Turnovers haunt Rockets

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Turnovers dug Toledo a 24-0 hole in the first quarter against chief rival Bowling Green. The Rockets came back, only to have another turnover ensure that the Peace Pipe would stay in BG for a third straight season.

The Falcons defeated the Rockets 38-24 in a game featuring heavy swings in momentum.

Special teams weren't so special for UT in the first quarter. Bill Claus' first two punts were blocked, setting up two touchdowns and a quick 14-0 Bowling Green lead. Then midway through the opening quarter, freshman Eric Page mishandled a punt that he had called fair catch for. That loose ball was recovered by Jerett Sanderson at the one-yard line, setting up Willie Geter's second touchdown of the game. BG was up 21-0 less than ten minutes in. On the next UT possession, freshman quarterback fumbled when he was hit as he was scrambling. That turnover set up a Matt Norsic field goal that made the score 24-0 and the game looked to be a blowout, especially since Barry Church was knocked out of the game with a concussion in preventing Tyler Sheehan from scoring for the Falcons.

But even without Church, the UT defense stiffened up and the offense found a rhythm. David Pasquale scored on a three-yard QB keeper followed by a DaJuane Collins one-yard TD run and entering the half, it was suddenly a ten-point game at 24-14 for Bowling Green.

Toledo continued to dictate play in the third quarter when Alex Steigerwald provided the only points with a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 24-17. Early in the fourth, Collins ran in from four yards out to tie it at 24-24.

That's when the Falcons offense came back to life. Bowling Green drove down the field and for the second time in the game, Sheehan found Biletnikoff finalist Freddie Barnes for a touchdown. Barnes caught a 17-yarder on third down where he tight-roped the sideline and outran several Rocket defenders to the end zone.

BG led 31-24 with nine minutes, but UT would answer with a drive of their own. The drive seemed stalled at 4th-and-9 from the BG 29, but with about three-and-a-half minutes left, the Rockets opted not to kick it. The strategy seemed to work as Dantin found Page, who ran for several yards after the catch and seemed to have the first down. However, before the whistle was blown, the former Springfield High School star was stripped of the ball and Sanderson recovered another loose ball. Toledo head coach Tim Beckman vehemently disagreed with the call, thinking forward momentum was stopped, but the play was not reversed. On the ensuing drive, Geter broke a 69-yard run and capped off the drive with his third score of the game, a one-yard plunge, to clinch BG's third straight win over their neighbors down I-75.

For the game, there were many statistical superstars. For the Falcons, Barnes caught nine passes for 69 yards and two scores. Geter ran for his three touchdowns. BG forced five turnovers, which more than offset the offensive performaces by Dantin (326 yards passing, 45 yards rushing), Collins (75 rushing yards, 2 scores), Page (7 catches for 130 yards) and Stephen Williams (8 catches for 82 yards).

On a side note, Williams became UT's all-time leading receiver, passing Lance Moore for most catches in the Midnight Gold & Blue uniform.