Bowling Green beats Miami (OH) 24-20 after Leo Kemp’s 2-yard touchdown run with 8 seconds left Saturday at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. The Falcons passed for 305 yards, and Jay Kastantin threw both of their touchdowns before the late drive.
Miami (OH) had gone ahead 20-17 on Kellan McLaughlin’s 28-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining. Bowling Green answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive for the win. The RedHawks (2-3, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) were led by Caleb Heavner, who threw for 198 yards and a touchdown in his first start, as we noted in our preview of this matchup. Bowling Green improved to 1-4 and 1-0 in the MAC.
Takeaways as Bowling Green beats Miami (OH)
Kastantin and the deep ball changed the second quarter
Miami (OH) took a 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by McLaughlin. Kastantin then hit Nakai Amachree for a 64-yard touchdown with 6:57 left in the second quarter, a three-play, 80-yard drive. Travis Kenner added a 38-yard field goal with 3:11 left to make it 10-3. McLaughlin kicked a 41-yard field goal as the half expired, cutting the gap to 10-6.
Miami (OH) controlled the clock but settled for field goals
The RedHawks held the ball for 32:42 to Bowling Green’s 27:18 and out-rushed the Falcons 108-62. McLaughlin made all four of his field goal attempts for 12 points, including a 40-yarder late in the third quarter that made it 10-9. Settling for field goals instead of touchdowns proved costly in a game decided by four points.
Bowling Green answered in the fourth quarter
Kastantin found Eli Jacon-Duffy for a 14-yard touchdown with 13:25 left to make it 17-9. Heavner then answered with a 10-yard scoring pass to Lynel Billups-Williams at 8:50, and Brach Rice converted the two-point try to tie it at 17. After McLaughlin’s go-ahead kick, Kemp finished the final drive for the winning score.
How Bowling Green beats Miami (OH) by the numbers
The numbers show why Bowling Green beats Miami in a close game. Bowling Green out-gained Miami (OH) 367 yards to 306 and won first downs 22-20. The Falcons converted 6 third downs to the RedHawks’ 3. Discipline also favored the Falcons: Miami (OH) was penalized for 103 yards, compared with 64 for Bowling Green.
Scoring drives that decided the game
The game stayed scoreless through the first quarter, and neither offense reached the end zone until Kastantin’s 64-yard strike. That play capped an 80-yard drive that took only three snaps and gave the Falcons their first lead.
Miami (OH) mounted its longest scoring march in the fourth quarter, covering 81 yards in eight plays for the tying touchdown and two-point conversion. The RedHawks then used seven plays and 57 yards to set up McLaughlin’s go-ahead field goal.
Bowling Green then drove 75 yards in 10 plays for the final score. Kemp’s short run came with eight seconds on the clock, leaving Miami (OH) no realistic chance to respond.
The result changes the mood for both programs. Bowling Green entered the day at 1-3 overall and left with its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season. Miami (OH) arrived at 2-2 and lost at home in the RedHawks’ conference opener, a disappointing start to league play. Heavner’s first start produced 198 passing yards, but the offense could not turn its long possessions into touchdowns, and the defense could not get a final stop when the game was on the line.
What’s next
Miami (OH) travels to UMass on Oct. 10. For more MAC context, see our look at Akron and Central Michigan’s conference opener and our Toledo-Ball State preview. Full details are available in the official Miami recap.
