KENT, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team took on the Kent State Golden Flashes on the road Saturday (Oct. 25). The Falcons jumped out to a 14-3 lead at halftime with scores from Jacob Harris and Austyn Dendy, but Kent State fought back in the second half. The Golden Flashes rallied to take the lead, 24-21, with three minutes left in the game, holding on to the score to the final whistle. The loss moves BGSU to 3-5 on the season while being 1-3 in MAC play.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bowling Green won the opening coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Kent State received the opening kick.
• The Falcons forced a three-and-out on the first KSU possession of the game. On second down, Keyon Washington nearly jumped a route, deflecting the pass for an incompletion. MJ Cannon followed on third down with a QB hurry to force the punt.
• Getting the start at quarterback, Baron May found Jyrin Johnson for a big 20-yard gain with Johnson fighting through traffic for the snag. The Falcons continued working downfield, ending with a 13-yard score from May to Jacob Harris for a 7-0 BGSU lead.
• Kent State added their first points of the game with a 35-yard field goal with just over six minutes left in the first half for a 7-3 score.
• The Falcons responded on the ensuing drive. BGSU orchestrated a 12-play, 75-yard drive that spanned nearly six minutes of action capped off by a one-yard rushing touchdown by Austyn Dendy to give Bowling Green a 14-3 advantage at the midway point.
• Opening the second half, Bowling Green went back to work. May found RJ Garcia for an 18-yard gain and later connected with Johnson for a 29-yard reception to move down to the Kent State 12. Dendy took over from there, working the ball down to the 1-yard line before May took it in himself on an option run for a 21-3 lead.
• The Golden Flashes answered with a pair of scores, cutting the tally to 21-17 with the score holding through the end of the quarter.
• In the fourth quarter, Evan Branch-Hayes capitalized on back-to-back tackles for loss, the second being a sack, to force a Kent State punt with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. 
• Kent State later added a score to move in front 24-21 with just over three minutes left in the game.

— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) October 25, 2025

GAME NOTES

• BGSU scored a touchdown on its opening offensive drive of the game for the first time this season. BGSU went nine plays for 61 yards. 
• BGSU scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the second half. It was the first time this year BGSU scored a touchdown on its first drive of the second half.
• BGSU rushed for 200+ yards (207) as a team for the first time this season and for the first time since facing Western Michigan (226) on Nov. 12, 2024.
• Notched a season-high 12 third-down conversions. 
• RB Austyn Dendy made his collegiate debut and recorded his first career rushes finishing with 93 rushing yards on 20 carries. 
• Dendy's 93 rushing yards are the most by a Falcon making his collegiate debut since Anthon Samuel rushed for 141 yards at Idaho on Sept. 1, 2011.
• Dendy notched his first career touchdown on a one-yard rush at the close of the second quarter.
• With three receptions, TE Jyrin Johnson extends his active streak with at least one reception to 41 games.

STAT LEADERS

• Baron May: 12-for-22 passing, 142 passing yards, 1 touchdown
• Austyn Dendy: 20 carries, 95 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
• Jyrin Johnson: 3 receptions, 53 receiving yards
• RJ Garcia II: 3 receptions, 48 receiving yards
• MJ Cannon: 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
• Gideon Lampron: 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
• Evan Branch-Hayes: 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"First of all, let me just congratulate Kent State on a well fought game. Staff came out with a great game plan. Just very disappointed with the outcome and the results of the game, but seeing vast improvement from our team in terms of fighting and things we need to work on. [We] showed up, we just have to learn how to put a complete game together now. We let that one get away in the second half, gave up two explosive [plays] on defense. It was really three plays that we can look to that wound up going for touchdowns that changed the course and the momentum of the game. I was really proud of Baron May for stepping in, down to our third-string quarterback. Second week in a row that the last couple plays of a game we lost the quarterback. We've got to find some answers for that moving forward. Hopefully, Drew [Pyne] will be back next week. It's gut-wrenching when you lose a game that you have control over. We have to continue to learn and grow from this."

UP NEXT

• Bowling Green will return home for their next contest, hosting Buffalo next Saturday (Nov. 1) with a 12 p.m. kick at Doyt Perry Stadium. The game will mark the final home Saturday game this season for the Falcons.