Bowling Green went back and forth with Buffalo for three quarters Saturday in Buffalo, but the Bulls scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 31-24 Mid-American Conference win over the Falcons at Broadview Stadium.
The teams matched each other touchdown for touchdown through the first three quarters, ending each quarter tied. Buffalo struck first, and Bowling Green answered with a 13-play drive capped by Jay Kastantin’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Dawson, then took a 14-7 lead when Kastantin connected with Trey Johnson for a 40-yard touchdown — the longest reception of Johnson’s career and his first Bowling Green touchdown.
Buffalo tied the game 14-14 just before halftime, scoring with 29 seconds left in the second quarter on a 14-yard pass to tight end Clint Walker. Bowling Green scored first in the second half to lead 21-14 early in the third quarter, but Buffalo needed just six plays to tie it again on a short touchdown run.
The fourth quarter belonged to Buffalo running back Messiah Burch, who finished with a career-best 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns. After a 31-yard field goal gave Buffalo its first lead since early in the game, Burch broke a 73-yard touchdown run with 12:18 to play to extend the lead to 31-21.
Bowling Green battled back, cutting the lead to 31-24 and getting one last possession in the final minute with a chance to tie or win. After a pass completion, a Buffalo tackler kept the Falcon receiver in bounds and the clock expired, ending the comeback bid.
The loss drops Bowling Green to 2-6 overall and 2-2 in the MAC under head coach Eddie George. The Falcons’ recent form offers some encouragement despite the record: after averaging 8.3 points per game in their first four games, they have averaged 29.3 points over the last four, with both losses in that stretch decided by one possession.
Bowling Green now shifts to another road test, facing Western Michigan on the road next weekend, while Buffalo, winners of three straight, moves on with Burch having rushed for 100 yards in five straight games — the first Bulls running back to do so since Jaret Patterson in 2019.
Photo: Mbrickn, CC BY