MONTGOMERY, Ala. — South Alabama took its first lead with about 1:20 to play in the Camellia Bowl, but Bowling Green answered on the next snap with a 78-yard touchdown pass and held on for a 33-28 victory in the Jaguars’ first bowl appearance.
A crowd of 20,256 at the Cramton Bowl, most of it supporting South Alabama, watched the Camellia Bowl, the first bowl game in the history of the Jaguars’ young football program.
Jones Proud Despite Loss
Head coach Joey Jones, who was accidentally kicked in the face on the sideline during the game and had cuts on his nose and chin afterward, said he was proud of his team’s effort.
“We are a brand-new program and they’ve probably got a few more players than we do,” Jones said. “There we are, a minute and 10 seconds left and we’re up against a program that’s had football for probably 100 years. There are some positives to this but I don’t like losing.”
Falcons Strike Early
Bowling Green took the opening possession 65 yards in seven plays and 2:21 to score first. On the Falcons’ next drive, quarterback James Knapke hit Gehrig Dieter for a 53-yard completion to the South Alabama 4, and Travis Greene ran it in for a 14-0 lead.
South Alabama answered with a 44-yard touchdown run by Kendall Houston to cut the deficit to 14-7. The Jaguar defense then held Bowling Green to field goals of 39 and 22 yards, and the Falcons led 20-7 at halftime.
Second-Half Push
The Jaguars opened the scoring after halftime with a 15-yard touchdown run to pull within 20-14. Bowling Green responded after Austin Valdez fielded a short South Alabama kickoff and returned it 30 yards into Jaguar territory. Five plays later, Greene scored on a 17-yard run for a 27-14 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Brandon Bridge threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to DeMarrion Buford-Hughes, the first touchdown catch of his career, to make it 27-21 with 11:23 remaining.
Goal-Line Stand and a Blocked Kick
Bowling Green returned another short kickoff to near midfield and drove deep into South Alabama territory. A defensive pass interference penalty gave the Falcons first-and-goal at the 1, but the Jaguar defense stopped Greene on three straight carries.
After a timeout, Bowling Green coach Dino Babers sent out the field goal unit. Kicker Tyler Tate was late getting onto the field, and his low attempt from shorter than extra-point distance was blocked by South Alabama with 8:25 left.
Lead Changes in the Final Minutes
After an exchange of punts, South Alabama put together an eight-play, 73-yard drive capped by Terrance Timmons’ touchdown run, giving the Jaguars a 28-27 lead with about 1:20 remaining.
Bowling Green returned the ensuing kickoff to its 22. On the first play of the drive, Knapke threw deep to Roger Lewis, who got behind Roman Buchanan for a 78-yard touchdown. The Falcons’ two-point attempt failed, leaving them ahead 33-28 with just over a minute to play.
Bridge was intercepted on South Alabama’s final possession. The Jaguars used their timeouts to force a Bowling Green punt, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty sealed the win for Bowling Green.
Individual Leaders
Knapke was named the game’s most valuable player after completing 25 of 39 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis caught four passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and Dieter led the Falcons with seven receptions for 108 yards. Ronnie Moore had five catches for 61 yards before he was ejected for targeting after leading with the crown of his helmet in a collision with Jereme Jones on punt coverage. Fred Coppet led Bowling Green with 70 rushing yards, and Greene added 41 yards and two touchdowns.
Bridge completed 4 of 14 passes for 54 yards in the first half and finished 20 of 37 for 279 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Houston led South Alabama with 53 rushing yards, and Danny Woodson caught six passes for 122 yards.
Bowling Green outgained South Alabama 500 yards to 415 and held the ball for 34:25 to the Jaguars’ 25:35.
South Alabama finished the season 6-7. Bowling Green ended its season at 8-6.
