Jaylen Raynor finished 18 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two landing connections to Corey Rucker as Arkansas State fended off Bowling Inexperienced 38-31 to win the 68 Ventures Bowl on Thursday night time in Cell, Ala.
Rucker completed with 4 catches for 107 yards and Zak Wallace rushed 15 instances for 99 yards and a rating for the Pink Wolves (8-5), who earned their first bowl win since 2019. Courtney Jackson returned a punt 60 yards for a landing.
Connor Bazelak went 32-for-49 passing for a season-high 390 yards and 3 touchdowns for Bowling Inexperienced (7-6), which misplaced a bowl recreation for the 3rd yr working.
Bowling Inexperienced tight finish Harold Fannin Jr. completed with profession highs of 17 receptions and 213 yards with a landing, and he broke two primary FBS data alongside the way in which.
Fannin set the single-season tight finish data for receiving yards (in the past held by way of Jace Amaro, 1,352 for Texas Tech in 2013) and receptions (in the past James Casey, 111 for Rice in 2008). Fannin ended his season with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards.
Bowling Inexperienced trailed 24-21 at halftime and gained the ball to start out the second one part. Alternatively, at the first play from scrimmage, Terion Stewart was once stripped of the ball and Arkansas State’s Noah Collins recovered. Raynor threw his 2nd landing to Rucker, this one from 6 yards out, for a 10-point Pink Wolves lead.
The Falcons reduce it to seven prior to the tip of the 3rd, however their subsequent 3 drives resulted in a turnover on downs, a ignored box objective and a punt.
Arkansas State became to Wallace to near the sport. He won 59 yards on six instantly rushes, the overall of which was once a 14-yard landing with 3:10 to move.
Wallace’s insurance coverage rating was once an important, as Bowling Inexperienced scored past due on Bazelak’s 23-yard go to Rahkeem Smith (seven catches, 97 yards).
The Pink Wolves held an early 10-0 lead after Jackson broke down the left facet on his punt go back TD lower than seven mins into the sport.
Bowling Inexperienced were given revenge on its 2nd ownership when it had backup QB Baron Would possibly cover himself because the punter. Would possibly tossed a 43-yard landing go to Malcolm Johnson Jr.
Raynor’s 5-yard TD run put Arkansas State forward 17-7. Bazelak spoke back with 6:46 left in the second one quarter, hitting Jaison Patterson for an 8-yard rating.
Raynor hit Rucker excessive for a 79-yard catch-and-run rating, punctuating a 93-yard power.
The Falcons drove to the 4-yard line, and Bazelak threw to the tip zone with 1:36 left. His go went out and in of a defender’s palms, and Fannin stuck it as he fell to the bottom.
–Box Degree Media
