Mississippi State had little trouble with Bowling Green in a 45-14 win Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
But the Falcons’ nine-play, 97-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter could pose potential problems for MSU’s defense down the road.
Here’s how Bowling Green marched down the field and broke up the Bulldogs’ shutout.
Play No. 1: First and 10 at the Bowling Green 3. After what SEC Network play-by-play commentator Drew Carter called “a heck of a punt,” Bowling Green started its drive seconds into the second quarter deep in its own territory. A shotgun handoff from backup quarterback Camden Orth to running back Nick Mosley goes for a 2-yard gain as Mosley crosses from Orth’s left to the right of the field, getting the edge before being tackled.
Play No. 2: Second and 8 at the Bowling Green 5. Mosley runs into teammate Harold Fannin Jr. in the backfield, but it doesn’t stop him from a sizable gain on another shotgun run. The Falcons running back spins past Mississippi State safety Jackie Matthews before safety Jalen Green brings him down for the second straight play. The 9-yard gain gives Bowling Green much-needed breathing room and quiets the Starkville crowd a little. It’s the Falcons’ initial first down in the entire contest.
Play No. 3: First and 10 at the Bowling Green 14. With three tight ends in the game and only one wide receiver, it’s no surprise Bowling Green hands the ball to Mosley again. He follows a good block by Fannin to the right side, tackled by linebacker Jett Johnson at the 20. The rush sets up a manageable second down for the Falcons.
Play No. 4: Second and 4 at the Bowling Green 20. Orth operates under center, pitching the ball to running back PaSean Wimberly on the left side. Safety Collin Duncan gets into the backfield to slow Wimberly down; linebacker Tyrus Wheat and defensive lineman Jevon Banks finish the tackle. It’s the only negative play of the drive for the Falcons, a sign of defensive struggles for MSU on the possession.
Play No. 5: Third and 6 at the Bowling Green 18. Out of a three-receiver set, Orth looks for wideout CJ Lewis across the middle. Duncan comes in from behind and intercepts the pass, returning it 13 yards to the Bowling Green 22. But Lewis was held by cornerback Emmanuel Forbes on the play, and the penalty negates the interception and gives Bowling Green a first down. Linebacker DeShawn Page also commits an illegal block in the back on the interception return, but the penalty is irrelevant because of the flag on Forbes.
Play No. 5 (again): First and 10 at the Bowling Green 28. Under center, Orth drops back and fakes a handoff to running back Ta’ron Keith. The Falcons quarterback rolls right and goes deep instead, targeting tight end Andrew Bench down the right sideline. Bench makes a juggling grab at the Mississippi State 41-yard line, staying in bounds and completing the catch while being held by Green. Bench’s catch is the first of two impressive grabs by the Falcons that MSU coach Mike Leach raved about postgame. “They had two guys who made career catches,” Leach said. “I don’t know about their career, but if those two catches weren’t the best in their career, I’d like to see the other ones that were. They were just utterly outstanding.”
Play No. 6: First and 10 at the Mississippi State 41. Running back Jaison Patterson — one of four backs used on the drive by Bowling Green — is hit immediately at the line of scrimmage by defensive lineman De’Monte Russell. Russell and nose tackle Cameron Young finish the tackle, keeping the Falcons to a 1-yard gain.
Play No. 7: Second and 9 at the MSU 40. Orth play-fakes again and tosses the ball to Fannin on the right side. The freshman tight end charges past linebacker Nathaniel Watson and gets to the outside, picking up first-down yardage. Watson drags Fannin down at the 30-yard line, but Bowling Green has another first down. Fannin was the Falcons’ leading receiver with five catches for 49 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Play No. 8: First and 10 at the MSU 30. With Orth in the shotgun and an empty backfield, Fannin jumps early and is called for a false start. It’s one of just two enforced penalties on the Falcons; Kameren Stewart was flagged for another false start in the fourth quarter.
Play No. 8 (again): First and 15 at the MSU 35. Wimberly takes a counter handoff, going around the left side and narrowly avoiding defensive tackle Randy Charlton. Johnson brings down the Falcons running back at the 25, but Wimberly’s run sets up a short second down for Bowling Green. The 10-yard carry was the Falcons’ longest run of the day as they averaged just 2.8 yards per attempt.
Play No. 9: Second and 5 at the MSU 25. Orth throws deep again, and once again, it works. The Bowling Green quarterback connects with wide receiver Tyrone Broden a few steps into the end zone. The 6-foot-7 wideout battles cornerback Decamerion Richardson to the ball and wins the fight, coming down with the football for the touchdown. Leach said he thought Richardson might have interfered on the play and praised both Bench and Broden for their plays on the lengthy drive. “Those guys are really good players, and if I was at Bowling Green, I’d be very proud to have those guys on the team,” Leach said. “I thought they were tough and competitive.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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