Kneeling to run out the clock is one way to ice a game, but Bowling Green invented a new way to seal a win by faking a kneel late in its game against Buffalo and instead taking off for a score to officially put the game out of reach.
The Falcons led 49-44 with under a minute to play, needing only to burn clock to seal the victory. Instead, quarterback Matt McDonald took the second-down snap and prepared to run back as if he were going to kneel, only to sprint 47 yards up the field for a score. Bowling Green kicked the extra point and put the game out of reach from there to win 56-44.
The play not only tricked Buffalo’s defense — McDonald went untouched — but also the announcers. “I’ve seen it all now,” said one announcer. “I’ve seen it all … He acts like he’s going to take a knee to the right and then cuts it back all the way to the left.”
It was one of five scores for McDonald on the game and marked his first rushing touchdown on the season for the Falcons, which improved to 3-6 on the season despite losing their head coach earlier in the game after he was ejected.
