LYNCHBURG, Va. — Below are updates and analysis from Saturday’s Bowling Green football game at Liberty. This story will be updated after each quarter.
Real-time team stats can be found at the bottom of the article.
FOURTH QUARTER
■ What happened: A late field goal from Liberty helped the Flames hold off the Falcons for a season-opening win.
Teagen Lenderink hit a 36-yard field goal to give Liberty a 34-24 lead with 2:52 left. That came after BGSU quarterback Camden Orth threw his second interception of the half.
■ Analysis: BGSU’s defense and special teams gave the Falcons a chance, but the offense, especially the passing game, couldn’t come through. BGSU’s quarterbacks finished a combined 11 of 31 for 137 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. The Falcons had 191 rushing yards and some nice special teams play but, going forward, the quarterback situation will need to be figured out.
THIRD QUARTER
■ What happened: BGSU used a 10-point third quarter to pull within one possession.
Alan Anaya connected on a 34-yard field goal to make it 24-17 Liberty with 11:36 left, but the Flames responded as Kaidon Salter found Bentley Hanshaw for a 17-yard touchdown on the next possession.
BGSU brought in quarterback Camden Orth for the first time on its second possession, and he capped off an 11-play, 75 yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Odieu Hiliare to make it 31-24 Liberty.
Orth, though, threw an interception in the end zone on BGSU’s next possession.
■ Analysis: Orth, who replaced starting quarterback Connor Bazelak, made an immediate impact, especially with his legs. He had a 12-yard run in which he lowered his shoulder and ran through a Liberty defender. BGSU will need to make some stops on defense and perhaps have another big special teams play to even it up, though.
SECOND QUARTER
■ What happened: A blocked field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown late in the second quarter helped BGSU pull within two possessions of Liberty at halftime.
Liberty’s Teagen Lenderink lined up for a 28-yard field goal attempt, and he had it blocked by BGSU’s Dontrez Brown. The Falcons’ Trent Simms scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a score to make it 24-14 Liberty with 20 seconds left.
BGSU’s Ta’ron Keith capped off a five-play, 65-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to cut Liberty’s lead to 24-7 with 3:36 left in the quarter. Terion Stewart had three carries for 41 yards, then PaSean Wimberly had a 10-yard gain on the drive.
The two scores salvaged what was otherwise a disastrous frame for the Falcons.
Quarterback Connor Bazelak threw three interceptions on three straight passes. The first one was returned 35 yards by Kobe Singleton to give the Flames a 21-0 lead with 6:51 left.
Bazelak’s second interception led to a 36-yard Lenderink field goal to extend Liberty’s advantage to 24-0 with 5:48 left in the second.
The Flames took a 14-0 lead when Kaidon Salter found Vaughn Blue for a 12-yard score with 8:18 left.
Bazelak finished 4 of 13 passing for 42 yards and three picks in the opening half. Stewart had five carries for 43 yards, and Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim had two catches for 21 yards.
Salter had 75 rushing yards on 14 carries and completed 8 of 14 passes for 103 yards.
■ Analysis: A 10-point swing in BGSU’s favor with the blocked field goal gave the Falcons new life entering the second half. The running game, especially Stewart, showed positive signs on its second-quarter scoring drive, and the ground game could be crucial with Bazelak struggling under center.
FIRST QUARTER
■ What happened: Liberty marched 71 yards to find the end zone on its opening drive to take the lead after the first quarter.
Billy Lucas scored from 2 yards out to make it 7-0 Liberty with 10:34 left in the frame. Quarterback Kaidon Salter had a key 30-yard run on third-and-7 on the third play of the game to get the Flames in BGSU territory.
Connor Bazelak, a transfer from Indiana, started at quarterback for BGSU. He was 3 of 8 for 38 yards, with wide receiver Odieu Hiliare hauling in a remarkable one-handed catch along the sideline for an 18-yard gain.
■ Analysis: BGSU’s defense recovered well after the opening possession, but Salter has been a threat with his legs so far. Meanwhile, BGSU’s offensive line has struggled at times, with Bazelak having to scramble to avoid pressure.
First Published September 2, 2023, 5:02 p.m.
