Bowling Green State University football scored 38 points unanswered during a 41-14 Mid-American Conference rout over Akron at Doyt Perry Stadium Saturday.

“This was a great win as we enter the month of November,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said. “Everyone remembers what you do in November (midweek MACtion games), so we get that opportunity to do that in the next four weeks.”

Loeffler compared it to BGSU’s 38-27 win at Georgia Tech, in which the Falcons also put up 38 points unanswered after falling behind early, 14-0.

“I really like this team and I want to see this team take it step by step and play consistent,” Loeffler said. “If we can play like we did against Georgia Tech every week we can achieve a lot.”

BGSU evens its overall record at 4-4 and 2-2 in the MAC, while Akron falls to 1-7 and 0-4.

BGSU sophomore running back Terion Stewart ran for 132 yards on 19 carries and scored three touchdowns. It was not uncommon to see Stewart break multiple tackles to find his way into the end zone.

“I know my line is gonna block for me, but it’s always that person I gotta make miss. But sometimes they stack the box … I just want it more,” Stewart said.

Ten different BGSU backs combined for 237 yards on the ground, including one carry by junior back Jamal Johnson for 32 yards late in the game and junior quarterback Camden Orth ran for 26 yards on five carries.

“We have great running backs,” Loeffler said. “Obviously, Terion (Stewart) is the workhorse, but they are all really good football players and great guys.

“Normally, when you only have one football, a running back room can get really selfish, but these men are not. They get in there and help the team and I’m really proud of that.”

However, it was the Falcons’ defense that set the tone of the game, creating four turnovers, getting five sacks and holding the Zips to 234 yards passing and just 45 yards rushing.

“We want to play good defense and we’ve done a great job in recruiting really good defensive linemen,” Loeffler said. “If we keep building that defense, we have a chance to win a lot of games.”

Trailing 7-3, BGSU sophomore cornerback Jalen Huskey intercepted a pass thrown by Akron senior quarterback Jeff Undercluffler at the Akron 25-yard line and returned it the three-yard line.

One play later, Stewart powered in for a BGSU TD, putting the Falcons ahead for good, 10-7, with 12:18 remaining in the first half.

The Falcons took advantage of two fumbles, both off sacks of Undercluffler, and the Akron QB threw two interceptions that were returned a total of 51 yards. Both fumble recoveries were recovered by BGSU defensive lineman Dontez Brown.

The first, created by BGSU junior defensive end Ali Saad, gave Brown a clear path to the end zone but he was caught from behind at the Akron 13 with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, leading to sophomore Alan Anaya’s second field goal (36, 33 yards) that put the Falcons up 13-7 going into the break.

Brown said he wanted to get the touchdown, but somehow the 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle was chased down by one of the Zips’ skilled players. He was just glad he could give the offense field position on two occasions, especially when BGSU’s offense seemed to be struggling early in the game.

“I mean, it’s huge. You know, we’ve got to pick each other up,” Brown said. “If something’s not going right, one of us needs to step up.

“If the offense isn’t doing well then the defense needs to step up. If the defense isn’t doing well then the offense needs to step up. I think it’s a big part of the game.”

Browns’ second recovery came off a strip sack by senior interior linebacker Darren Anders, setting up the Falcons at the Akron nine-yard line and leading to another of Stewart’s TD runs. Brown said Anders deserves more credit than he does.

“Oh, it’s really, really exciting,” Brown said. “I know it wouldn’t be able to happen if somebody didn’t cause the fumble. It’s my teammates — the plays they made — that was why I got those fumbles.”

Anders said he saw an opportunity to get to the quarterback and he took it.

“I wasn’t even supposed to blitz but I saw an open space and just went for it,” Anders said. “I got my hand in there and brought down the ball.”

Anders finished the game with a team-high six tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 20 yards, three tackles for a loss of 22 yards, the forced fumble and a quarterback hit. It’s what he likes to do.

“It was awesome. That is what football is all about,” Anders said. “We had a good crowd, pouring rain, perfect football weather. Definitely the most rain we have had since I’ve been here.

“My last Saturday game at the Doyt, just trying to enjoy every moment, and take advantage of it. I think we did take advantage of it. It has just been awesome.”

Stewart even admitted that without the defense making their plays, he doesn’t get the yardage he got.

“Every play, we tell the defense to go get the offense the ball right now,” Stewart said. “We need it, like we need to stay on offense. And our defense, they did a great job today. They were amazing.”

The third quarter saw complete domination by the Falcons, outscoring Akron, 21-0, on TD runs of two and 16 yards by Stewart, and a 36-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Connor Bazelak to sophomore tight end Harold Fannin Jr.

The TD pass was set up by BGSU junior safety Trent Simms’ interception on a fourth-down and three, which Simms returned to the Akron 40-yard line. Four plays later, Bazalak caught Fannin cutting across the middle and Fannin dragged a potential tackler with him into the end zone.

BGSU’s final TD came on an eight-yard pass from Orth to senior wide receiver Abdul-Fatal Ibrahim with 7:58 remaining in the game.

Akron’s only scores were on a 13-yard TD run by senior Lorenzo Lingard in the first quarter and a four-yard run by senior running back Drake Anderson late in the game.

Bazelak completed 6-of-11 passes for 69 yards and Orth completed 2-of-3 passes for 14 yards, with neither throwing an interception.

Junior running back Ta’ron Keith had three catches for 28 yards, which included 37 yards after the catch, and Fannin had two catches for a net 34 yards, which included 11 yards after the catch.

Ibrahim caught two passes for 19 yards, and senior wide receiver Austin Osborne had one catch for two yards.

For Akron, Undercuffler completed 22-of-38 passes for 234 yards, including seven to senior wide receiver Daniel George for 74 yards, and Lingard ran for 56 yards on 12 carries, but Undercuffler was credited for minus-54 yards rushing thanks to the pressure brought by the Falcons’ defense.

If there is any statistic Loeffler is pleased with, it is getting penalized just three times for 30 yards while Akron was penalized nine times for 67 yards.

“We are the most penalized team in America, and we are trying really hard not to be,” Loeffler said.

“It’s simple; play good defense, run the ball, stop the run, get some explosive plays out of your recievers, and don’t kill yourself with penalties.”