BOWLING GREEN — Never mind the idea of a “moral victory.”
Even in a 38-6 defeat to Southeastern Conference foe Tennessee in Knoxville, the Bowling Green State University Falcons planted seeds for what is projected to be a year of growth and progression of one of the youngest football teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“The impressions that we had after the game are pretty much spot on,” BGSU head coach Scot Loeffler said on Monday. “There were some great moments. I thought the second quarter in particular, I think all three phases played superior together, and we did some really good things. I thought defensively we tackled better, but [we’re] still giving up a few too many big plays.”
The glimmer that was the second quarter showcased what BGSU hasn’t been able to display much over the previous two seasons.
Entering the quarter down 14-0, the Falcons’ defense showed resolve in temporarily shutting the door on the Volunteers and quarterback Joe Milton. BGSU’s defense held Tennessee to 13 yards in two possessions that lasted for a combined 2:26. The defense forced one three-and-out and sacked the Michigan transfer Milton once on the final drive of the quarter.
Milton threw for 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but he completed just one pass for 5 yards in the second quarter.
The defense opened the door for the Falcons to at least climb back into the game by the end of the half. Kicker Nate Needham booted field goals of 42 and 50 yards through to cut Bowling Green’s deficit to 14-6 at halftime.
“Better, and we’ll continue to play better,” Loeffler said of his secondary. “We think through a little bit of help, next year we think that our defensive line and our back end can be a strong suit for us. We just need to continue to work and get better, but I thought they played much better.”
Safety Sy Dabney was pivotal in limiting Milton and Tennessee’s passing attack. The senior from Orchard Lake, Mich., posted 10 tackles (six solo) and included one for a loss which helped stall a Vols drive at midfield near the end of the first quarter. Dabney is one of Bowling Green’s few veteran pieces and has room to build on a 2020 in which he was seventh on the team in total tackles (21 in five games) and sixth in solo stops (10.)
Dabney’s solid effort on Thursday was only usurped by linebacker Darren Anders.
Anders was recognized as the Mid-American Conference East Division Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Vols. The junior from North Olmsted, Ohio, led Bowling Green with 14 tackles, he tallied one sack, and he recovered the fumble he forced from Milton during the first drive of the fourth quarter.
His 14 tackles were third most for a player in FBS over the weekend. Per BGSU, Anders was the only player in the nation to record 10-plus tackles, force a fumble, recover a fumble, and record at least one sack in the first week of the season.
"That's our defense this year — everybody get to the ball every play — so I really try to base my game off sprinting after the ball every play,” Anders said after the game. “Good things happen when you run to the ball."
Cornerback Devin Taylor paced BGSU’s secondary with three pass breakups. The senior from Lansing transferred to BGSU after spending the 2020 season with Virginia Tech and the 2017 to 2019 campaigns with Illinois State of the FCS. Taylor started eight of the 10 games he played in, and he was fourth on the Hokies with 55 tackles, and he had two interceptions. His three pass breakups on Thursday nearly equaled his total of four from last season.
Now, the Falcons and a defense with positives to draw from turn attention to South Alabama in their home opener on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium.
Loeffler had high praises on Monday for Jaguars quarterback Jake Bentley and receiver Jalen Tolbert, so much so that he sees a future in the NFL draft for Tolbert.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver caught five passes for 168 yards in South Alabama’s 31-7 victory at Southern Mississippi on Saturday. Once considered a two-star prospect, Tolbert earned first-team preseason All-America honors from Pro Football Network, preseason fourth-team All-America by Phil Steele Publications and Athlon Sports, and he was an honorable mention preseason All-America choice by Pro Football Focus.
“Tolbert is the prototypical wide receiver for any NFL offense in 2021 and beyond,” wrote Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor. “He creates separation pre-snap with his eyes and understanding of defenses just as he creates separation from defenders with routes. He has tremendous straight-line speed for his size, yet doesn’t lose speed in his cuts. He’s a dependable YAC [yards after catch] threat with terrific hands, who is an exceptional high-pointer of the football. He’s the total package outside.”
Loeffler believes he could come off the board relatively early in the draft.
“He's a Day 1 guy,” Loeffler said of Tolbert. “He’s different. We got to find a way to not let him beat us. Obviously, there's other football players on their team that are talented and are really good players, but that dude is different. He’s a really good player. He belongs in that league that we just played [the SEC,] to be honest with you.”
First Published September 7, 2021, 6:18 p.m.
