A fast start to the game, an
explosive offensive effort and a dominating defensive performance.That’s what the Bowling Green State
University football team put together Tuesday night on the way to a 49-0 win over Ohio at Perry Stadium.
PHOTO
GALLERYCombined with Toledo’s
51-41 win over Buffalo, the Falcons and the Bulls are tied for first place in the Mid-American
Conference East Division at 5-1. BG is 7-3 overall with two league games remaining.The Falcons wanted to
start fast against the Bobcats, and 3:11 into the game it was 14-0.‘‘The guys really came out ready to
play from the get-go,’’ BG head coach Dave Clawson said. ‘‘It was a really good feeling the last 48
hours. The guys were locked in and we carried it to the field.’’It was 21-0 after the first quarter and
35-0 at the half, as BG worked the play-action pass to start the game and then mixed in the run.‘‘Ohio
is a team that likes to out-number the run; they get their safeties very involved in the run game,’’
Clawson said. ‘‘We went into the game telling the offensive line and telling the perimeter players, that
we are going to have some opportunities in play-action to make big plays and we had better hold up in
protection. If we get our shots, we had better hit them.’’The strategy worked.BG’s first play of the
game was a 43-yard play-action pass from Matt Johnson to Shaun Joplin. That pass set up a score on the
next play, an 11-yard run by Travis Greene.On BG’s second possession, Johnson connected with Heath
Jackson on a 32-yard TD, also on play-action.Both touchdowns were set up by poor punt plays by
Ohio.

‘‘When the defense is
playing at a high-tempo like they were, and they are able to get us the ball back on a three-and-out or
a turnover, and the offense can turn good field position into points, that will get you off to a fast
start,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘We were able to capitalize on both those things.’’For the game, BG’s offense
rolled up 460 yards, 207 on the ground and 253 through the air.Greene rushed 22 times for 149 yards and
two touchdowns.‘‘My role was, when I got the ball, to make something happen,’’ Greene said.Johnson was
12-of-17 passing for 229 yards and two scores with one interception.‘‘The offensive line gave me a lot
of time,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘When they do that, no matter if it’s play-action or a regular drop-back pass,
it makes the pass game pretty easy.’’Jackson was BG’s leading receiver with five catches for 74 yards,
including a tough catch in coverage for his touchdown.‘‘He was able to go up, make a good play, and
score,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘He’s turned into a very reliable option.”After the two quick touchdowns to
start the game, William Houston scored twice on 1-yard runs, and Greene scored on a 16-yard run to make
it 35-0 at the half.In the third quarter, a wide-open Alex Bayer scored on a 57-yard catch-and-run from
Johnson. In the fourth quarter, Matt Schilz threw a 24-yard TD pass to Ronnie Moore.Meanwhile, BG’s
defense was stuffing the Bobcats at every opportunity. The Falcons allowed only 172 yards, including 50
in the first half.‘‘We got a pass rush which helped. Getting a lead helped, making them a little bit
one-dimensional and we covered them well,’’ Clawson said.A big key to BG’s defensive success was being
able to mix defenses, Clawson added.Ohio did move the ball in the fourth quarter, with BG’s starting
defensive unit on the sidelines, but the second-team defense held the Bobcats out of the end zone.‘‘It
was very important for our defensive guys to get a shutout,’’ Clawson said.Cameron Truss led BG with
seven tackles, including six unassisted tackles, while Jerry ‘BooBoo’ Gates had five tackles and an
interception he returned 82 yards.‘‘We wanted to stop the run, and get them on their heels early,’’
Gates said. ‘‘Once they get their offense going, they like to go fast. Once we get them off-schedule,
they slow down and they start to panic.’’