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.
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
