BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – A season-high 289 rushing yards helped the Miami football team open Mid-American Conference play with a 38-23 victory at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon.
Miami (1-3, 1-0 MAC) built a 31-3 lead early in the third quarter and never looked back to pick up its first win.
The RedHawks came out establishing their running game and it paid off as early as their second possession.
Alonzo Smith used a 29-yard rush to move Miami into Bowling Green territory and
Maurice Thomas finished that drive two plays later by racing 30 yards down the sideline to put MU up 7-0 with just 4:09 gone by. Giving Miami its first lead of the season.
Early in the second quarter, a botched Bowling Green trick play led to Miami points.
Junior McMullen recovered a fumbled handoff on a reverse and eventually
Samuel Sloman nailed a 30-yard field goal try to put MU up 10-0.
BG answered that with a field goal drive of its own to pull within 10-3 midway through the second. Miami countered that with a seven-play, 66-yard march down the field. Smith busted out a 34-yard scamper that put him over 2,000 career rushing yards that got the Red & White to the two-yard line.
Gus Ragland then called his own number two plays later for a one-yard score that put the RedHawks on top 17-3.
The RedHawks weren't done there. Following another stop, Miami used a short field to add to the lead. Initially, Sloman hit a short field goal, but a Bowling Green offside penalty gave MU a free first down, which it utilized to the tune of a Ragland six-yard scoring strike to
Andrew Homer to bump the lead to 24-3 at the half.
Miami opened the second half by forcing another Bowling Green punt and then embarked on a 70-yard scoring drive. Ragland capped it by launching a 26-yard scoring pass to
Jack Sorenson to extend the lead to 31-3 with 9:05 left in the third quarter.
MU's defense continued to stand tall throughout the third quarter and held that 31-3 lead well into the fourth quarter. BGSU found the end zone with 5:34 left when Jarret Doege hit RB Marlow for a six yard touchdown. Doege then cut the Miami outburst 31-17 just 1:21 later when Doege found Quintin Morris from seven yards out.
Miami recovered the ensuing onside kick and drove back down the field thanks to a 29-yard burst by Smith. Two plays later,
Davion Johnson punched it in for his first-career touchdown from three yards out to make it 38-17 with 34 seconds remaining. The Falcons added another touchdown at the horn on a Hail Mary to cap the scoring.
The RedHawks ended up with a 408-385 edge in total offense, helped by 289 rushing yards (164 from Smith). Ragland completed 10-of-15 passes for 119 yards and two scores, with Sorenson hauling in six catches for 72 yards and one of those touchdowns.
MU returns to Yager Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 29 when it hosts Western Michigan on Family Weekend. Opening kick is at 3:30 p.m.
