Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28

[December 22, 2014]  Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28: James Knapke threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Roger Lewis with 1:04 remaining and Travis Greene rushed for two scores as the Falcons edged the Jaguars at the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.

Knapke completed 25-of-39 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns, including a 44-yard TD strike to Lewis on the Falcons’ first possession. Lewis had 137 receiving yards and Gehrig Dieter had seven catches for 108 yards for Bowling Green (8-6), which scored on its first play from scrimmage after Terrance Timmons rushed 3 yards for a touchdown to put South Alabama ahead 28-27 with 1:20 left.

South Alabama (6-7) quarterback Brandon Bridge was 20-of-37 for 279 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, including one on the final possession that ended its comeback hopes. Bridge added 41 rushing yards and a touchdown and Danny Woodson had six receptions for 122 yards as the Jaguars closed the season with their third straight loss.

Greene capped a 93-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run to put Bowling Green ahead 14-0 midway through the first quarter, but Kendall Houston answered with a 44-yard TD run on the Jaguars’ ensuing possession. Tyler Tate kicked two field goals to give the Falcons a 20-7 lead at the half before the Jaguars pulled within six points on Bridge’s 15-yard TD run with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Bowling Green responded with a five-play, 47-yard drive capped by Greene’s 17-yard scamper into the end zone, but Bridge opened the fourth quarter with an 18-yard TD pass to DeMarrion Buford-Hughes. South Alabama, in its first-ever bowl appearance since starting the football program in 2009, took its first lead when Timmons capped a 73-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bowling Green WR Ronnie Moore was ejected for targeting early in the third quarter on a tackle of punt returner Jereme Jones. … South Alabama was 0-of-8 in third-down conversions in the first half and finished 5-of-15. … Bowling Green had 500 yards in total offense, forced four turnovers and claimed its first bowl victory since 2004.

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