BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Miami RedHawks learned something about composure Saturday afternoon.
After all, composure - or lack thereof - would cost them a 28-21 loss to Bowling Green.
A crowd of 20,407 saw Miami take a commanding 14-0 lead and then squander nearly every opportunity to keep it, despite several critical turnarounds on defense.
Miami senior quarterback Sam Ricketts, who carried the dwindling pulse of his team, would lose his poise and have to tip his helmet to the mature-acting Bowling Green junior quarterback Bob Niemet.
When Ricketts passes weren't sailing over his receivers heads or bouncing off their chests, miscues on routes stalled Miami's offense. He opened the game by going 0-4 and didn't make his first true contribution until the first play of Miami's third possession when he scrambled for 30 yards.
"I needed to step up and makes some shots, and I didn't do it," Ricketts said. "We had a lack of execution, and a lot of that was my fault."
While chances wouldn't be scarce for Miami, the point of no return came early.
With 6:25 left in the half and on third and one from the Falcons 24, the snap squirted through Ricketts legs. He gave chase and even pounced on the ball, but Bowling Green swarmed him and took over on the 41. After that, the RedHawks would panic.
"I thought it was huge," Walker said. "I almost felt like it was a 14-point turnaround. Even though you say, 'OK, lets put it behind us,' it was nagging in the back of our minds."
Enter composure. Niemet would come back into the game and begin to lead the Falcons. Bowling Green marched down the field in less than seven minutes and scored twice to tie the game at 14 before halftime after that play.
Even when Miami seemed to make a bid to swing the momentum, the Falcons defense held on. Miami linebacker JoJuan Armour, who did not start because he violated team rules, intercepted a pass and later blocked a punt. Neither was enough to keep Miami from going four-and-out on subsequent drives.
Miami 7 7 0 7 - 21
Bowling Green 0 14 7 7 - 28
First Quarter
Mia-Prentice 2 run (Scott kick), 3:26
Second Quarter
Mia-Prentice 2 run (Scott kick), 14:28
BG-Niemet 31 run (Strasser kick), 4:33
BG-Platt 1 run (Strasser kick), :10
Third Quarter
BG-Niemet 1 run (Strasser kick), 2:29
Fourth Quarter
BG-Hamilton 33 run (Strasser kick), 5:57
Mia-Prentice 1 run (Scott kick), 1:10
A-20,493.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Miami, Prentice 29-103, Adkins 1-3, Ricketts 11-(minus-5). Bowling Green, Niemet 10-61, Hollis 16-53, Hamilton 1-33, Weathersby 4-17, Lige 5-15, Platt 11-8.
PASSING-Miami, Ricketts 18-37-0-181. Bowling Green, Niemet 12-19-1-111.
RECEIVING-Miami, Gaylor 5-83, Hall 5-60, Adkins 4-12, Prentice 2-6, Vaughn 1-13, Lubin 1-7. Bowling Green, Hamilton 5-52, Loville 4-41, Dusho 2-11, Weathersby 1-7.
