Bowling Green Falcons vs Tennessee Volunteers Match Player Stats On Sep 05, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 5, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Running back Jalen Hurd rushed for three touchdowns while quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw for a pair as No. 25 Tennessee defeated Bowling Green 59-30 at Nissan Stadium on Saturday.

Running back Alvin Kamara recorded 144 yards and a pair of scores for the Volunteers, who recorded their 21st straight season-opening victory.

Tennessee answered an early field goal by the Falcons by scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions - two following dynamic punt returns by Cam Sutton that left the Volunteers with short scoring drives - before Bowling Green got an 11-yard pass play from quarterback Matt Johnson to tight end Hunter Folkertsma to make it 21-10 at the end of the quarter.

As quickly as the Falcons got down, they were back in the game. After converting a fourth-and-3 gamble from their own 13, Johnson hit back-to-back passes to wide receiver Gehrig Dieter for 38 and 31 yards - the latter for a touchdown. On the next possession, Tyler Tate's 37-yard field goal cut the deficit to 21-20.

Hurd answered with his third touchdown of the half - a 13-yarder - as Tennessee went up by eight. The Volunteers' defense forced Bowling Green to punt on fourth-and-31 from its own 4-yard line and Sutton's 21-yard return gave the offense a short field yet again, resulting in tight end Ethan Wolf's grab of an 11-yard Dobbs pass for a 35-20 lead at halftime.

The Falcons scored after a missed Tennessee field goal attempt on running back Ryan Burbrink's 7-yard run, but Evan Berry's 67-yard kickoff return led to an 18-yard pass from Dobbs to Wolf that restored the 15-point margin.

Following the weather break, Tate's 25-yard field goal narrowed the margin to 42-30 but Kamara broke a 56-yard run for his second TD. Bowling Green then suffered a red-zone fumble that Tennessee recovered, and the Volunteers drove the length of the field with Dobbs scoring on an 18-yard keeper to cap the 94-yard drive for Tennessee.

NOTES: Volunteers defensive backs coach Willie Martinez was suspended prior to the game for an NCAA Level III violation. The suspension was announced about an hour prior to kickoff. Defensive quality control coach Stephen Smith assumed Martinez's duties Saturday. Martinez is expected to return Sunday, but faces recruiting limitations as a result. ... Tennessee's preseason ranking was its first since opening the 2008 season at No. 18. ... Bowling Green second-year coach Dino Babers previously spent two seasons at Eastern Illinois, where his quarterback - current New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo - won the Walter Payton Award, the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. ... The game was delayed 80 minutes because of lightning.