ARKANSAS STATE OUTDUELS FANNIN, BOWLING GREEN IN 26TH 68 VENTURES BOWL VICTORY
The Red Wolves improved to 3-2 all-time in the 68 Ventures Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. – Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. stole the show, but the Red Wolves of Arkansas State took home the gold by virtue of a 38-31 win in the 2024 edition of the 68 Ventures Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Thursday.
Fannin, a consensus All-American who figures to factor heavily into NFL Draft talk in the coming months, set the FBS single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 17 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown.
That effort brought Fannin’s season total to 117 receptions for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns, and was more than enough to make him the game’s most valuable player.
Arkansas State (8-5), though, used timely scoring, a smattering of special teams plays, and a late surge in rushing yards to edge Bowling Green (7-6).
Red Wolves tailback Zak Wallace, who had been kept relatively quiet through the first three-and-a-half quarter proved the hero late carrying the ball up the middle for positive yardage on Arkansas State’s last eight offense plays, an octet of rushes that included a game-deciding 14-yard touchdown and a 19-yard run on a key third-and-three to ice the game.
A-State career receiving leader Corey Rucker finished with four catches for 107 yards and two scores.
“It was a great win and means so much to our football program,” A-State head coach Butch Jones said. “The overall key to playing great defense was to tackle and play in space and we were able to do that today.”
Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor was named the game’s offensive MVP after posting 221 yards and two touchdowns on 18-for-30 passing. He also rushed for one score.
Red Wolves safety Justin Parks, who made 10 tackles and forced a fumble, was named the 68 Ventures Bowl defensive MVP and Arkansas State’s Courtney Jackson, who scored the game’s first touchdown on a 60-yard punt return – the first in 68 Ventures Bowl history, was named special teams MVP.
Although the Red Wolves never trailed, the game remained close throughout
The first half featured a little bit of everything as the Falcons and Red Wolves took turns logging trick plays and special teams superlatives.
Arkansas State jumped out to a 10-0 lead with a 46-yard field goal by Clune Van Andel and Jackson’s punt return.
Undeterred, the Falcons answered with a touchdown on a fake punt that Bowling Green orchestrated by sneaking backup quarterback Baron May, who wears jersey No. 18, into the game instead of punter John Henderson, who wears No. 19.
May moved as though he would punt then quickly snapped into a passing posture and hit a streaking Malcolm Johnson Jr. for a 43-yards touchdown.
Arkansas State responded late in the first quarter with an 8-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown Raynor.
The Falcons, however, quickly pulled to within 17-14 of the lead with an 8-play, 77-yard drive in the second quarter, an effort that ended with an 8-yard pass from Connor Bazelak to Jaison Patterson.
But, Raynor hit Rucker for a 79-yard touchdown two minutes later to extend the Red Wolves lead to 10 points.
Fannin was the unquestioned individual star of the first half, catching 11 passes for 137 yards, including a nifty grab of a deflected ball in the end zone for a 4-yard score.
The difference in the first half, though, was what the Falcons failed to do, specifically connect on a pair of field goals.
Arkansas State defensive lineman Marcus Bradley blocked a 43-yard attempt by Zach Long in the second quarter. Long missed what would have been a game-tying 39-yarder in the waning seconds of the second quarter to send the game to the break with the Red Wolves ahead 24-21.
Long connected on a 38-yard attempt in the third quarter but missed wide left on a 32-yard attempt in the fourth.
— 68VenturesBowl.com —
