BOWLING GREEN — No one had run the ball on Miami in 2022.
Kentucky had tried in the Redhawks’ opener, but failed, gaining only 50 yards on 26 attempts. Two of three Miami opponents to cross the century mark on the ground — Northwestern and Kent State — lost anyway.
But in one of the surprises of its 2022 season, Bowling Green cracked the Redhawks’ code, rushing for 176 yards on coach Chuck Martin’s team— every one of which the Falcons needed in a narrow 17-13 victory.
“We're gonna have to [run the ball]. We have great skill guys, but they didn't catch the ball particularly well today,” coach Scot Loeffler said. “When we get to November, when it's raining like hell, snowing sideways, there's five people in the stands for MACtion, you're gonna have to find a way to run the ball.”
Early in the season, Bowling Green seemed lost at times without would-be bell cow Terion Stewart, who announced he would miss the 2022 season just six days before the Falcons’ opener against UCLA.
This time, however, the Falcons’ committee approached acted as a multi-pronged weapon rather than an unwieldy sidekick to senior quarterback Matt McDonald.
McDonald, for his part, welcomed Bowling Green’s big rushing day as Miami held him to 149 yards and an interception as he completed just 16 of his 29 attempts.
“It was so awesome to see,” McDonald said. “I love seeing that. I don’t care what my stats are, it doesn’t really matter to me. We won the game, so that’s everything.”
Sophomore running back Jaison Patterson led the way with 94 yards on 18 attempts, narrowly missing the first 100-yard game of his career when a late 45-yard run was called back due to holding. Sophomore Jamal Johnson did his part as well, amassing 31 yards on six attempts.
It was sophomore running back Ta’Ron Keith, however, who actually found the end zone, as the reliable pass-catcher went 19 yards on the ground to the game-winner with 11:31 to play.
“It was all the offensive line,” Keith said. “The offensive line did work hard during practice. They gave us a good push and we found the holes and hit them.”
The Falcons deployed an unusual wrinkle in addition to their traditional stable of backs. Freshman tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., received just two carries but parlayed them into a one-yard touchdown — his second rushing score of the season — and a 24-yard gain.
“Harold’s a stud. Harold’s a first-round draft pick someday. He is different,” Loeffler said of Fannin, Jr., who added a pair of catches for 25 yards. “We watched two [film] clips, and wondered ‘How are we getting this guy?’... He’s got a lot to learn, but he is special.”
With players with a range of experience contributing — McDonald himself gained 21 yards on the ground, although sacks reduced his net total to one — Bowling Green finally found a rushing foothold, at the expense of a top 10 team in the nation at preventing the run entering Saturday.
“If you do the same old same old against Miami, they're gonna crush you in the run game,” Loeffler said. “We did some things in the run game that we haven't shown all year long.”
First Published October 16, 2022, 1:35 a.m.
