BOWLING GREEN – The Bowling Green State University football team claimed its first victory of the season with a 37-29 win at Miami Saturday.
But it felt much bigger than just one win to the Falcons.
“It felt like we had won the [Mid-American Conference] championship,” offensive lineman Austin Labus said Monday. “We really needed to get that winning feeling again, because things weren’t going the way they had in the past.”
The Falcons entered the contest having lost their first five games this season and were on the verge of matching the program’s worst start since the 1935 team started 0-6.
And coach Mike Jinks admitted that earning a victory was much more important than just playing well.
“The only thing that breeds confidence [is winning],” Jinks said. “Even being close doesn’t do that.
“Last week’s message was that I was proud of the way they competed, and I was upset with myself for even thinking like that. That shouldn’t be on my mind.
“Being competitive will not get us wins. Our mind-set is that we should do whatever we need to do to get the job done [and win].”
To reach that point, Jinks said he challenged his team last week.
“At the end of the day, players have to make plays. Period,” he said. “I can get on them, we can change coaches, but at the end of the day, players have to make plays.
“I challenged them last week to do that, and guys stepped up and made plays. And that’s when you win games.”
The Falcons leaned heavily on several players, most notably linebacker Brandon Harris, whose fumble return for a touchdown turned around a dire situation in the game’s final minutes, and wide receiver Teo Redding, who caught eight passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
The result of the win was an improved practice mood, according to Labus.
“I think everyone is starting to believe in what we’ve been working towards,” he said. “There were people who were struggling with [an 0-5 start], but most people believed in coach Jinks and where he wants to go.”
Contact John Wagner at jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
First Published October 9, 2017, 7:26 p.m.
