STARKVILLE, Miss. — The hits just kept coming for Bowling Green this week ahead of its trip to Mississippi State.
First, it was coach Scot Loeffler, who suffered a health scare and wasn’t cleared to travel to the heart of the region where he was an assistant coach for three years.
Then, it was senior quarterback Matt McDonald — a late scratch due to a lower-body injury after being banged up in the Falcons’ taxing 28-21 win over Marshall at home last Saturday, unable to defend his back-to-back MAC East Offensive Player of the Week titles.
The result: the Bulldogs hammered Bowling Green 45-14, dominating from wire to wire as the Falcons’ lack of manpower couldn’t overcome Mississippi State’s speed.
“You’re going to lose great players throughout the year. It just happens,” associated head coach Steve Morrison said after serving as acting head coach in Loeffler’s stead. “You’re going to lose parts of your team. You don’t replace those guys. Every single person has to step up their game a little bit.”
Junior quarterback Camden Orth got the call in place of McDonald, who is expected back next week. He entered Saturday morning with two passes attempted in a Bowling Green uniform, both against the Thundering Herd. He struggled at times on Saturday, but managed to complete 17 of his 28 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns against one interception.
“I had some OK plays,” Orth said. “There was definitely a lot left in the tank that we could’ve gave out there. It’s a starting point, we’ve just got to keep going with it.”
Meanwhile, the Falcons (1-3) lacked a consistent answer for Bulldogs coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid attack. Quarterback Will Rogers carved up Bowling Green for 406 yards and six touchdowns, completing 38 of 49 attempts. Thirteen players caught at least one pass for Mississippi State (3-1).
The final yardage total favored the Bulldogs 462-251.
“At the end of the day, we beat ourselves,” senior inside linebacker DJ Taylor said. “Mississippi State’s a good team, and of course they won, but we’re a good team as well ... we left a few defensive plays out there that we didn’t want to go the way they did.”
With senior tight end Christian Sims out as well, new faces stepped up for the Falcons. Freshman tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., caught five passes for a team-leading 49 yards and a touchdown. Freshman running back Jaylen Jennings had six carries and gained 28 yards, a modest total that nonetheless led his team.
“That’s the sign of a good football team, that you have depth,” Morrison said. “You have guys that’ve had older players show them the way on how we want things to be done.”
Bowling Green now turns its attention to MAC play, which begins next Saturday when the Falcons visit Akron. Along with McDonald, Loeffler and Sims are aiming to be back by that time.
“Our season stars now,” Morrison said. “You play two types of seasons. You have your preseason, or nonconference schedule, and your conference schedule. That’s what we’re 100 percent gearing toward.”
First Published September 24, 2022, 8:37 p.m.
