Miscues haunt BGSU in 38-31 loss to Arkansas State in the 2024 68 Ventures Bowl

Bowling Green’s quest for a bowl win continues after several miscues grounded them

Late night, post-Christmas bowl action saw the Bowling Green Falcons (7-6) lose to the Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-5) in the 68 Ventures Bowl. The Falcons are now 1-3 in the Mobile bowl games.

Arkansas State would open the game on offense, getting as far as the Falcons 30-yard line before converting the 46 yard field goal by Clune Van Andel to make it 3-0.

Bowling Green would go three-and-out on their first drive, and Courtney Jackson would take the ensuing punt to the house to make it 10-0 Red Wolves after the PAT. Bowling Green’s next drive would see Fannin break Jace Amaro’s record for receiving yards by a tight end. Looking bleak on offense, the Falcons lined up to punt. The observant eye would notice it was not punter John Henderson, but instead was third-string quarterback Baron May, who would throw a dime to gunner Malcolm Johnson, Jr. for the touchdown from 4 yards out to put the score at 10-7. However, unsportsmanlike conduct and facemask penalties against Bowling Green would allow the Red Wolves inside the Bowling Green 10-yard line spoon after, with Jaylen Raynor capping off a 75-yard drive with a five-yard rushing score to make it 17-7 Red Wolves after the PAT.

The Falcons would attempt a field goal, but in what turned out to be a crucial play, the Red Wolves special teams unit blocked the attempt to keep the score at 17-7. Bowling Green would eventually find their score after forcing Arkansas State to punt, with Jaison Patterson hauling in an eight-yard pass to cut the deficit to 17-14. On the next drive, Raynor would find Corey Rucker behind the defense to make it 24-14 after the PAT. Fannin’s lone touchdown of the day, which came on a heads-up tipped pass play, would get BGSU within three in reply. After an interception by Jordan Oladokun (who would eventually leave with an injury), the Falcons had a chance to quickly move the ball and score, but a Zach Long miss from 39 yards out with 12 seconds remaining was no good.

BG’s bad luck streak extended to the second half, as Terion Stewart would fumble the football on the first play, allowing Arkansas State to capitalize on another touchdown pass to Corey Rucker to make it 31-21 after the PAT. The Falcons once again could only muster a field goal in reply on a 38-yard attempt by Long to cut the deficit to a one-score game.

Special teams hijinks ensued to end the third quarter, as the Falcons tried another fake punt to steal away a possession but failed— while Arkansas State would set up a field goal and miss, unable to extend their lead back to two scores.

After driving to start the fourth quarter, and converting a fourth-and-two, the Falcons would stall out in scoring position with two false starts and miss the field goal. Arkansas State would break the stalemate on the next drive, with a 14-yard Zak Wallace rushing touchdown to make it 38-24 after the PAT.

Rahkeem Smith did his best to pull BGSU back into the contest, pulling off a 58-yard return, and capping off23-yard touchdown pass to put the score at 38-31 with 1:42 remaining. The Falcons, now down just one score, tried for the onsides kick but failed, with Arkansas State running out the clock to end the contest.

Astoundingly, Bowling Green would outgain Arkansas State 479 to 360. There were just too many miscues at the end of the day for the Falcons, like three missed field goals by Zach Long and the half-opening fumble to waste a key possession to put the game in a favorable state. Bowling Green is now 1-4 against the Sun Belt since 2015, and 0-4 in their last four bowl games.

Also worth noting that the MAC is now 0-8 in the last eight appearances in this bowl. To say it has been a struggle for the MAC in Mobile is an understatement.

Connor Bazelak finished 32-of-49 with 390 yards and three touchdowns, surpassing 12,000 career passing yards in the second quarter. Harold Fannin Jr. had a statline worthy of an All-American, with 17 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown, setting multiple FBS records in the process, including most single-season yards and single-season receptions by a tight end. The Falcons only had 46 rush yards as a team, against Arkansas State’s 128 yards.

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Plays of the Game

Bowling Green’s play of the game belongs to Baron May with the trickery to get the Falcons on the board.

Arkansas State’s play of the game is Courtney Jackson’s punt return touchdown that really set the tone for what would come.