MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Bowling Green found another offensive weapon in the 55-10 loss to West Virginia
Saturday.
With freshman Anthon Samuel (61 carries for 428 yards this fall) out and Jordan Hopgood (51 carries for
195 yards this season) not at 100 percent, the Falcons turned to redshirt freshman Jamel Martin.
Martin responded with 23 carries for 111 yards after coming into the game with 10 carries for 50 yards in
BG’s first four games of the season. Martin’s 111 yards accounted for more than half of the Falcons’ 217
yards in total offense against the Mountaineers.
“He’s getting better every week,” BG head coach Dave Clawson said. “He’s a guy, assignment-wise who isn’t
where those other guys were, but every week he’s getting more reps (repetitions) and is starting to
learn and develop.
“It’s good to see him come on like that today. It gives us another threat in the backfield that as the
year goes on we’re going to need.”
Martin’s effort was the fourth time in five games this fall that BG has had a rusher gain over 100 yards
in a game.
“The offensive line, they are the reason I had all the yards I had today. I give all the credit to them
… They were working hard opening holes for me and I was just doing my job,” Martin said.
GATES: BG’s Jerry ‘BooBoo’ Gates had a strong game returning kickoffs. He had seven returns for 233 yards
with a long of 77.
He did fumble the opening kickoff in the game which led to a West Virginia field goal. He returned the
ensuing kickoff for 77 yards, setting up BG’s only touchdown of the game.
Gates’ seven returns are the second-most in school history, while the yards are the most-ever in a game.
The previous high was 181 yards by Joe Alls in 2000 versus Toledo.
NO OFFENSE: Bowling Green came into the game, ranking in the top 25 in the nation in five different
offensive categories.
However, the Falcons were held to just 217 yards in total offense and were forced to punt five times. The
Falcons also had five turnovers.
“(It was) very frustrating,” Clawson said. “We forced the football. We didn’t make good decisions. We
were careless with it.”
Clawson said one of the keys to success for the Falcons would have been to move the ball, making two or
three first downs before having to punt. Then punter Brian Schmiedebusch could have changed field
position.
NEHLEN: Ryan Nehlen, the grandson of former BG player and head coach Don Nehlen, caught a 15-yard scoring
pass in the game for West Virginia.
TWO OUT: BG’s Eugene Cooper and Jovan Leacock have been ruled ineligible due to a non-academic issue. The
two, both junior college transfers who played for the Falcons last season, did not travel with the team
for Saturday’s game.
Through a normal review of student-athlete data, the BGSU compliance office discovered Thursday that
Cooper and Leacock, although academically eligible, failed to complete the certification process with
the NCAA Eligibility Center.
The BG athletics department is working with the NCAA and expects the situation to be resolved in the
upcoming week and that both Cooper and Leacock will be cleared to play again.
INJURIES: Cornerback Cameron Truss (ankle), offensive lineman Chip Robinson (knee) and Samuel (ankle) did
not play in the game for the Falcons.
During the contest starting defensive end Ted Ouellet had to be helped off the field with an apparent
shoulder injury.
QUICK HITTERS: BG’s Jude Adjei-Barimah made his first career start, recording seven tackles … Dwayne
Woods Jr. and Aaron Foster led BG with 10 tackles each, with Woods recording nine solos … The Falcons
forced four fumbles in the loss, a season-best, but West Virginia recovered all four fumbles …
Schmiedebusch averaged 44.0 yards per punt, including two punts inside the 20-yard line.
NEXT: Bowling Green starts a seven-game stretch against Mid-American Conference opponents with a game at
Western Michigan on Oct. 8. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.