Bowl season has treated us to incredible game after incredible game. Earlier in the day, Pitt and Toledo needed six overtimes. Then, Kansas State mounted an incredible comeback to beat Rutgers. The 68 Ventures Bowl had to keep the fun going and did so with a 38-31 Arkansas State win over Bowling Green.
This is the Red Wolves’ third bowl win in Mobile, Alabama (two wins when it was the GoDaddy.com Bowl) out of five tries. With the loss, Bowling Green has dropped four bowls in a row and eight of its last nine dating back to 2008.
Arkansas State Wins Exciting 68 Ventures Bowl Over Bowling Green
One for the History Books
Heading into the game, Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin, Jr. was easily the most prolific tight end in college football and was a hair behind Nick Nash for receptions and yards. In terms of all-time, Fannin was closing in on the greatest season ever put together by a tight end. He needed only 10 yards and 12 receptions away from setting both the single-season mark for yards and receptions from a tight end.
On the night, he not only overtook Nash and set the all-time single-season marks by a tight end, he obliterated them.
In what has become commonplace, Fannin was the Bowling Green offense. Connor Bazelak threw for 390 yards and three touchdowns. Fannin accounted for 213 of those yards and one touchdown on a circus catch off a tipped pass. He was the leading receiver on the day. If “Harold Fannin after the catch” was a player, he would have been the second-leading player in the game with 115 yards.
If he manages to hold onto the top receiving yards spot with 1,555 yards, Fannin will become the first tight end to ever end the year leading the nation in yards. The Falcons’ first-ever consensus All-American was one list away from being a unanimous First-Team All-American and this performance showed why he belongs.
Fannin likely ends his Bowling Green career with 2,396 yards and 17 touchdowns off 180 receptions.
Not So Special Teams
This game will be teaching tape for both sides of special teams units. For every eye-popping play, there was a crucial meltdown for both teams.
For Arkansas State, there were some great moments. The first touchdown of the game came off a 60-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter off the first Bowling Green drive. Courtney Jackson fielded the punt, found a seam, broke contain down the left side of the field, and was gone. Then, on the next Bowling Green drive, the pendulum swung the other way.
The Red Wolves forced a punt but the Falcons had a trick up their sleeve. Baron May, a third-string junior quarterback, changed his number before the game to 18. He took the snap and found Malcom Johnson, Jr. wide open for the score. The genius of the play was the fact that May essentially disguised himself as the punter, John Henderson, who wears 19. The Falcons caught the Red Wolves unaware and it paid off.
Arkansas State did get the upper hand in the field goal stat line. While it did miss once, Bowling Green was worse. Zach Long’s first field goal attempt was blocked. His second attempt missed wide right. Long converted from 38 on his third attempt but on his fourth kick, down seven, he missed wide left.
Big Players Making Big Plays
The stars were out in the 68 Ventures Bowl. While Bowling Green had Fannin, Arkansas State had Zak Wallace and Corey Rucker.
The biggest non-special teams play on the day was on second and seven on Arkansas State’s own 21-yard-line. Rucker blew by the Bowling Green secondary on what looked to be a blown coverage and scored a 79-yard touchdown with ease. He was a threat all day and broke through to put the Red Wolves up by 10. Rucker finished the day with 107 yards and two touchdowns off just four receptions.
On the ground, Wallace was hitting the Falcons with body blow after body blow. He was easily the best running back on the field and showed it with his 99 yards off 15 carries. After getting the ball back after the teams traded three-and-outs, Wallace paid off an eight-play, 68-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown to put Arkansas State up by 14.
The 68 Ventures Bowl was closer than the score suggests. Now, the MAC has dropped each of the last eight 68 Ventures Bowls (and various other names) dating back to 2015. The Sun Belt is 9-0.
