Broncos Fall in Overtime

Josh Harris' five-yard scamper propelled Bowling Green to a 48-45 overtime win over Western Michigan in a Mid-American Conference thriller, played before 15,169 at Doyt Perry Stadium. The win kept the 23rd-ranked Falcons undefeated at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in MAC play. Western Michigan dropped to 2-5 overall, 1-2 in the MAC.

Western Michigan had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Anthony Apa's 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Marcus Allen with two seconds left. Apa later gave WMU a short-lived lead in overtime, nailing a 24-yard field goal prior to BG's winning touchdown drive.

"When it came down to it, the execution of one or two plays was certainly the difference in the football game," said WMU coach Gary Darnell. "The heroics that was done on both sides was commendable. It was a tribute to the sport of football."

Darnell's squad built 14-point cushions on three occasions (14-0, 21-7, 28-14), but couldn't pull away from the MAC's most explosive offense. The Falcons, who came into the game averaging a league-high 49.6 points, claimed their first lead of the game on Janssen Patton's 12-yard interception return with 10:25 left in regulation.

The interception, which tipped off the hands of receiver Kendrick Mosley, was one of the few mishaps for the Broncos, who compiled 477 total offensive yards. In his third start of the year, quarterback Chad Munson completed 18-of-39 passes for 328 yards. He hit Mosley on a 51-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and also completed passes of 45 and 41 yards to Jermaine Lewis.

"We did the best we could at halftime making our adjustments and they came out and made better adjustments," Munson said afterwards. "It ended up being there way at the end of the game."

Junior running back Phil Reed rushed for four touchdowns and 140 yards in the third-best rushing performance of his career. Reed's four scores matched the third-highest game total in school history -- a feat accomplished seven other times.

Special teams also provided a spark for WMU, as Tyrone Walker returned just the fifth kickoff of his career 91 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Ironically it was special teams that provided a momentum boost for BGSU after WMU opened a 14-0 lead. A Falcon fake punt resulted in a 35-yard gain by Mitch Hewitt, setting up a Josh Harris 18-yard strike to Robert Redd two plays later. Reed, who had a game-high eight receptions, was one of four Falcon receivers to catch touchdown passes, three coming off the arm of Harris. BGSU also blocked a WMU punt in the third quarter which eventually led to game's first tie at 35-35.

Western Michigan continues MAC play next Saturday (Oct. 26), playing host to Northern Illinois in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Waldo Stadium.

NOTES: Jason Feldpausch recorded his third interception of the season, giving WMU nine on the season -- one more than all of last year ... Bowling Green snapped a five-game losing streak to Western Michigan ... the overtime contest was the fourth in WMU history and the second against BGSU (WMU pulled out a 16-13 win in 1996) ... WMU extended its sack streak to 32 consecutive games. Jason Babin recorded a pair of sacks, raising his MAC-leading total to 10.