Falcons Top Ball State, 24-21, for Third-Straight Win

Wednesday, November 1

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

5-4 , 3-2

Ball State

2-7 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Ball St.

Bowling Green

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

November 01, 2023 | Football

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Anaya's fourth-quarter field goal gives BGSU the lead for good

By: BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team got an Alan Anaya field goal late in the fourth quarter to down Ball State, 24-21, Wednesday night (Nov. 1). The Mid-American Conference thriller was held at Doyt Perry Stadium.

The Falcons never trailed, but the Cardinals answered each of three BGSU touchdowns, as the game was tied at 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21. But, the Falcons drove into the red zone and got a 22-yard Anaya kick with 3:14 left in the game, then got a key game-ending stop as a last-second field-goal attempt fell short for the visitors.

Terion Stewart ran for 92 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons, and Connor Bazelak threw TD passes to Harold Fannin Jr. and Ta'ron Keith in the win.

Ball State had a narrow 283-281 lead in total offense on the night, with 217 of the Cardinals' yards coming on the ground.

FROM THE INTERVIEW ROOM - SCOT LOEFFLER
""I am excited to get our first MACtion win and glad to be 1-0 in November. ... We have to find a way to get our second win of November. That is our mindset. We aren't going to worry about the past. We aren't going to worry about the future. We are going to worry about the now. We are going to make sure we do everything in our power to give ourselves a chance to win. I am happy with the win tonight but this game is over and it's time to move on to the next."

TOUCHDOWN BGSU 😤

Harold Fannin Jr. puts BGSU on the board, 7-0, on a 23-yard pass from Connor Bazelak.#ToTheMoon 🟠🟤 pic.twitter.com/mWLVRdWGKr
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) November 1, 2023

HOW IT HAPPENED

Bowling Green won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Ball State elected to receive the opening kick with the Falcons defending the south end zone.
On the opening drive, the Falcons stopped the Cardinals for a three-and-out, taking over possession on the Bowling Green 39.
On the next Ball State possession, Ali Saad forced a fumble that was recovered by Davon Ferguson to give Bowling Green the ball on the Ball State 31.
Following the fumble, Connor Bazelak connected with Harold Fannin Jr. in the corner of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown with Fannin dragging his toes for the score to put Bowling Green up 7-0.
Ball State responded to start the second half, running in a six-yard touchdown to complete an over eight-minute drive to knot the score at 7-7.
The Cardinals turned the ball over in the second half with a lateral-turned-fumble. The Falcons jumped on the loose ball to take possession.
On the second play following the turnover, Terion Stewart broke a 54-yard touchdown down the home sideline to push the Falcons in front 14-7 with just under five minutes left in the first half.
Ball State worked to tie the game in the third quarter with a 13-play, 62-yard drive to knot the game at 14-14.
The Falcons answered on their next possession. A 40-yard pass from Camden Orth to Fannin Jr. pushed the Orange and Brown into Ball State territory. Bowling Green punched it in with a 10-yard pass from Bazelak to Ta'ron Keith to put the Falcons back on top 21-14.
The Cardinals answered to tie it up again. A 44-yard run crossed the goal line for Ball State to bring the tally to 21-21 with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation.
The pendulum swung back to the Falcons with a big return from Keith on the kick, taking it 47-yards into Ball State territory. Later in the drive, a 20-yard pass from Bazelak to Keith to put the ball on the one for Bowling Green.
The drive capped off with a 22-yard field goal by Alan Anaya to push the Falcons in front, 24-21, with 3:14 to go.
The ensuing drive saw the Falcons get a fourth-down stop, as Dontrez Brown and Davian Mayo tackled BSU quarterback Kiael Kelly short of the line to gain on a fourth-and-1 play.
The Cardinals stopped the Falcons and got the ball back with 1:20 on the clock. BSU went from the Cards' own 33-yard line to the BG 35, but after back-to-back incomplete passes, a 52-yard field-goal attempt fell short as the clock hit zeroes.

GAME NOTES

Bowling Green has won eight of its last nine meetings with Ball State.
BGSU held its third opponent in row scoreless on its first offensive drive of the game.
BGSU forced a turnover for the 10th-straight game.
BGSU recovered a fumble for the seventh game in a row.
The Falcons recovered two fumbles and was +2 in the turnover battle.
BGSU entered the game No. 1 in the nation with 20 takeaways.
BGSU held its third opponent in a row under 300 yards of total offense.
BGSU held its eighth opponent this season under 400 yards of total offense.
Darren Anders became the 16th Falcon to appear in 50 career games for Bowling Green. It also was Anders' 40th all-time start for BG.
Anders led BGSU with 10 tackles.
TE Harold Fannin Jr. caught his third receiving touchdown of the season in the first quarter on a 23-yard pass from Connor Bazelak. It is his second receiving touchdown in as many games.

STAT LEADERS

Connor Bazelak: 13-for-21 passing, 128 passing yards, 2 touchdowns
Harold Fannin Jr.: 5 receptions, 92 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Terion Stewart: 92 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, long rush of 54
Ta'ron Keith: 3 receptions, 35 receiving yards, 25 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
Dontrez Brown: 1 sack, 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
Darren Anders: 10 tackles

UP NEXT

The Falcons will continue alternating home and away games through the MACtion schedule, next heading on the road to northeast Ohio for a feud with the Golden Flashes. Kent State will host Bowling Green at Dix Stadium next Wednesday (Nov. 8). The game time will be shown on CBS Sports Network with a 7 p.m. kick.