Bowling Green struck first and led early, but the Falcons’ offense never scored again after halftime in a 23-10 loss at Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Kalamazoo, according to Bowling Green State University Athletics. The loss sends Bowling Green into an abbreviated bye week before its first MACtion game of the season.
The Falcons scored on their opening drive for the first time this season, BGSU Athletics reported: Jay Kastantin hit Eli Jacon-Duffy for 19 yards on the way downfield, then found Kentrell White for a seven-yard touchdown — White’s first career touchdown with the Falcons — and a 7-0 lead. Western Michigan answered with an 82-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game 7-7 by the end of the first quarter, then scored again in the second quarter to lead 14-7.
Bowling Green’s defense kept it close. Late in the first half Dorian Pringle registered a strip sack that Kade Kostus recovered in plus territory, BGSU Athletics reported, and with 1:04 left in the half Kastantin drove the Falcons into range — completions of 11 yards to Brennan Ridley and 17 to Jacon-Duffy plus a 20-yard Kastantin scramble — before Travis Kenner drilled a career-long 48-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10 at halftime.
The second half belonged to the kickers. Western Michigan opened it with a 32-yard field goal for 17-10, and Bowling Green’s best answer stalled: chunk plays on a 22-yard Kastantin run and a 24-yard Ridley catch moved the Falcons into plus territory, but a missed field goal kept the score at 17-10 through the third quarter, BGSU Athletics reported. A 50-yard Broncos field goal early in the fourth made it 20-10.
The Falcons’ defense gave the offense one more chance when D’kyah Banks forced a fumble with nine minutes left that Andrew Hines III recovered, BGSU Athletics reported, but Bowling Green could not convert it into points. Western Michigan closed the scoring with a 46-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining for the 23-10 final.
Individually, Kastantin finished 20-for-31 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown, with 41 rushing yards on 10 carries, and Nakai Amachree ran 11 times for 61 yards, BGSU Athletics reported. Pringle led the defense with 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and the forced fumble, and Myles Bradley added a sack — his ninth this season, tied for sixth in program history for a single season, with his 15 career sacks tied for eighth.
Bowling Green now gets 10 days between games before returning home to Doyt Perry Stadium on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to host Kent State at 7 p.m. in its first MACtion game of the season, BGSU Athletics reported.
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