MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota paid Bowling Green State University approximately $1.5 million for Saturday’s football game in Minneapolis.
Who actually expected BGSU to steal a win in the process?
The Falcons’ 14-10 victory at Huntington Bank Stadium sent shock waves into the college football world. Bowling Green was a 31½-point underdog throughout the week, and some lines had them as high as a 30½-point underdog.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 30½ line tied the largest upset between two FBS programs since Texas State defeated 35-point favorite Houston in 2012.
Bowling Green defeated Minnesota 14-10 today.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 25, 2021
The Golden Gophers were favored by 30.5 points, tying the largest upset between two FBS programs since Texas State defeated Houston (-35) in 2012. pic.twitter.com/LqC4J7sKAl
Bowling Green snapped two key streaks of Minnesota’s. They ended the Golden Gophers’ 21-game non-conference winning streak, which was the longest active in the nation. They also broke Minnesota’s streak of holding opponents scoreless for 87 minutes, 24 seconds when Matt McDonald rushed for his 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Projected by some to go winless, and by some to win one or two games all season, Bowling Green is now 2-2. If it weren’t for a last-minute collapse against South Alabama, the Falcons would be 3-1 going into Mid-American Conference play.
These aren’t your 2020 Falcons that went 0-5 with each defeat having a margin of 25 or more points, that had not won a game against an FBS school since Nov. 2, 2019 (vs. Akron), and that had not defeated a nonconference FBS opponent since they beat Purdue on Sept. 26, 2015.
These 2021 Falcons feel different.
Head coach Scot Loeffler has his players buying into what he’s selling. McDonald is a leader and skill-wise, at minimum, a competent quarterback. The defense has playmakers. The team is young and is already showing promise in what was supposed to be a drawn out rebuild of the program.
What was so different about Saturday that put the Falcons over the top?
Well, not much at all compared to their previous few games. Here’s three things:
1. BGSU’s defense had been showing flashes
Both of these things are true: One, Bowling Green got run out of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville 38-6 in Week 1. Two, the Falcons defense flashed excellence in part of that game.
BGSU trailed 14-0 entering the second quarter, and by halftime, it was a one-score game at 14-6 in favor of Tennessee. Bowling Green stymied Volunteers quarterback and Michigan transfer Joe Milton for 13 yards on nine plays while posting a pair of field goals to get back into it.
Against a stronger opponent in Minnesota, BGSU did basically that, twice.
In the second quarter, the Falcons kept the Golden Gophers to 15 yards on 16 plays. In the fourth quarter, BGSU held Minnesota to 19 yards on 12 plays.
“We preach our effort and get 11 hats to the ball, and that’s our mantra,” Falcons linebacker Brock Horne said. “We knew that this was a tough team. They were going to run the ball. That’s their mantra. They’re going to beat you down and try to wear you out, and we were ready for it.”
2. Falcons have been building early momentum
The opening drives for each of Bowling Green’s previous three opponents were stalled in part because of a key play made by Bowling Green’s defense and special teams.
In Week 2 against South Alabama, BG’s Walter Haire notched a sack on the first play from scrimmage. The Falcons forced a three-and-out and blocked the Jaguars’ punt, which rolled out of the endzone for a safety.
In Week 3 against Murray State, Devin Taylor popped the ball free from a receiver on a third-down play, and Horne intercepted it to set BGSU’s offense up deep in Racers territory.
On Saturday at Minnesota, Horne sacked QB Tanner Morgan on third down to force a Golden Gophers punt.
“After that first series, and after the sack, I was like, ‘OK, lets go,’” Horne said.
3. Falcons have been learning
Loeffler has been candid about how much the Falcons’ last-second loss to South Alabama in Week 2 hurt.
His team made sure they didn’t have to revisit those feelings at Minnesota.
“That game was awful,” Loeffler recalled on Saturday. “It’s the first time I walked in our locker room and there was guys crying. There was care. There was guys that felt bad for their teammates and their coaches, and that’s when you knew. They bounced back, they did a little bit better in practice, and we got a lot of work to do.”
Bowling Green led South Alabama 19-12 with 8:38 to play, and the Jaguars tied that game at 19 with 1:39 remaining. BGSU turned the ball over deep in its own territory, and South Alabama kicked the game-winning field goal through as time expired.
There were instances where Minnesota appeared to be breaking through, but to BGSU’s defense’s credit, the Falcons never allowed it to happen.
In the first quarter, McDonald threw an interception that allowed Minnesota to start a drive at the BGSU 23. The Falcons stuffed two rushing plays and prevented a third-down pass completion to limit the Golden Gophers to a field goal.
Minnesota found the endzone on the first drive of the third quarter, but that was the final time they scored. On their next drive, running back Trey Potts broke a 54-yard run to set the Golden Gophers up at the BGSU 37. From that point, the Falcons allowed three yards on three plays before Minnesota place-kicker Matthew Trickett missed a 52-yard field goal.
Then there were the two interceptions in two passing attempts from Morgan late in the fourth quarter that prevented any kind of comeback victory chance.
“[Minnesota] was a great win but, my Lord, it was ugly,” Loeffler quipped. “But we got it done. We’ll take an ugly win for sure, but we need to improve.”
First Published September 26, 2021, 2:12 p.m.
