Western Kentucky throttles Bowling Green 59-31

8/29/2014

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- The Bowling Green State University football team suffered a 59-31 loss to Western Kentucky in the season opener for both teams at L.T. Smith Stadium tonight.

Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty completed 46-of-56 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns and WKU also added three rushing scores.

The Falcons did finish with 465 yards of total offense and got rushing touchdowns from Fred Coppet, Andre Givens and Travis Greene as well as a 41-yard scoring strike from Matt Johnson to Ronnie Moore.

Third quarter

The Bowling Green State University football team trails Western Kentucky 45-24 through three quarters tonight.

The Hilltoppers, who led 31-10 at halftime, droving 69 yards for the first touchdown of the period, which came on a 5-yard pass from Brandon Doughty to Jared Dangerfield.

The Falcons scored the next two TDs, getting a 3-yard scoring plunge by Andre Givens at 8:45 of the quarter and a 41-yard touchdown toss from Matt Johnson to Ronnie Moore with 7:16 to play.

But Western Kentucky responded with an eight-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by a 20-yard TD toss from Doughty to Willie McNeal.

Halftime

The Bowling Green State University football team trails Western Kentucky 31-10 at halftime tonight.

Trailing 14-0 after the first quarter, the Falcons allowed the Hilltoppers to score on a 34-yard pass from Brandon Doughty to Antwane Grant with 8:36 to play.

The Falcons got on the board with a one-yard TD run by Fred Coppet with 6:54 on the clock, but Doughty responded with a 9-yard pass to Willie McNeal with 4:41 to play.

BG's Tyler Tate kicked a 52-yard field goal with 2:50 on the clock, but WKU's Garrett Schwettman matched him with a 29-yard kick on the final play of the quarter.

First quarter

The Bowling Green State University football team trails Western Kentucky 14-0 after one quarter at L.T. Smith Stadium.

The Hilltoppers scored on a 2-yard run by Leon Allen at 10:12 of the period, then got a 55-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Doughty to Taywan Taylor with 2:29 left in the quarter.

The Falcons managed just 83 yards in the quarter, and saw a fourth-and-three play from WKU's 13 come up short of the first down.