BGSU players celebrate during the Falcons’ win at UB Stadium. (BGSU Athletics)
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Camden Orth threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, PaSean Wimberly scored off a blocked punt and Bowling Green scored 24 unanswered points and then held off Buffalo for a 24-14 victory at UB Stadium on Saturday.
After senior outside linebacker Avi McGary’s blocked a punt, Wimberly’s 18-yard run to the end zone capped a 24-point run for Bowling Green (3-4, 1-2 Mid-American Conference), which led 24-7 at halftime.
“Anytime you win, it’s good,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said. “We did some things that were really good and we did some things we have to clean up on offense, kicking game to defense.
“You saw glimmers again of some really good stuff. I am happy with the team. They found a way to win.”
Buffalo cut the deficit to 10 with C.J. Ogbonna’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Harding Jr. with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter. But the Bills would then turn the ball over on downs twice, and have an 11-play drive stall with an Ogbonna interception.
“Our defense came up big at the end of the fourth quarter by keeping them out of the end zone and keeping them out of field goal range,” Loeffler said. “That was huge.”
Orth threw for just 77 yards on 9-of-16 passing and had a 3-yard TD toss to Ta’Ron Keith with two interceptions. Orth added 72 yards rushing, a career high, that included a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Ogbonna and Cole Snyder were a combined 9-of-29 passing for 71 yards and each threw a pair of interceptions for Buffalo (2-5, 2-1).
Bowling Green forced five Buffalo turnovers, including four interceptions, in the wet and rainy conditions.
Running back Terion Stewart led the way for the Falcons with 123 rushing yards and cornerback Davon Ferguson intercepted two passes to pace BGSU. Receiver Austin Osborne had three catches for 59 yards.
Early in the game, Buffalo forced a turnover in BGSU territory on the Falcons second offensive drive. Cooper Snyder snuck around the edge on RPO with 7:38 in the first quarter to put Buffalo up 7-0.
BGSU place kicker Alan Anaya connected on his first field goal attempt from 23 yards to bring the Falcons to within four points, 7-3.
After BGSU forced a Buffalo fumble in the closing minutes of the first quarter, Orth’s one-yard rush put BGSU up for good at 10-7 with 25 seconds left in the first frame.
BGSU held Buffalo to 19 total yards in the first quarter while the Falcons had 139 yards of total offense in comparison.
BGSU scored its second touchdown after a 13-play, 86-yard drive took 8:06 off the clock. Orth found Ta’ron Keith over the shoulder for a three-yard passing score to put BGSU up 17-7.
That is when Buffalo’s ensuing possession ended with McGary blocking a punt and Wimberly returning it for a touchdown.
“Special teams play was awesome,” Loeffler said. “Avi (McGary), we worked on that punt all week and he did a heck of a job with that one.”
Buffalo’s best drive of the game came with 3:02 left in the third quarter after an Orth interception. The Bulls went 8 plays for 74 yards to get back in the end zone for the final time as Ogbonna found Harding on a TD pass.
For BGSU’s defense, Joseph Sipp Jr. had seven tackles, including four solo, and along with his interceptions, Ferguson had five tackles, two pass break-ups, and one tackle for a loss.
Ferguson secured his second interception of the game in the fourth quarter. The two interceptions are a career high. He is the first Falcon with two interceptions in the same game since Deshawn Jones Jr. picked off two passes against Ohio in the 2021 season finale.
BGSU cornerback Jalen Huskey secured his third interception of the season and his career in the first half..
BGSU returns to Doyt Perry Stadium on Oct. 21 to host Akron. Kick is set for 2 p.m. on Family Weekend and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
(— by Sentinel-Tribune sports staff with contributions from Associated Press and BGSU Athletics)
