For the final time this season, Bowling Green head football coach Scot Loeffler gave his thoughts to the media on the season and the team’s bowl bid.
“[We’re] Super excited to go to our third straight bowl game,” he said. “I said to our team, the challenge will be for us to find a way to get our eighth win and get a bowl win.”
For the first time since 2015, Bowling Green will be playing somewhere other than Ford Field for their bowl game, earning entry to the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Dec. 26.
For BG, it means more than just winning – it means all 30+ seniors get to go out with a bowl victory under their belts.
“We would like to send these seniors off the right way. I’m super proud of the guys that have been part of this program for four, five, and six years – they were part of ‘The Dark Era,’ as I like to call it,” Loeffler continued.
Arkansas State, coming from the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), is led by a face familiar to Loeffler.
Butch Jones, who has been from the Mid-American Conference to the Big East, to the SEC, and now the Sun Belt, shared a spot on Central Michigan’s offensive staff with Loeffler.
For 2000 and 2001, Loeffler served as the Chippewas’ quarterbacks coach while Jones split time as the running backs coach and the offensive coordinator.
“Butch and I go back a long way, way before Central Michigan,” Loeffler said. “He’s done a great job, he’s had a great career, coached at some great places, won championships…He’s got a really good formula.”
The big news that many fans were holding out for was the availability of a certain tight end, and Loeffler says that Harold Fannin Jr. will indeed suit up for the bowl game.
Junior linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr., who is currently in the transfer portal, also announced via Twitter/X that he will play in the bowl as well.
“All the guys right now that are starters are projected to play,” Loeffler said. “That doesn’t shock me; they’re a tight group. They still have a bad taste in their mouth right now, too, and they want to make sure that they find a way to walk out of Bowling Green and win a bowl game.”
A win would be the first bowl victory of Loeffler’s tenure and push Bowling Green to the eight-win mark, which would be their best season since 2015 under Dino Babers.
“I know we haven’t won a bowl game here in like 10 years, so that would be awesome to get, and then to get our eighth win, which I don’t think Bowling Green has won eight in the same amount of time,” Connor Bazelak said. “I think a lot of the guys are motivated, ready to go.”
ESPN has Bowling Green as a 6.5-point favorites over A-State.
Kickoff from Hancock Whitney Stadium is set for 9:00 p.m. on Dec. 26.
