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Putting The Bowl In Bowling Green: BGSU Clinches Bowl Eligibility With 31-13 Win Over WMU

Ziggyville Population: 1,156
Tue, Nov 12, 2024

Ziggyville Population: 1,156
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team secured a 31-13 MACtion win over the Western Michigan Broncos Tuesday night (Nov. 12) at Doyt L. Perry Stadium. The Falcons fell behind 7-3 early in the second quarter, but rattled off 28 unanswered points with two touchdowns in both the second and third quarters. The win clinches bowl eligibility for the Falcons with their sixth victory of the season and propels the Orange and Brown to 5-1 within the Mid-American Conference.

Harold Fannin Jr. paced the Falcons with 10 catches for 137 yards and two scores, breaking the program's career record for touchdown receptions by a tight end. The yardage also put Fannin at the top of the nation's receivers list for receiving yardage. On the ground, Terion Stewart added 15 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Western Michigan won the opening coin toss and elected to receive with Bowling Green defending the north end zone. 
  • On the first defensive possession, the Falcons forced a three-and-out with a punt, giving BGSU possession for the first time in the game.
  • Bowling Green's first offensive drive ate 4:35 off the clock, going 37 yards on 12 plays, ending in a career-long 50-yard field goal from Zach Long for a 3-0 BGSU lead.
  • The Falcon defense continued the hot start, forcing a second three-and-out in as many drives, sending the Broncos back six yards in total on the drive.
  • Western Michigan scored the first points of the second quarter, tallying a touchdown for a 7-3 score.
  • Following the touchdown, a muffed kick was recovered by Western Michigan. The BGSU defense registered back-to-back sacks, one by Ali Saad and one by Brock Horne, to help force a three-and-out.
  • Coming off the three-and-out, the Falcons worked their way downfield. Terion Stewart started the drive with a 19-yard carry followed by a 21-yard completion to Harold Fannin Jr. The drive continued with a 12-yard catch to Malcom Johnson before Fannin capped off the drive with a 25-yard touchdown reception.
  • On the kickoff, Western Michigan muffed the kick but recovered. On the first play of the drive, Jacorey Benjamin jumped the route for the interception, giving the Falcons the ball at the WMU 26.
  • Stewart got the Falcons down to the one with a 23-yard carry before Bazalek pushed it across with a one-yard QB sneak, pushing the BGSU advantage to 17-7.
  • With 44 seconds left in the half, Western Michigan missed a 50-yard field goal to keep the score at 17-7 with the score remaining until the half.
  • On the first drive of the second half, the Falcons put together a seven-play 65-yard drive that was capped off by a Stewart score, rushing it in from 17-yards out to increase the lead to 24-7.
  • Western Michigan took possession, but sacks by Anthony Hawkins and Charles Rosser helped force a WMU punt.
  • Bowling Green's drive was jump started by a 60-yard rush from Stewart to put the Falcons on the WMU 10. Connor Bazelak found Fannin in the end zone for the touchdown, pushing the lead to 31-7. 
  • Western Michigan answered with a touchdown on their next drive, but were denied the two-point try for a 31-13 score.
  • The next BGSU drive began the way the last one ended, with a Fannin catch, this one going for 29 yards. 
  • The following Bronco drive was stalled by a Jordan Porter sack on third down. WMU attempted to go for it, but the Falcons halted the try for a turnover on downs. 
  • With 50 seconds left in the game, Todd Bumphis hauled in an interception in the end zone to confirm the win for the Falcons. 

There Goes That Man 😤

Harold Fannin Jr. breaks the BGSU single-season record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end. His eighth receiving TD of the season came on this 10-yard pass by Connor Bazelak. It was Fannin's second of the game. BGSU leads, 31-7.

📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/RQJVbOQM9n

— BGSU Football (@BG_Football)
November 13, 2024

GAME NOTES

  • Bowling Green is bowl-eligible for the third year in a row. It is the first time BGSU was bowl-eligible for three years in a row since going to four bowl games from 2012-15.
  •  BGSU held Western Michigan to 97 yards rushing. The Falcons and Ohio State are the only teams this year to hold WMU under 100 yards rushing in a game. 
  • BGSU also held WMU to 292 yards of total offense. BGSU, Ohio State (99) and Wisconsin (261) are the only teams to hold WMU under 300 yards of offense this season.
  • With 10 receptions, TE Harold Fannin Jr. has at least one reception in 28-straight games.
  • The 10 receptions pushed Fannin past Mark Dowdell (1981-84, 138) for No. 1 all-time in the BGSU record book for receptions by a tight end. Fannin now has 146.
  • Fannin finished with two receiving touchdowns, giving him eight for the season. The eight receiving touchdowns break the BGSU single-season record for receiving touchdowns in a season. He extends his BGSU career record for the same category to 15 receiving touchdowns.
  • Fannin finished with 137 receiving yards. It is the sixth time this year he has surpassed 100 receiving yards, extending his program record for a tight end. It also extends his BGSU record for a tight end for a career to seven.
  • Fannin's 137 yards is tied for No. 5 all-time in BGSU history for most receiving yards in a game for a tight end. It tied Fannin's output at Penn State earlier this year.
  • Fannin now has 1,170 receiving yards on the season, which is No. 5 all-time for a season by a tight end in FBS history. He currently leads the nation in receiving. 
  • RB Terion Stewart rushed for 150 yards. It marks his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and 10th of his career. Stewart is now tied for No. 6 all-time in BGSU history in 100-yard rushing games. He shares the spot with Bryant Jones, Anthon Samuel and Fred Coppet.
  • Stewart moved passed Willie Geter (2,156) for No. 10 all-time in BGSU history in career rushing yards. Stewart now has 2,293.
  • QB Connor Bazelak finished with 176 passing yards. He became the 16th Falcon all-time to throw for 4,000+ yards. 
  • PK Zach Long knocked a career-long 50-yard field goal on the first possession.  

STAT LEADERS (CHECK!)

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"I'd like to start off by thanking everyone for coming out to the game. All the students, these weekday games are tough, really appreciate all of the support. We've got great fans. We've got great students, great faculty, and really appreciate everyone coming out. But I am super happy with our kids. We challenged our defense all week long. We said we felt that this was the best rushing team in the league, and we shut the runs down…I thought we ran the ball really well. I think we had a couple explosion plays that we dropped, but we'll get that cleaned up. I think Connor Bazelak is the best quarterback in this league, and I've said that a hundred times, he's excellent. He takes care of the ball and hand protection. He played really well, and I thought our offensive line played really well. The backs played well. Receivers played well. Harold played like normal, pretty good. And just like I said I think our defense played really well. I think the interception that [Jacorey Benjamin] had was ridiculous. I thought our defensive front did an unbelievable job versus a really good offensive line. Special teams played well besides the kickoff. And the good thing is I hear that Bam [Booker] is going to be okay. It was a really scary deal, and we don't want that to happen in this game, any game. But I think he's going to be ok. Kind of everything that we've heard is good news… I think were going to take some time off. We're going to come in here tomorrow. We're going to evaluate this tape and watch it as a team, and we'll have a good couple of days to get healthy. I thought our support staff did an unbelievable job. I thought the trainers did a great job… Just like I said, in this league, it's really hard. One week at a time. We're going to find a way to be 1-0 next week against a really really well coached football team… We've been through a stretch in the middle of the season that was crazy, preposterous, like I said, when we get to the right time, I'm going to voice my opinion about all of that, but that's in the past. But, we're going to keep worrying about our program. I'm going to keep worrying about the kids, and keep loving each other, keep fighting, and keep moving the needle, and keep improving."  -- Scot Loeffler

UP NEXT

  • Bowling Green heads on the road for the final time during the 2024 regular season, taking on Ball State on Nov. 23 with a 2 p.m. kick.
  • The Falcons will return home for the regular season finale on Black Friday. BGSU will host Miami (OH) on Nov. 29 for a 12 p.m. start.

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