MINNEAPOLIS — That Rocky Mountain high from the blowout of Colorado in Boulder? It sure faded quickly.
The good feelings from an offense that rolled to 441 yards last week? Means little now.
And the optimism of an upcoming Big Ten schedule that looked manageable? Better check that.
The Gophers, 31-point favorites over Bowling Green, lost 14-10 to the Falcons on Saturday in front of a stunned Homecoming crowd of 46,236 at Huntington Bank Stadium.
It's arguably coach P.J. Fleck's worst loss at Minnesota. The victory was Bowling Green's first over an FBS program since Nov. 2, 2019.
Minnesota's offense struggled all game long, and the Gophers got only a 36-yard field goal by Matthew Trickett in the first quarter and Cole Kramer's 19-yard touchdown run in the third. A key piece of the offense was missing: Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell played only one play after apparently aggravating the lower-leg injury that caused him to miss the season's first two games.
Bowling Green (2-2) got TD runs by quarterback Matt McDonald of 1 yard in the second quarter and 3 in the third to upset the Gophers (2-2). The Falcons' first TD came after Fleck went for it with his team facing fourth-and-1 from its 29-yard line in the second quarter. Trey Potts was dropped for a 5-yard loss on the play.
Potts rushed 28 times for 141 yards for the Gophers, while quarterback Tanner Morgan had a rough day, completing only five of 13 passes for 59 yards. He was sacked four times, and his underthrown ball intended for Dylan Wright with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter was intercepted by cornerback Devin Taylor. With 13 seconds left from the Minnesota 42, Morgan threw another interception, this one by safety Jordan Anderson.
In the first quarter, Minnesota got a big play on defense when linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin intercepted a McDonald pass and returned it 10 yards to the Bowling Green 23. The Gophers, however, gained only five yards and settled for Trickett's 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
On Bowling Green's ensuing possession, Gophers defensive end Thomas Rush dropped McDonald for a 13-yard loss on third down for his third sack in two games.
On the Gophers' next possession, Morgan gained 18 yards on an option keeper, but Falcons linebacker Brock Horne stripped the ball from the QB and Blaine Spires recovered at the Bowling Green 32. Minnesota's defense bailed out the offense, forcing the Falcons to go three-and-out.
The Gophers drove to the Falcons 29 later in the first quarter, but Mar'Keise "Bucky'' Irving was dropped for a 1-yard loss on second down and Davon Ferguson sacked Morgan for a 7-yard loss on third down. Ferguson was flagged for targeting on the play, but the penalty was overturned, and the Gophers punted from the Falcons 37.
A 77-yard punt by Bowling Green's Matt Naranjo — the longest punt in stadium history — nearly was downed at the 1, but it trickled into the end zone and left the Gophers at their 20 to start with 9:58 left in the second quarter.
Facing fourth-and-1 from their 29, the Gophers lined up to go for it. Fleck called timeout just before the ball was snapped. The offense stayed on the field, and Billie Roberts dropped Potts for a 5-yard loss, giving the Falcons the ball at Minnesota's 24.
Four plays later, McDonald scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-3 Falcons lead with 6:19 left in the second quarter. The TD was set up by McDonald's 16-yard pass to Christian Sims.
The Gophers got good field position to start the second half when Irving returned the kickoff 34 yards to the Minnesota 43 and cashed that in for a 10-7 lead on Kramer's 19-yard TD run. Key on the drive was Morgan's 24-yard hookup to Daniel Jackson on first-and-20 from the Minnesota 33 after a holding penalty.
On their second possession of the third quarter, the Gophers were backed up to their 9. Potts made quick work of that, ripping off a 54-yard gain to the Falcons 37. Minnesota couldn't cash in, with Trickett missing a 52-yard field-goal attempt after three runs, including one on third-and-6, netted 3 yards.
Bowling Green took a 14-10 lead with 31 seconds left in the third quarter on McDonald's 3-yard run on a quarterback draw. McDonald's 18-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the 44 and his 33-yard hookup with Taron Keith to the Minnesota 5 keyed the drive.
