OXFORD, Ohio — The wild roller-coaster that has been the 2023 season for Bowling Green State University’s football team took a hard dive on Saturday.
The Falcons totaled just 135 yards of offense, possessed the ball for only 20 minutes, and were shut out for the first time in four years as Miami (Ohio) blanked BGSU 27-0 in a Mid-American Conference game at Yager Stadium.
After putting up a stellar performance in a 38-27 win at Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Georgia Tech a week ago, the Falcons’ inconsistencies came back to haunt them. BGSU was shut out for the first time since Oct. 5, 2019, when it lost 52-0 at Notre Dame.
“I don’t think we played well up front on either side of the ball. The defense couldn’t get off the field, and offensively, we didn’t play well up front and we had some tremendous opportunities in the back end, just wide open guys and didn’t make the plays,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said.
“The fact of the matter is when you’re playing a defense like this, you have to make your plays when the plays present themselves. … And we just didn’t make the plays.”
BGSU fell to 2-4 overall (0-2 MAC). The Falcons have been outscored 65-7 in their two MAC games this season.
Miami notched its fifth-straight win to improve to 5-1 (2-0 MAC).
The opening drive of the game set the tone as Miami methodically marched 75 yards in 17 plays. It took 11:31 off the clock and resulted in a 1-yard touchdown run from Rashad Amos.
The RedHawks converted three third downs and one fourth down on the drive.
“It’s definitely a little tough, but we’re always taught to move on to the next play,” BGSU safety Trent Simms said. “As a defense, our mind’s got to be short term. We just [tried] to flush away plays and make sure we get our minds right.”
Miami racked up 356 total yards and converted 20 first downs to BGSU’s nine. The RedHawks, who were last in the MAC in time of possession entering Saturday (28:04 per game), had the ball for 39:29.
“We couldn’t get off the field, couldn’t stay on the field. We make a play, hold, and then whenever we did block, we didn’t make our plays,” Loeffler said. “Plain and simple, it’s not complicated.
“It’s hard whenever you watch the tape and the kids watch the tape and you go ‘just do your job and then good things are going to happen.’ So we’ve just got to clean it up. We’re going to.”
Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert completed 15 of 18 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He found Nate Muersch for a 2-yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 14-0 Miami, then connected with a wide-open Kenny Tracy on a short pass over the middle that turned into a 39-yard score to extend the lead to 21-0 late in the third.
Graham Nicholson drilled a career-long 52-yard field goal in the third quarter, and had a 30-yard field goal in the fourth for Miami’s final two scores.
Tracy (11 carries, 58 yards), Amos (18, 49), and Gabbert (9, 47) were each effective on the ground. Joe Wilkins, Jr., had six catches for 70 yards.
BGSU’s best drive came on its opening possession of the third quarter. Falcons quarterback Connor Bazelak hit Harold Fannin, Jr., for a 16-yard gain on 3rd-and-6 early in the drive, then found Finn Hogan for a 12-yard gain on 4rth-and-6 later on. But Bazelak was sacked for a 10-yard loss on 3rd-and-15, and Alan Anaya missed a 46-yard field goal on the next play.
BGSU’s other drives included five punts and a Bazelak interception.
Bazelak was 8 of 17 for 64 yards, while Camden Orth was 3 of 6 for eight yards. Terion Stewart finished with eight carries for 63 yards, and Odieu Hiliare had four catches for 27 yards.
BGSU forced a turnover for the sixth-straight game to start the season. Simms caused a fumble after Wilkins’ reception over the middle early in the second quarter, and the Falcons’ Darren Anders recovered it.
First Published October 8, 2023, 12:42 a.m.
