Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) warms up before Arkansas State Red Wolves take on the Northern Illinois Huskies during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

Arkansas State outguns Bowling Green to take 68 Ventures Bowl

Jaylen Raynor completed 18 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdown connections to Corey Rucker as Arkansas State fended 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 year running.

Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. finished with career highs of 17 receptions and 213 yards with a touchdown, and he broke 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 James Casey, 111 for Rice in 2008). Fannin ended his season with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards.

Bowling Green trailed 24-21 at halftime and received the ball to start the second half. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Terion Stewart was stripped of the ball 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 the game. He gained 59 yards on six straight rushes, the final of which was a 14-yard touchdown with 3:10 to go.

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 had backup QB Baron May disguise himself as the punter. May tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr.

Raynor’s 5-yard TD run put Arkansas State ahead 17-7. Bazelak responded 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, punctuating 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

Bowling Green Falcons tight end Harold Fannin Jr (0) makes a touchdown catch during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

‘Dark era’ over, Bowling Green sizes up Arkansas State in 68 Ventures Bowl

Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler is happy for the seniors on his roster who persevered through what he called the program’s “dark era.”

The Falcons’ senior class would love nothing more than to go out with a win in the 68 Ventures Bowl against Arkansas State on Thursday in Mobile, Ala.

Bowling Green (7-5) last won a bowl game in 2014. The program suffered seven straight losing seasons from 2016-22, exceeding four wins just once before its recent turnaround.

“I’m super proud of the guys that have been part of this program for four, five and six years,” Loeffler said, per the Toledo Blade. “They were part of the dark era, as I would say, and they really have made this place a competitive, hard-working, do-right program.”

One subplot is star tight end Harold Fannin Jr.’s pursuit of multiple FBS records.

Fannin enters the bowl game with 100 receptions for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns. If he gains just 11 yards against Arkansas State, Fannin will break Jace Amaro’s single-season record for tight ends set in 2013. Fannin is also 12 catches away from setting the single-season receptions record at the position (James Casey, 111, 2008).

Fannin was the first tight end in FBS history to be named a conference’s player of the year when the Mid-American Conference gave him the honor.

“He’s phenomenal. Phenomenal athlete, really good guy, too,” Falcons linebacker Brock Horne said. “… Obviously, he helped out the team a ton, and just looking forward to him putting the orange and brown on one more time and having a good bowl game.”

“He needs to go to the National Football League as fast as he can,” Loeffler added.

Arkansas State (7-5) won four of its final six games in the regular season to join the ranks of the bowl-eligible. The Red Wolves’ last winning season was 2019, which was capped off by their most recent bowl win.

It’s been their best showing under coaching veteran Butch Jones, who’s led Cincinnati and Tennessee to bowl victories before.

“We have to be better than we were (at Monday’s practice) from a fundamental execution standpoint, from a habit standpoint,” Jones said. “All that goes into playing winning football. But I like our mindset so far.”

Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor threw for 2,562 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Zak Wallace led a multipronged rushing attack with 622 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The greater concern is the Red Wolves’ defense, which allowed 32.3 points per game and 460.7 yards per game, the latter ranking sixth-to-worst in FBS.

“Obviously we’ve been decimated up front in the defensive line with some season-ending injuries,” Jones said. “But right now, we’re as healthy as we can possibly be since going through a long season.”

Bowling Green, conversely, allowed just 20.3 points per game.

Falcons quarterback Connor Bazelak passed for 2,654 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Terion Stewart led the ground game with 890 yards and six scores.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

No. 25 Texas A&M fends off Bowling Green 26-20

Marcel Reed threw two touchdown passes and Randy Bond kicked four field goals as No. 25 Texas A&M held on for a 26-20 victory over pesky Bowling Green on Saturday night in College Station.

Making his second straight start in place of Connor Weigman, who is dealing with a right AC sprain, Reed was even more effective than he was in last week’s win at Florida.

Reed completed 16 of 29 passes for 173 yards and effectively moved the offense as Texas A&M (3-1) converted 21 first downs and never trailed.

Reed threw a 27-yard TD to Theo Melin Ohrstrom about five minutes into the game and connected with Jahdae Walker on a 5-yard score with 10:43 left in the third.

Reed also gained a career-high 91 yards on the ground as the Aggies totaled 235 rushing yards after averaging 263 through their first three games.

After missing two field goals in four tries last week, Bond converted from 28 and 29 yards in the second quarter. He also kicked field goals of 34 and 42 yards in the fourth quarter after Texas A&M allowed Bowling Green (1-2) to get within 20-17.

Bowling Green’s Connor Bazelak completed 20 of 36 passes for 250 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Harold Fannin Jr. finished with eight receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons, who gave Penn State trouble two weeks ago.
The Aggies took a 13-3 lead by halftime, but Fannin’s 65-yard reception on Bowling Green’s first play of the second half made it a three-point game. Walker’s TD made it 20-10, and the Aggies came up with a big defensive stand in the third after Rahkeem Smith’s 40-yard TD run got Bowling Green within 20-17 with 5:24 left.

With 2:56 left, Bowling Green’s Trey Johnson recovered a blocked punt, but Jackson Klather’s 28-yard field goal try sailed wide right.

The Aggies appeared to clinch the win when Marcus Ratcliffe intercepted Bazelak with 1:41 remaining. Five seconds later Moss fumbled and Kleather hit a 23-yard field goal with 38 seconds left but the Aggies recovered an onside kick to seal the win.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) rushes for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Drew Allar paces No. 8 Penn State past Bowling Green

Drew Allar threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as No. 8 Penn State rallied in the second half to a 34-27 win over Bowling Green on Saturday in State College, Pa.

Allar completed 13 of 20 passes for 204 yards with an interception. He gave the Nittany Lions (2-0) a 27-24 lead with 6:13 left in the third quarter on a 14-yard scoring strike to Nicholas Singleton.

Singleton added the clinching touchdown with 4:09 left in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard touchdown run, the highlight of his 119-yard effort in 13 carries.

Connor Bazelak completed 25 of 39 passes for 254 yards with two scores and two interceptions for the Falcons (1-1). They rolled up 286 yards in the first half but managed just 88 after halftime.

Jackson Kleather nailed a 42-yard field goal with 47 seconds remaining in the game to draw Bowling Green within seven points. But Penn State recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.

Penn State came into the game as a whopping 34-point favorite but Bazelak and Bowling Green served immediate notice that this would not be an easy tuneup. The Falcons scored the first three times they touched the ball.

Bazelak hit Harold Fannin Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown just 2:21 into the game, then led a drive of nearly 5 1/2 minutes that resulted in a 33-yard field goal from Kleather. When Bazelak found Malcolm Johnson Jr. for a 15-yard score at the 12:48 mark of the second quarter, the Falcons led 17-7.

Allar, who rushed for a 5-yard touchdown on the Nittany Lions’ first possession, connected with Omari Evans for a 29-yard strike to make it 17-14 with 11:48 remaining. Penn State tied it with a 43-yard field goal by Sander Sahaydak with 5:28 left.

But Bowling Green regained the lead less than two minutes later on a 41-yard run by Jamal Johnson. Sahaydak hit from 28 with 14 seconds on the clock but the Falcons took a stunning 24-20 edge into halftime.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Zane Durant (28) celebrates after a stop during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 8 Penn State, proud of improved defense, faces Bowling Green

Much was made of the improved big-play capability of No. 8 Penn State on offense last week in its season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia.

But coach James Franklin noted that the Nittany Lions, who host Bowling Green on Saturday in State College, Pa., weren’t too shabby on defense.

“No one is talking about our defense and our defense played really well,” he said Monday. “Better in points per possession, better in explosive plays. Better in total yards allowed, better in rushing yards allowed. Our defense played better, and they played better on the road.”

Penn State won’t have to worry about the road for a while, either. This game starts a stretch of four in a row at home. With a bye week tossed in next week, the Nittany Lions won’t have to travel again until an Oct. 12 trip to Southern California.

Their defense allowed only 246 total yards at West Virginia, including just 85 on the ground, and forced three turnovers. Teamed with an offense that rolled up 457 total yards and created four plays of at least 40 yards, it led to one of the more impressive wins of the opening week.

Quarterback Drew Allar was 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns — all in the second quarter. Harrison Wallace caught five passes for 117 yards and two scores, including a 50-yarder on the first play of the second quarter and an 18-yarder with six seconds remaining in the first half for a 20-6 lead at intermission.

“We were very intentional on growing that and developing that,” Allar said of the increase in big plays. “It’s fun to be in a system like that, for sure. We really prepared well throughout the week as an offense.”

It wasn’t all passing, though. Penn State also got 114 rushing yards from Nick Singleton, including a 40-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter after a lightning delay of more than two hours.

Meanwhile, Bowling Green also cruised in its season opener on Aug. 29, drilling FCS opponent Fordham 41-17. Justin Pegues returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and Terion Stewart rushed for 161 yards and three scores, including a 73-yarder in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons also got 168 passing yards from Connor Bazelak, who added a rushing touchdown. Bazelak, who previously played at Missouri and Indiana, has thrown for 9,473 yards in his career and will be starting his 42nd career game on Saturday.

Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler said his team will be challenged to communicate in front of a big crowd at Beaver Stadium.

“We got to be on point,” Loeffler said. “We got to know exactly what to do because it’s hard to hear. It is a loud place; the student section will be rocking and rolling. There’s a lot of challenge to it. There’ll be an unbelievable amount of people when you’re just warming up.”

The Falcons have lost both previous matchups with the Nittany Lions, with the last meeting coming in 1998, when Penn State cruised to a 48-3 victory.

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2023; Detroit, MI, USA;  Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs the ball against the Bowling Green Falcons in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Quick Lane Bowl: Darius Taylor runs wild as Minnesota beats Bowling Green

Darius Taylor had 35 carries for 208 yards and a touchdown, and Minnesota held on for a 30-24 win over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl on Tuesday afternoon in Detroit.

Cole Kramer passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more for Minnesota (6-7), which won its seventh straight bowl game. Elijah Spencer and Jameson Geers had one touchdown catch apiece.

Connor Bazelak passed for 221 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score for Bowling Green (7-6). Odieu Hiliare had 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown, and PaSean Wimberly led the way on the ground with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Kramer won in unlikely fashion in an unexpected start. He completed 8 of 16 passes for only 26 yards as the replacement for season-long starter Athan Kaliakmanis, who entered the transfer portal last month.

The Golden Gophers pulled ahead for good with two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Kramer delivered the go-ahead score on a 1-yard quarterback keeper with 9:20 to go in the third quarter. That gave Minnesota a 16-10 edge.

On the Golden Gophers’ next drive, Kramer came through with his arm. He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Geers to increase Minnesota’s lead to 23-10.

Bowling Green cut the deficit to 23-17 with 11:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. Wimberly took the handoff on a jet sweep and raced down the right sideline for an 18-yard score.

Minnesota answered with a touchdown on its next drive to grab a 30-17 lead. Taylor added to his dominant day with a 17-yard rushing score.

Bazelak brought the Falcons within 30-24 with 2:33 to go. He stretched across the goal line for a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

Minnesota recovered the onside kick moments later.

Bowling Green opened the scoring with a big play on its first possession. Bazelak launched a deep pass down the middle of the field and found Hiliare for a 46-yard touchdown.

Minnesota pulled within 7-6 midway through the first quarter. Spencer hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass, but the Golden Gophers’ two-point conversion attempt failed moments later.

A 31-yard field goal by Dragan Kesich gave Minnesota a 9-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Bowling Green regained a 10-9 advantage with 1:38 remaining before halftime when Alan Anaya made a 33-yard field goal.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Bowling Green Falcons head coach Scot Loeffler looks on before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Bowling Green meets Minnesota in return to Quick Lane Bowl

Bowling Green might experience deja vu when it squares off against Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl on Tuesday afternoon at Ford Field in Detroit.

The Falcons are back in the Quick Lane Bowl for the second straight year. Their latest invitation followed a 7-5 season that included a 5-3 record in the MAC.

Falcons coach Scot Loeffler jumped at the chance to make the 90-minute trip north from campus in Bowling Green, Ohio.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to return to Detroit, which is in our recruiting footprint,” he said.

Bowling Green faces a Minnesota team looking to finish on a positive note after posting a 5-7 record overall and going 3-6 in the Big Ten.

The Golden Gophers were the only team with a sub-.500 record to earn a bowl invite. That is because there were not enough teams that finished 6-6 or better to fill all the bowl slots, and Minnesota was first in line among the five-win teams because of the team’s academic marks.

“We’ll always accept a bowl bid — always,” Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.

Minnesota has won six consecutive bowl games, including four straight with Fleck as coach. This will be Fleck’s fifth bowl appearance, which ranks second in school history behind only Glen Mason, who made seven from 1997-2006.

Meanwhile, Bowling Green is looking for its first bowl victory since 2014 when it won the Camellia Bowl. The Falcons have lost their last two bowl games, including a 24-19 setback against New Mexico State in last year’s Quick Lane Bowl.

Bowling Green is led by Connor Bazelak, who passed for 1,709 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. Camden Orth also earned time under center and tallied 486 passing yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Terion Stewart was Bowling Green’s leading rusher with 762 yards and eight touchdowns. The top receiving target was tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who compiled 573 yards and six scores.

Minnesota turns to Cole Kramer at quarterback for the first time this season. Kramer replaces Athan Kaliakmanis, who started every game this season but has entered the transfer portal.

The Golden Gophers’ top rusher is Darius Taylor, who had 591 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season. Wide receiver Daniel Jackson led the team with 831 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Kramer, a senior, thought that his college football days were finished after the Golden Gophers’ last game. Now he finds himself as an unlikely starter for a team that did not expect to reach a bowl.

“You know, it’s crazy to see all these things unfold,” Kramer said.

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the programs. They last played in 2021, when Bowling Green held on for a 14-10 win on the Golden Gophers’ home field in Minneapolis.

Loeffler said he expected Minnesota to be “hungry to play.”

“Our game against them two years ago was a physical battle to the end,” Loeffler said. “And this one will be, too. It will be an exciting game for both programs.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bowling Green Falcons quarterback Camden Orth (12) tries to score at the pylon past Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Kenan Johnson (10) during the first half at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Big underdog Bowling Green drubs Ga. Tech, 38-27

Connor Bazelak threw for 263 yards and one touchdown and ran for another as Bowling Green went into Atlanta as a three-touchdown underdog and defeated Georgia Tech 38-27 in Saturday’s nonconference matchup.

Terion Stewart rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, and Finn Hogan made six receptions for 102 yards, including a spectacular scoring catch in the second quarter, for Bowling Green (2-3). Bazelak went 21-of-32 passing.

The Falcons trailed 14-0 less than six minutes into the game but finished with 438 total yards to 417 for the Yellow Jackets and dominated time of possession 42:45 to 17:15.

Leading 17-14 coming out of halftime, Bowling Green went 75 yards on seven plays, capped by Bazelak’s 1-yard run. A 50-yard completion to Hogan on the first play set up the score.

Georgia Tech tried to answer, but its 62-yard drive to the Falcons’ 14-yard line ended when quarterback Haynes King couldn’t convert a fourth-and-1 rush.

Bowling Green then marched down the field again, covering 86 yards on 10 plays and scoring on Stewart’s 6-yard run for a 31-14 lead.

Deshawn Jones Jr. made it 38-14 on his 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.

King completed 23 of 37 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions for Georgia Tech (2-3), which added Malik Rutherford’s 15-yard scoring catch in the closing seconds of the third quarter. King threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Abdul Janneh with 1:35 left in the game.

Dominick Blaylock made seven catches for 131 yards, and Eric Singleton Jr. had three for 75 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech led 14-10 early but opened the door for Bowling Green in the second quarter. From punt formation near midfield, the Yellow Jackets’ snap hit one of the up blockers, and Hogan made the recovery at the Georgia Tech 40.

Hogan then capped a 10-play drive with a highlight-reel 14-yard catch from Bazelak as he was being dragged down in the end zone for a 17-14 lead with 2:37 left in the half.

The Yellow Jackets scored first when King found Singleton wide open for a 53-yard touchdown. On their next possession, King connected with Christian Leary on an 11-yard touchdown for a 14-0 lead.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton, Jr. (13) reacts with offensive linemen Jordan Williams (54) and Connor Scaglione (65) during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech carries momentum into date with Bowling Green

As his Yellow Jackets pause from their conference schedule, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key relished what he saw — and heard — from his team last week.

Georgia Tech (2-2) returns to Atlanta to host Bowling Green (1-3) of the Mid-American Conference on Saturday after back-to-back road games, including last week’s 30-16 win at Wake Forest in Atlantic Coast Conference action.

With Georgia Tech leading 20-9 and its offense facing third-and-6 at the Wake Forest 35-yard line, Key said he told his defense he was going to try a fourth-down conversion if needed. An incomplete pass did indeed make it fourth down.

“And the defense said, ‘Go coach. We got your back. We got the offense’s back.’ And that was the first time this year that I’ve heard this team … the first time there was a little rally around each other. And I’m almost getting chill bumps thinking about it right now because that’s a major step in … the building of a football team,” Key said.

Another incompletion gave the ball to Wake Forest, and the Yellow Jackets’ defense responded. Andre White Jr. sacked Mitch Griffis, Georgia Tech’s Zeek Biggers recovered, and Aidan Birr later kicked a 27-yard field goal for a 23-9 lead.

Kyle Kennard had four of the Yellow Jackets’ seven sacks, and Jaylon King had two of their three interceptions.

Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler sounded at times perplexed, hopeful and angry in meeting with reporters this week.

Perplexed because his Falcons, who hung around at No. 2 Michigan for most of the first half before losing 31-6 on Sept. 16, endured a horrendous start last week in a 38-7 loss to Ohio in each team’s MAC opener.

Bowling Green’s first nine possessions consisted of two fumbles returned for touchdowns, two interceptions, a turnover on downs deep in Ohio territory, and four punts after drives that gained a combined 25 yards.

“Right now, what we are is a team (that) can beat anyone, can play against Michigan, can play as a good a half … with a top-two opponent, and then we can go out and look like that,” Loeffler said.

Georgia Tech won the only previous meeting with Bowling Green in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;  Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum (2) celebrates with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) after scoring a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Corum, No. 2 Michigan handle Bowling Green

Blake Corum rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and No. 2 Michigan endured a mistake-prone first half before beating Bowling Green 31-6 Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.

J.J. McCarthy went 8-for-13 passing for 143 yards for Michigan (3-0). He completed touchdown passes to Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson but also tossed three interceptions.

The Michigan defense held Bowling Green (1-2) to 205 total yards, tallying three sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Mike Sainristil had a sack and two tackles for loss for the Wolverines, who have allowed just 16 points through three games.

Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak was a late scratch with a calf injury. Camden Orth started but left with an unspecified injury in the second quarter, and Hayden Timosciek took over, making his college debut.

Orth and Timosciek combined to complete 14 of 21 passes for 124 yards. Timosciek threw two interceptions.

Bowling Green linebacker Demetrius Hardamon suffered a serious injury making a tackle in the third quarter. He was carted off on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital.

Corum’s 54-yard run on the Wolverines’ first play on offense set them up to strike first. Corum did the honors from 4 yards out for a 7-0 lead at the 10:44 mark of the quarter.

The Wolverines nearly doubled their lead on the next drive, but McCarthy’s pass intended for Wilson in the end zone was picked off by Jalen Huskey for a touchback. Bowling Green turned that into a 12-play, 62-yard drive ending in Alan Anaya’s 36-yard field goal with 14:13 left in the half.

Bowling Green kicked the ensuing kickoff short and Max Bredeson fumbled the return. The Falcons recovered but only managed another Anaya field goal, this time from 42 yards, making it 7-6.

Michigan made it three straight turnovers when McCarthy’s deep pass was intercepted by Jordan Oladokun. But the Wolverines forced a punt and McCarthy hit Wilson for a 33-yard strike with 4:15 left, resulting in a 14-6 halftime lead.

On the first play of the third quarter, Timosciek backpedaled and floated a pass that defensive tackle Kris Jenkins snagged and returned to the 2. Corum reached the end zone on the next play.

Jaylen Harrell stripped Timosciek on the next drive, leading to a 42-yard field goal by James Turner and a 24-6 Michigan lead.

On their next possession, the Wolverines pulled off a flea flicker and Johnson juggled the catch away from his defender before securing it for a 50-yard touchdown with 6:28 left in the third.

Avi McGary had the third Bowling Green interception of McCarthy.

–Field Level Media