Bowling Green Dominates Sacramento State For Second-Straight Victory

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University football team claimed their first home win of the season on Saturday (Oct. 10) with a 38-10 victory over Sacramento State. The win marked the first over Sacramento State in program history and moves Bowling Green to 2-0 in MAC play for the first time since 2015. 

Sacramento State tallied the first points of the game, but Bowling Green responded with 38 unanswered points. Austyn Dendy added two rushing touchdowns while Jay Kastantin contributed one on the ground and one through the air. The defense chipped in with a scoop and score, leading to the 38-10 win for the Orange and Brown. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sacramento State won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Bowling Green received the opening kick, defending the north end zone. 
• The first offensive drive for the Falcons was halted early due to a Sacramento State interception, taking over near midfield. 
• The Hornets had an opening drive of 13 plays, but the Falcons were able to hold them to a field goal after a Cashmire Lewis sack.
• On the Falcons’ second offensive drive, Jay Kastantin completed a 17-yard reception to Jeremiah Scoby that put Bowling Green into Sacramento State territory, which ended in a Falcon punt. The 3-0 score held to the end of the quarter. 
• Just before the end of the first quarter, a rogue snap went over the head of the Hornets’ quarterback, resulting in a loss of 16. Bowling Green held strong to force a punt on the drive.
• The Falcons drove down the field on their first offensive drive of the second quarter. Kastantin ran for 15 yards, while Austyn Dendy ran for 35 yards, totaling nine-straight rushing plays, with Dendy finishing the drive in the end zone for his second touchdown of the season to put the Falcons up 7-3. 
• The Bowling Green defense continued to cause havoc for the Hornets. Myles Bradley would get to the quarterback for the fourth straight game, extending his MAC-leading seventh sack of the season. Sacramento State would once again fumble the snap, leading to a Josira Andrews and Eriq George sack on third down. 
• The Falcons added a 20-yard rush by Nakai Amachree to put the offense into Sacramento State territory. The Hornets forced a Falcon punt, but a roughing-the-punter call on Sacramento State put Bowling Green in field-goal position, where Travis Kenner would connect on his second field goal of the game. 
• Bowling Green continued their 17-point quarter with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Saffold for his first career reception and touchdown in his college career, securing a 17-3 advantage at halftime.  
• The first drive of the second half fell short for Sacramento State. The Hornets attempted a 46-yard field goal that sailed wide left, turning the ball over to the Falcons with the score still at 17-3. 
• The Falcons’ first offensive drive of the half led to a Dendy 30-yard touchdown, his second of the afternoon, to extend the Falcons’ lead to 24-3.
• To start the fourth quarter, Kastantin took the Falcons’ third rushing touchdown past the goal line to extend the lead to 31-3 early in the fourth quarter.
• Dorian Pringle kept the party rolling as he forced a Hornet fumble that was recovered by D’Kyah Banks for a Falcon touchdown, the first defensive touchdown of the season to extend the lead to 38-3. 
• Sacramento State added a score with just under six minutes remaining for a 38-10 score.

GAME NOTES

• The Bowling Green defense tallied their first touchdown of the year. Dorian Pringle forced a fumble and D’Kyah Banks picked it up at the 27-yard line, returning it for a BGSU touchdown. 
• D’Kyah Banks finished with seven tackles in the game, a new career-high for Banks while tying for second on the team for the game.
• Entering the game averaging 3.0 sacks per game, 16th in the nation, the Falcons registered three sacks in the first half alone. In on the action, including Myles Bradley, moving his season total to a MAC-leading seven. 
• Austyn Dendy broke loose for a season-high 15 carries and 88 rushing yards. Dendy also found the end zone twice, including a 30-yard rushing touchdown, the longest carry of his BGSU career. Dendy also matched his career-high for rushing touchdowns with two. 
• Late in the second half, Joseph Saffold hauled in a touchdown in the back of the end zone, counting not only as his first touchdown with Bowling Green, but his first reception as well. He finished with three catches for 47 yards.
• Brennan Ridley finished with one reception, extending his streak to seven games dating back to last season, the longest on the team. Ridley added two carries for a career-high 34 rushing yards. 
• Getting into the backfield in the first half, Josira Andrews recorded his first career sack, getting a half credit on the play. 
• Nick Sawyer tallied two pass breakups, matching his career-high while counting as his most since joining the Falcons. 

STAT LEADERS

• Austyn Dendy: 15 carries, 88 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns
• Jay Kastantin: 11-for-15, 116 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 7 carries, 54 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
• Jeremiah Scoby: 6 receptions, 70 receiving yards
• Joseph Saffold: 3 receptions, 47 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
• Dorian Pringle: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble
• D’Kyah Banks: 7 tackles, 1 recovered fumble, 1 touchdown
• Cashmire Lewis: 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM

“It’s good to get another conference win against a quality opponent. The guys play fairly well; Still got to clean up a few things, still looking to play a complete game. We got off to kind of a slow start, throwing a pick on the second play of the game, and then our defense gave up some some some soft yards held into a field goal, pretty much, and then we had to regain the momentum; I think we found our footing. I really feel good about how we ended off the first half with some points. How that all played out in two minutes, two minutes drill right before half, and that gave us the momentum going into the second half. So it was just a good team went all the way around.” – Eddie George

UP NEXT

• Bowling Green will remain home for their next game, hosting Ball State on Oct. 17 with a 12 p.m. kick. The game will be Falcon Family Weekend in Bowling Green.