BOWLING GREEN — A competition to identify Bowling Green’s best defensive play of October 2022 would have no shortage of compelling candidates.
Sophomore cornerback Jalen Burton’s pick-six against Akron would be considered.
So would senior defensive lineman Karl Brooks’ back-to-back sacks on the Zips’ final drive.
Against Central Michigan, senior outside linebacker Demetrius Hardamon’s scoop-and-score, and senior defensive lineman Walter Haire’s interception loom large, as well.
The surprise for the Falcons, however, might not be any of these individual plays — it’s the fact Bowling Green’s defense has so thoroughly recovered from a sloppy September start to become one of the most reliable units in the Mid-American Conference.
The numbers paint a stark picture, with one in particular standing out: The Falcons have registered 32 sacks, the second most in the country behind Louisville.
“I think sacks are very equivalent to touchdown passes and completions,” coach Scot Loeffler said. “It takes a whole effort of the unit.”
Eight different Bowling Green players have recorded more than one sack, with Brooks, Hardamon, Haire, and redshirt freshman outside linebacker Cashius Howell all tallying more than two.
Brooks has 7½ sacks — the same number he had in the entire 2021 season — to tie for third in the country in that category, behind Eastern Michigan’s Jose Ramirez and UTEP’s Jadrian Taylor.
“I know that Karl is the leader in the country in sacks, but I think it's a total defensive effort,” Loeffler said. “Our team, when they're getting sacks, that means we're covering well.”
Brooks’ leap forward in his fifth season in Wood County has drawn praise from his teammates, including junior defensive lineman Anthony Hawkins — who has also contributed one of the Falcons’ litany of sacks in 2022.
“It’s an awesome thing,” Hawkins said. “Karl’s my guy. When I see how hard he works firsthand — all through the spring and summer, because we work together year-round — to see all that come to fruition for him, I’m truly happy to see it.”
The defense’s improvement is instantly visible from skimming Bowling Green’s yardage allowed in its first four games versus its last four.
Against UCLA, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, and Mississippi State, the Falcons surrendered 626, 442, 547, and 465 yards.
Against Akron, Buffalo, Miami, and the Chippewas, Bowling Green allowed 408, 466, 189, and 306.
In tandem with the defense, the Falcons’ offense has been more consistent, with senior quarterback Matt McDonald posting his most efficient outing of the season against Central Michigan.
“The D-linemen are just balling out there,” senior tight end Christian Sims said. “Seeing them do their thing, it kinda gives you a mentality of like, ‘We gotta go out there and play for them, too.’”
First Published November 2, 2022, 3:37 p.m.
