Bowling Green (2-0) made its statement loud and clear today: The Falcons are on a mission to dominate the rest of the MAC. After dismantling reigning MAC East champion Kent State 41-22, the Falcons have made a great case. The Falcons' win snapped KSU's 11-game MAC winning streak, and sent a message that there's a new top dog in the East...and its a bird.
We all knew the Falcons had a stud-defense. But it was their offense that stole the show Saturday afternoon. Led by sophomore starting quarterback Matt Johnson, making his first career start, the Falcons looked like one of the better offenses in the MAC. The team totaled 576 yards of total offense, including a 357-yard, two touchdown performance from Johnson.
He was in control all afternoon, marching the team down the field with ease, and continually making big play after big play. Johnson turned the Golden Flashes secondary into a piece of Swiss cheese, having his way with them. In the third quarter he showed Bowling Green fans why he was able to supplant third-year start Matt Schilz when he threw a 92-yard touchdown, one of the longest in school history. Complimenting the Falcons' air-assault was a powerful rushing attack that out gained the Dri Archer-less Kent state running game 219 to 138.
Travis Greene was once again the featured back, amassing 145 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Freshman back William Houston had the most interesting stat-line of the day, managing a touchdown despite finishing with -3 rushing yards. His one-yard score in the early fourth quarter gave him his fourth in two games, and showed the potential Bowling Green's offense has.
Kent State was at an immediate disadvantage from the beginning without Archer. Freshman quarterback Colin Reardon did a good job of making up for the loss of Archer in the first half as Bowling Green's defense struggled to corral the gunslinger. Reardon finished with 222 total yards and two touchdowns, but ran into the full force of the BG defense in the second half. Trayion Durham struggled to help out the QB, as he stumbled for just 24 rushing yards on 11 carriers without his complimentary back, Archer, to offset him in the backfield.
Roosevelt Nix had a good game for KSU, totaling six tackles in the game, but the rest of the defense struggled to slow a surging Falcons' offensive attack.
Fresh off of a thorough beating on Tulsa, Bowling Green is making a strong case to the AP Poll voters that the No. 36 team should be taken seriously. The Falcons are for real, and are making a strong case to be the favorites to win the MAC right now.