Bowling Green vs Kent State Recap and Takeaways 2023

Bowling Green is Bowl Bound as the Falcons Beat the Flashes for the First Time Since 2017!

(photo via BG Athletics)

Takeaways

    WE ARE GOING BOWLING! After so many years of darkness, we are now going to back-to-back bowl games. TaRon Keith became the first Falcon to ever rush and receive over 100 yards in a single game. TK rushed for 103 yards on just 9 carries and caught 8 balls for 130 yards and scored a TD each way. Scot Loeffler notched his FIRST win over the Golden Flashes. BG was on an 0-5 skid to our Anniversary Award rivals, losing last year 40-6. Now BG has flipped the script, capping off a 4 game heater by whooping the Flashes 49-19. While BG had 11 penalties and just 4/10 on third downs, the Falcons gained 476 yards, won the turnover battle and Cam Orth had 3 scores. Connor Bazelak had another efficient game and the defense once again just dominated a MAC opponent. The offensive and defensive lines looked really sharp and BG pounded the rock for 190 yards and 5 scores on the ground. 

    The Falcons are officially bowl bound. The season was looking bleak after the Ohio game but these Falcons have fought hard all year and now officially are going to another bowl game. That means more money for the school, more exposure for the team, and more practices. I will be doing a state of the program blog here soon but it is time to talk about a serious contract extension for Coach Loeffler.

Recap

1st Quarter 

    The Game started out with Kent showing some fight, as I expected. This is a rivalry game and they smacked us around 40-6 just last year.  The Golden Flashes got an opening drive field goal and BG responded with a punt. I started to be a tad worried this Flash team could repeat what we have seen over the past 5 years but then Pat Day forced a fumble which was recovered by Darren Anders. With Terion out, TaRon Keith was the main back and him and OJ got the Falcons down to the goal line before Cam Orth came in to run the QB power for a score. Darren Anders and Chace Davis got a big sack so Kent State had to punt. Then Coach Loeffler dialed up a PA pass which was perfectly executed by Connor Bazelak to Harold Fannin for a 47 yard score. 14-3 Falcons. 

2nd Quarter

    The Flashes drove down the field and got another field goal to make the score 14-6. BG punt, then a Kent State missed field goal really felt like the end in my eyes. Especially when BG responded with a 3 play, 80 yard TD drive. Cam Orth came in and did a fake QB draw, sealed perfectly by a pull and chip block by guard Jake Burns, to hit a wide open TK for a 45 yard score. 21-6 good guys. Another perfect 3 and out forced by the Orange and Brown defense resulted in a 64 yard, 8 play TD drive. On 4th and 6 at the BG 40, Coach Loeffler dialed up a fake punt run and young Jackson Kleather took it for 17 yards! A big throw by Bazelak to Fannin set up another short Cam Orth rushing TD. The half would end 28-6.

    The offensive line for most of the game was Kam Stewart, Jake Burns, Alex Padgett, Cedric Dunbar, and Alex Wollschlaeger. With Tunde out, Dunbar and Burns were the main guards and did really well, the tackles and center being awesome as always. Cam Orth and Bazelak were rotating and both playing really well. The defense was feasting, Pat Day and Darren Anders were flying around the field and TK and Fannin were putting on a show. Amazing first half.

3rd Quarter 

    BG started the 2nd half by marching down to the Kent State 6 yard line before the Golden Flashes made a stand on 4th and 1 to give them some life. Kent then scored a long TD after a couple of traded punts to cut the lead to just 15. The Falcons then re assured us all by going on a long TD drive that ended with a TK rushing TD that had the most open hole of all time on a run play. 

4th Quarter

    The ending of this game was filled with scoring. a BG interception led to a Kent State score to once again only be up 15. The Falcons would pull away as Jaison Patterson got his first TD since the EKU game last year. Then true Freshman Lucian Anderson scored his first BGSU touchdown on a QB power. 

    The Falcons scored 21 points in the 4th quarter and put an exclamation point on a rivalry win. Coach Loeffler finally beat Kent and the Falcons are once again going bowling! 

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