BUFFALO — Bowling Green State University’s football team had its miscues on Saturday, but the Falcons made up for it with their best defensive performance of the season.
BGSU forced a season-high five turnovers, allowed a season-low 238 total yards, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown as the Falcons posted a 24-14 Mid-American Conference victory over Buffalo at a wet and rainy UB Stadium.
“You saw glimmers of some really good stuff, but there’s some things we need to clean up,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said. “We’ll get them cleaned up, but any time that you can clean a game up and win, it’s a heck of a lot better than losing.
“So, we need to clean some things up, but I’m happy with them. They found a way to win.”
The Falcons (3-4, 1-2 MAC) bounced back from their 27-0 loss at Miami (Ohio) a week ago to earn their first league win.
Buffalo (2-5) suffered its first loss in three MAC contests.
The running game was key for BGSU in building a 24-7 halftime lead, and the defense made numerous plays in the final 30 minutes to limit Buffalo’s chance at a comeback.
The Falcons scored 24 straight points in a 15-minute span in the first half to take control.
Alan Anaya connected on a 23-yard field goal with 2:42 left in the first quarter to make it 7-3 Buffalo. After BGSU’s Jordan Jackson forced a fumble from Bulls’ quarterback Cole Snyder that was recovered by the Falcons’ Darius Lorfils, Camden Orth ran in a 1-yard touchdown run three plays later to make it 10-7.
Orth orchestrated a 13-play, 86-yard scoring drive that chewed up eight minutes and was capped off by his 3-yard touchdown pass to Ta’ron Keith with 5:23 left in the second quarter.
On the ensuing Buffalo possession, Anthony Venneri’s punt was blocked by Avi McGary, and the Falcons’ PaSean Wimberly scooped up the loose ball and ran 18 yards for a touchdown to put BGSU ahead 24-7 with 2:20 left in the first half.
McGary added an interception late in the game; Davon Ferguson had two picks in the second half; and Jalen Huskey had an interception as well for BGSU’s defense.
The Falcons also forced several turnovers on downs in the second half.
“We knew that our defense was definitely going to have to step up this week after last week,” McGary said. “So, throughout the week, we’ve just been practicing on doing our job, doing our one of 11.”
Snyder, who entered the game as the MAC’s leader in passing yards per game (217.8), was 5 of 15 for just 30 yards and two interceptions. He did not play most of the second half.
Backup quarterback C.J. Ogbonna was 4 of 14 for 41 yards, two picks, and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Harding, Jr., late in the third quarter to cut Buffalo’s deficit to 10.
“It’s the overall defensive thing. It’s not a secondary, it’s not a linebacker, it’s not a front line thing; it’s a collective unit,” Ferguson said.
“Our D-line, when they’re getting pressure and hands up, the interception I got, my first one was a tipped pass. Evan Branch-Haynes hit the ball. … So, at the end of the day, it’s a collective unit.”
BGSU’s Terion Stewart rushed for 123 yards on 25 carries, while Orth had 72 rushing yards on 10 carries and was 9 of 16 passing for 77 yards and two interceptions.
BGSU had three turnovers, including a lost fumble when Austin Osborne was stripped of the ball after a reception, and committed 10 penalties for 105 yards.
Orth played the entire game. Connor Bazelak, who has started and played most games this season for BGSU, was dressed but did not play.
“He had some things that I don’t want to get into,” Loeffler said of Bazelak. “We knew the ball was going to be wet, I don’t want to get into too much, so he’s got some things that he’s got to get healthy with. We made that decision, and it was the right decision.
“We needed to have the quarterback be able to handle the ball because we knew it was going to be a slugfest.”
BGSU finished with a season-high 218 rushing yards on 43 carries. Osborne led BGSU’s receivers with three catches for 59 yards, including a 42-yard grab on a deep pass down the left sideline that helped set up Anaya’s field goal.
First Published October 15, 2023, 12:52 a.m.
