KENT, Ohio -- The Bowling Green State University football team faced the worst offense in the FBS on Saturday.

And that made the Falcons' defensive struggles in a 27-15 loss to Kent State all the most disappointing.

The Golden Flashes came into the game averaging just 75.29 yards rushing (119th among 120 FBS teams), 105.29 yards passing (119th), and 180.58 yards of total offense (120th). But KSU finished with season highs of 179 yards passing and 319 yards of total offense in a disappointing effort by the BG defense.

"We said during the week that we weren't 'over the hump,' " Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson said. "Last week we really showed up and played well and tackled well.

"[In this game] we didn't do that."

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While Kent State's 140-yard rushing total wasn't a season high, it was the most disappointing number because the Falcons were focused on stopping the running game -- and didn't, opening up opportunities for the Golden Flashes in the passing game.

"We were outnumbering them in the box to try and take away the run game," Clawson said. "To do that, some times you're going to have some 'off' coverage, and they had not had a lot of success throwing the football.

"Later on we adjusted and played more press coverage, but you have to pick your poison."

Bowling Green allowed KSU to drive 58 yards on its first possession and kick a field goal, then surrendered 60 yards -- including 36 on the ground -- on a TD drive late in the quarter.

The Falcons also gave up a nine-play, 61-yard drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in a Kent State field goal. The Flashes' other touchdowns were the result of turnovers, one on a fumbled punt that gave KSU the ball on BG's 15 and the other when Matt Schilz was sacked and fumbled, with the Flashes' Roosevelt Nix picking up the fumble and running nine yards for a score on the last play from scrimmage.

"I guess we have trouble getting up for road games," said junior linebacker Dwayne Woods, who tied with four other teammates -- Charlie Walker, BooBoo Gates, Jovan Leacock, and Ryland Ward -- for the team lead in tackles with six. "I can't put my finger on it, but that's what I'm going to say: we had a problem showing up."

SAMUEL OUT: The Falcons were without freshman running back Anthon Samuel, who was not cleared to play because of post-concussive symptoms.

Sophomore Jordan Hopgood also saw limited action because of injuries, which meant freshman Jamel Martin and sophomore Erique Geiger saw most of the action at running back.

Martin had 50 yards on 18 attempts, while Geiger finished with 17 yards on four rushes.

"Those guys got a lot of reps during practice this week," Clawson said of Martin and Geiger. "You'd always like to have your best, but injuries happen, and you have to be able to play your depth."

JORDEN'S BIG DAY: One of the few bright spots for the Falcons was the production of senior wide receiver Kamar Jorden, who finished with 12 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown.

On the season Jorden now has 59 catches for 776 yards and seven touchdowns, all tops on the team.

The native of Darby, Pa., already has broken into the top 10 on the school's all-time charts despite playing in just his second year at BG.

Jorden has 155 career receptions and now ranks 10th on the all-time list. He needs to catch one more pass to tie Steve Sanders (2002-05) in ninth and three more catches to tie Reggie Thornton (1986-89) in eighth.

Currently Jorden has 1,885 career receiving yards and needs 306 more to break into the top 10 despite.

First Published October 30, 2011, 6:01 a.m.