University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
1-4 , 0-1
Bowling Green
4-2 , 2-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 10 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| Bowling Green | 14 | 14 | 24 | 10 | 62 |
Offensive Fireworks Put Bowling Green Over UMass Football
October 10, 2015 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Blake Frohnapfel threw for 409 yards with three touchdowns and Tajae Sharpe recorded 159 receiving yards over 13 receptions with one score, but UMass football was unable to keep pace with the high-scoring Bowling Green offense in a 62-38 loss at Doyt Perry Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Rodney Mills added an even 100 receiving yards on only six receptions (16.7 per catch) for his second career game with triple-digits in the category. Sharpe, Marken Michel (three catches, 41 yards), Shakur Nesmith (three, 33) and Dan Jonah (one, 25) each hauled in one touchdown reception.
James Oliphant provided a 97-yard touchdown return on a Bowling Green kick off in the third quarter, tied for the seventh-longest return in school history. Oliphant, a true freshman, finished the afternoon with seven kickoff returns covering 238 yards (34.0 per return).
Shane Huber led the Minutemen with 12 tackles while Kelton Brackett and Joe Colton provided 10 each. Kassan Messiah finished with nine takedowns, including a pair of sacks covering 14 yards lost.
The teams combined for 1,241 total offensive yards as Bowling Green put up 725 and Massachusetts had 516.
Matt Johnson had 450 yards passing and five touchdowns for the Falcons while Travis Greene provided 122 yards on the ground with one score. Johnson's favorite target, Roger Moore, totaled 142 yards and a touchdown through eight receptions.
Bowling Green separated itself in the scoring column with three consecutive touchdowns after the Minutemen went ahead, 10-7 late in the first quarter. Johnson hit Ronnie Moore with a 71-yard touchdown reception on the last play from scrimmage in the opening stanza for the first of those scores ahead of a Greene 32-yard dash less than five minutes later. Donovan Wilson capped the scoring streak with a one-yard touchdown run at the 4:34 mark of the second, which put the Falcons in front, 28-10.
The Maroon and White cut the deficit to 28-17 through an 81-yard drive that took only 92 seconds to complete. Frohnapfel went 4-of-6 on the drive for 65 of those yards, which included a 23-yard touchdown toss to Sharpe. Frohnapfel dropped the pass overtop of the Bowling Green secondary for Sharpe to run underneath. Sharpe scampered inches inside the right goal-line pylon for his second TD of the season.
However, BGSU balanced out big plays by Michel and Oliphant in the third quarter with four scoring drives, including a trio of touchdowns.
Michel had a 21-yard catch and run play for his fourth touchdown of the season with 3:57 left in the third. Michel's play followed up Oliphant's 97-yard kickoff return score less than six minutes before. The return tied for the seventh-longest in program history and the longest since Jesse Julmiste brought back a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Boston College on Sept. 24, 2011.
Bowling Green continued to convert into the fourth quarter with a pair of Tyler Tate field goals sandwiched around a Lewis 68-yard touchdown catch. The second Tate field goal put the Falcons in front, 62-31 before Jonah's late touchdown reception from Ross Comis created the final margin of 62-38.
Key third down conversions provided the Minutemen with their first touchdown drive of the day and the early lead, 10-7. Facing third-and-14 from the UMass 36, Frohnapfel hit Sharpe for 17 yards and a fresh set of downs. In need of 13 yards three plays later, Frohnapfel went to Sharif Custis over the middle for another first before the drive culminated in Nesmith's score with 1:28 to go in the quarter.
Bowling Green sustained an 11-play drive ending in the first points of the game and a 7-0 Falcons with 11 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the first when Johnson hit Derek Lee on a short route up the middle. Logan Laurent converted a close range field goal from 22 yards away for the first UMass points of the day, his second made attempt in three tries this season.
Massachusetts continues its Mid-American Conference slate with Homecoming at McGuirk Stadium against Kent State. Ticket information is available at UMassAthletics.com/tickets or 866-UMASS-TIX.
Team Stats
UMASS 0, BGSU 7
BGSU - LEE, Derek 2 yd pass from JOHNSON, Matt (TATE, Tyler kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:49
UMASS 3, BGSU 7
UMASS - Laurent, L. 22 yd field goal 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:21
UMASS 10, BGSU 7
UMASS - Nesmith, S. 15 yd pass from Frohnapfel, B. (Laurent, L. kick) 11 plays, 82 yards, TOP 4:29
UMASS 10, BGSU 14
BGSU - MOORE, Ronnie 71 yd pass from JOHNSON, Matt (TATE, Tyler kick) 5 plays, 91 yards, TOP 1:21
UMASS 10, BGSU 21
BGSU - GREENE, Travis 32 yd run (TATE, Tyler kick), 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 1:38
UMASS 10, BGSU 28
BGSU - WILSON, Donovan 1 yd run (TATE, Tyler kick), 9 plays, 67 yards, TOP 3:42
UMASS 17, BGSU 28
UMASS - Sharpe, T. 23 yd pass from Frohnapfel, B. (Laurent, L. kick) 7 plays, 81 yards, TOP 1:32
UMASS 17, BGSU 35
BGSU - COPPET, Fred 10 yd run (TATE, Tyler kick), 8 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:49
UMASS 17, BGSU 42
BGSU - BURBRINK, Ryan 40 yd pass from JOHNSON, Matt (TATE, Tyler kick) 3 plays, 30 yards, TOP 0:59
UMASS 24, BGSU 42
UMASS - Oliphant, J. 97 yd kickoff return (Laurent, L. kick)
UMASS 24, BGSU 49
BGSU - GREENE, Travis 12 yd pass from JOHNSON, Matt (TATE, Tyler kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:29
UMASS 31, BGSU 49
UMASS - Michel, M. 21 yd pass from Frohnapfel, B. (Laurent, L. kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:52
UMASS 31, BGSU 52
BGSU - TATE, Tyler 37 yd field goal 10 plays, 46 yards, TOP 3:57
UMASS 31, BGSU 59
BGSU - LEWIS, Roger 68 yd pass from JOHNSON, Matt (TATE, Tyler kick) 3 plays, 78 yards, TOP 1:39
UMASS 31, BGSU 62
BGSU - TATE, Tyler 27 yd field goal 9 plays, 60 yards, TOP 5:14
UMASS 38, BGSU 62
UMASS - Jonah, D. 25 yd pass from Comis, R. (Laurent, L. kick) 3 plays, 70 yards, TOP 0:39
