade McDonald for 30 yards and a score on the first play of the ensuing drive.
• Miami's next drive saw the RedHawks move into the red zone, and the visitors had a first-and-goal from the BGSU six-yard line. But, Brock Horne and Charles Rosser combined to stop Kevin Davis for a two-yard loss, with a personal foul penalty moving the RedHawks back to the 23. A six-yard gain followed, but on third down, Jordan Oladokun stepped in front of a Gabbert pass at the goal line and returned the ball to the BGSU 41.
• After a Falcon first down near midfield, the drive stalled, but John Henderson's punt was downed by Darius Lorfils at the one-yard line.
• Miami barely got out of the end zone on first down, on a Dylan Downing rush. Then, on second down, Patrick Day and Anthony Hawkins teamed up to tackle Downing in the end zone for a safety.
• The following drive saw Connor Bazelak complete back-to-back passes to Malcolm Johnson Jr. for first-down yardage, and a pass to Harold Fannin Jr. put BGSU at the Miami 24. The RedHawks held from there, but Zach Long's 41-yard field-goal attempt was perfect, cutting the MU lead to 7-5 midway through the second period.
• Miami, however, responded with a touchdown drive, with three rushes followed by five-straight Gabbert completions. Reggie Virgil had three of those five receptions, including the scoring play. On that 20-yard pass, the ball went through the hands of another Miami receiver before Virgil made the grab and ran into the end zone. The point-after try gave the RedHawks a 14-5 halftime lead.
• The Falcons' defense held the RedHawks to four consecutive three-and-out drives in the third quarter, and BGSU cut into the MU lead on the first drive of the fourth period.
• The Falcons went 92 yards in 11 plays on that drive, which began late in the third quarter. Fannin threw a nine-yard pass to Levi Gazarek, and Bazelak then found Rahkeem Smith for eight yards.
• Bazelak and Fannin hooked up on a 14-yard pass play to get BG out near midfield, and Jamal Johnson's 10-yard run put the Falcons into Miami territory.
• Bazelak found Gazarek for two more completions, and a 22-yard run by Johnson took the ball to the Miami two. From there, Jaison Patterson ran up the middle and into the end zone. Long's PAT made it a 14-12.
• But, Miami had a response. The RedHawks' next drive saw Gabbert hook up with Javon Tracy for 72 yards and a score, with the ensuing kick giving the visitors a 21-12 lead with 10:35 to go.
• The MU defense held the Falcons on the next drive, and Miami then moved into BGSU territory. But, the ensuing drive resulted in a turnover on downs. The Falcons took over at BG's own 22-yard line, but MU got the stop, and Mozee capped the scoring with a 27-yard TD run with 1:52 on the clock.

Jaison Patterson Finds PAYDIRT!!!

BGSU trails, 14-12, after Patterson's two-yard plunge!

📺 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/V7iIGlGP62
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) November 29, 2024

GAME NOTES

Bowling Green finishes the MAC season 6-2. It is the best finish for the Falcons since going 7-1 in 2015.
S Patrick Day and ILB Brock Horne each played in their 56th career game for the Falcons, breaking the program record for career games played held by Alex Huettel (2011-15).
With eight receptions, TE Harold Fannin Jr. increases his active streak of games with a reception to 30.
Fannin now has 100 receptions for the season. He is the third tight end in FBS history with 100 receptions in a season.
Fannin now has 1,342 receiving yards, which ranks No. 2 all-time in FBS history for a tight end in a season. He needs 11 receiving yards in the bowl game to break the single-season FBS receiving yards record by a tight end.
Fannin completed his first career pass for nine yards to fellow tight end, Levi Gazarek.
QB Connor Bazelak completed 26 passes. He now has 1,119 for his career, which ranks No. 18 all-time in FBS history.
Bazelak passed for 201 yards. It is the eighth time this season and 36th time in his career he has passed for 200+ yards.
Bazelak now has 11,960 career passing yards, which puts him No. 52 all-time in FBS history.
S CJ Brown secured his first interception as a Falcon in the first quarter. It was the third interception of his collegiate career. He had two during his time at NIU.
CB Jordan Oladokun intercepted a pass for the second game in a row. He returned the ball 40 yards. Oladokun's 134 return yards on interceptions this season rank No. 2 all time in BGSU history.
His 216 career return yards on interceptions ranks No. 5 for a career in BGSU history.

STAT LEADERS

Connor Bazelak: 26-of-41 passing, 201 passing yards
Malcolm Johnson Jr.: 8 receptions, 75 yards
Jamal Johnson: 3 carries, 36 rushing yards
C.J. Brown: 7 tackles, 1 interception
Jordan Oladokun: 3 tackles, 1 interception

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"I would like to congratulate Miami (OH). It was a, believe it or not, a very similar game on both sides. When you look at it there were four plays in the first half that we didn't make, and then we had to come out and we were going to swing the bat. Had to win the explosion in the second half. They made they made four plays. We didn't make four plays. We missed four plays in the first half. And whenever you get into a two-minute situation against this team, you're in trouble, and we got two scores behind, and you're not going to score against this defense. The philosophy was we had to make those four plays in the first half. One of their explosion plays was a tipped ball for the touchdown. You got to win the explosion in the second half. And again, we couldn't get into, you know, the lessons of what we've learned by playing these guys is you can't get into a throw fest, particularly in the first half, because your quarterback would be on his back. We were in position, and in the second half, gave up too many big plays and got down, scored on one drive, and got two scores down. The fact of the matter is whenever you just look at the whole game, we missed three plays, three to four plays in the first half, they would have changed in complexion. At least got us one more score and they made four more plays than we did. I'm extremely disappointed. Our kids are disappointed, but I'm extremely proud of those kids, particularly seniors. We fought, we fought back, we fought and brought the program back, and unfortunately, didn't happen for us today, and we're gonna wake up tomorrow morning. We're going to wipe off blood and tears, this team will stick together, and this team will go play in a bowl game, and we need to send these seniors off the right way, because the fact of the matter is, is they, they came here whenever we sucked and every aspect of the word suck and worked their tails off to take us to three bowl games, put ourselves in a chance to go to the championship, and they've left the legacy because they changed the program back to the winning ways, unfortunately, just didn't happen. So, I love my kids." -- Scot Loeffler

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