Arkansas State tops Bowling Green to take the 68 Ventures Bowl

Jaylen Raynor completed 18 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns connecting with Corey Rucker as Arkansas State held off Bowling Green 38-31 to win the 68 Ventures Bowl on Thursday night in Mobile, Ala.

Rucker finished with four catches for 107 yards and Zak Wallace rushed 15 times for 99 yards and a score for the Red Wolves (8-5), who earned their first bowl win since 2019. Courtney Jackson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.

Connor Bazelak went 32-for-49 passing for a season-high 390 yards and three touchdowns for Bowling Green (7-6), which lost a bowl game for the third straight year.

Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. finished with a career-high 17 receptions and 213 yards with a touchdown, breaking two major FBS records along the way.

Fannin set the single-season tight end records for receiving yards (previously held by Jace Amaro, 1,352 for Texas Tech in 2013) and receptions (previously held by James Casey, 111 for Rice in 2008). Fannin finished his season with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards.

Trailing 24-21 at halftime, Bowling Green received the ball to start the second half. But on the first play from scrimmage, Terion Stewart was stripped and Arkansas State’s Noah Collins recovered. Raynor threw his second touchdown to Rucker, this one from 6 yards out, for a 10-point Red Wolves lead.

The Falcons cut it to seven before the end of the third, but their next three drives ended in a turnover on downs, a missed field goal and a punt.

Arkansas State turned to Wallace to close out the game. He gained 59 yards on six straight rushes, the last of which was a 14-yard touchdown with 3:10 left.

Wallace’s insurance score was crucial as Bowling Green scored late on Bazelak’s 23-yard pass to Rahkeem Smith (seven catches, 97 yards).

The Red Wolves held an early 10-0 lead after Jackson broke down the left side on his punt return TD less than seven minutes into the game.

Bowling Green got revenge on its second possession when it got backup QB Baron May disguised as the punter. May threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr.

Raynor’s 5-yard TD run put Arkansas State ahead 17-7. Bazelak answered with 6:46 left in the second quarter, hitting Jaison Patterson for an 8-yard score.

Raynor hit Rucker over the top for a 79-yard catch-and-run score that capped a 93-yard drive.

The Falcons drove to the 4-yard line and Bazelak threw to the end zone with 1:36 left. His pass went in and out of a defender’s hands and Fannin caught it as he fell to the ground.

–Field-level media