Bulls football (5-4, 4-1 MAC) defeated the Bowling Green Falcons (3-6, 1-4 MAC) 28-3 on the road Saturday in Bowling Green, Ohio. In a defensive masterclass, graduate linebacker Red Murdock entered NCAA history after recording his 17th career forced fumble.
The Bulls received the kickoff and scored on the opening drive of the game. Senior running back Al-Jay Henderson stormed 41 yards down the field on the fourth play, putting the Bulls up 7-0. The rest of the first quarter was quiet offensively for both teams, though defensively the Bulls recorded two sacks.
The second quarter mirrored the first, seeing the Bulls score on their first drive after a two-yard rush by redshirt-junior wide receiver Victor Snow. With 1:17 left in the half, Murdock forced a fumble on a run up the middle, which was recovered and returned 20 yards by senior cornerback Jalen McNair. Senior quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson then found redshirt-senior wide receiver Jasaiah Gathings for a five-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bulls up 21-0 at halftime.
After getting sacked on third down to start the third quarter, the Falcons punted to Snow, who blazed down the field for a 65-yard touchdown — the first UB punt return touchdown since 2015. This was followed by Roberson throwing an interception late in the third, and a missed 42-yard field goal from redshirt-freshman kicker Dylan Drennan to begin the fourth. Luckily, Bowling Green was unable to do much offensively, limited to a mere field goal. After an interception late in the fourth by redshirt-junior cornerback Oliver Bridges, the game was solidified 28-3.
Standout defensive statistics included Murdock’s 13 tackles, and graduate linebacker Mitchell Gosner’s 10. Offensively, redshirt-junior Nik McMillan wide receiver enjoyed his third straight 100-yard receiving game, with 105 yards on eight receptions. Henderson rushed for 119 yards on 18 carries. Roberson finished 13-for-24 for 136 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Bulls will next face the Central Michigan Chippewas (5-4, 3-2 MAC) on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at home.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
