After nearly four months of blood, sweat and tears, the 2024 Bowling Green football campaign is coming to its conclusion on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
On Dec. 26, the Falcons will look to send off their seniors as the first class of bowl victors since 2015 as they take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
MATCHUP HISTORY
BG and A-State have matched up just once in the history of their programs, all the way back in 1974 at Doyt Perry Stadium.
The Orange and Brown won the lone duel 17-0.
THE LOWDOWN
For the third straight season, Bowling Green will be searching for their first bowl victory of the Scot Loeffler era and their first since the 2014 season.
Coincidentally, their last bowl victory also came in the state of Alabama to a team from the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) when they beat South Alabama in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery.
This will be the fourth time that BG has played a bowl game in Mobile. They are 1-2, with the only victory coming a full 20 years ago in the 2004 GMAC Bowl over Memphis.
The last time they played in Mobile, it didn’t go the way they would’ve liked.
Following the departure of Head Coach Dino Babers to Syracuse, Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward stepped in to lead the 10-3 Mid-American Conference champion Falcons into Ladd-Peebles Stadium to take on Georgia Southern in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl.
In a battle of interim coaches, the Eagles prevailed 58-27.
Nearly a full decade later, Bowling Green is back in Mobile, taking on Arkansas State, which features an extremely balanced attack on offense.
Similarly to BG, Arkansas State has returned to relevance from the depths of college football. After winning seven games combined from 2020-22, they’ve won 13 over the past two seasons.
Head coach Butch Jones is the man responsible for the turnaround – a man with some particularly close ties to Bowling Green’s Scot Loeffler.
The pair overlapped on Mike DeBord’s staff from 2000 to 2001, where Loeffler was the quarterbacks coach, and Jones split time between the running backs coach and offensive coordinator.
“He’s done a really great job; he’s had a great career. Coached at some really great places and won championships. He’s got a really great formula,” Loeffler said. “Offensive guy but understands how critical defensive football is.”
Arkansas State is led by the tandem of Jaylen Raynor, who passed for 2,562 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions on 61.8% passing, and the Red Wolves’ all-time leading receiver, Corey Rucker, A-State averaged 24.8 points per game in 2024.
“They’re a super high-tempo team, which will be fun for us on defense,” linebacker Brock Horne said. “They’re going to try and get us real tired.”
On the ground, Zak Wallace leads the way with Ja’Quez Cross in tow behind.
Wallace finished the regular season with 622 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, while Cross finished with 600 yards of his own. As a team, Arkansas State averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
“We have a big challenge with Arkansas State, they’re a great team,” Connor Bazelak said.
On the flip side of the ball, A-State’s defense has been less than optimal. Allowing over 32 points per game, the Red Wolves have struggled to keep opposing offenses at bay, especially on the ground.
“I’ve said it the whole year,” Bazelak continued. “We could play the Cleveland Browns, we could play Perrysburg High School. It’s all about us; if we do what we’re supposed to do, we can move the ball and score against anyone.”
In his final game as a Falcon, Terion Stewart will get the chance to run wild against a defense that has allowed over 225 yards per game to opposing rushing attacks at over five yards a carry.
With the transfer portal in full swing, it was unclear who would and wouldn’t be suiting up for BG in the 2024 finale until Loeffler put that to bed quickly.
“All the guys right now that are starters are projected to play, and that doesn’t shock me,” he said. “They’re a tight group that gets it. They want to make sure that they find a way to walk out of Bowling Green and win a bowl game, get the eighth win.”
That list includes linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr., who signed with Kansas, running back Terion Stewart, who signed with Virginia Tech, and right tackle Alex Wollschlaeger, who signed with Kentucky, as well as tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who isn’t in the portal but is expected to declare for the NFL Draft in April.
Kickoff from Mobile is slated for 9:00 p.m.
