BOWLING GREEN - The Bowling Green Bobcats emphatically halted South Callaway's three-game winning streak, breezing to a 55-14 Eastern Missouri Conference romp over the Bulldogs on Friday night.
South Callaway fell to 5-3 on the season and 4-2 in the EMO. Bowling Green improved to 5-3 overall and stayed unbeaten in conference play at 5-0.
The Bobcats started quickly, covering 81 yards in eight plays to break on top. Quarterback Dylan Dalton scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes, 52 seconds to play in the first quarter, but Bowling Green failed on the two-point conversion attempt to leave it with a 6-0 edge.
The Bobcats added to their lead late in the quarter on a 40-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion with 2:30 left to go up 14-0.
Running back Michael Starks' 4-yard touchdown run and the extra point stretched Bowling Green's advantage to 21-0 at the 10:12 mark of the second quarter.
The Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard when junior quarterback Sam Buckner's 1-yard touchdown run punctuated a 12-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Sophomore kicker Caleb Pezold's extra point brought South Callaway within 21-7 with 3:56 remaining in the first half.
The Bobcats, though, countered with an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive of their own. Dalton's 20-yard touchdown pass and the extra point with :38 to go sent Bowling Green into halftime with a 28-7 lead.
The Bobcats padded their advantage to start the second half, returning a South Callaway fumble to the Bulldogs' 1-yard line. Starks scored on the next play and the PAT made it 35-7 with 10:17 to play in the third quarter.
After South Callaway turned the ball over on downs on its next series at the Bowling Green 38, the Bobcats went up 42-7 on a Starks 1-yard touchdown run with 3:14 remaining in the quarter.
Bowling Green tacked on an 8-yard touchdown run with 11:48 left in the game and Buckner accounted for the Bulldogs' other score on a 17-yard touchdown run with 6:12 to go.
Bowling Green's final score came on a 56-yard touchdown run with 1:59 to play.
South Callaway closes out the regular season at home next Friday night with an EMO contest against Wright City.
Ryan Boland can be reached at (573) 826-2422, or on Twitter @Fulton