Jaylen Raynor completed 18 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdown connections to Corey Rucker as Arkansas State held off Bowling Green 38-31 to win the 68 Ventures Bowl on Thursday night in Mobile, Ala.

Rucker finished the game with four catches for 107 yards and Zak Wallace ran 15 times for 99 yards and a score for the Red Wolves (8-5), who earned their first bowl victory since 2019. Courtney Jackson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.

Connor Bazelak went 32-for-49 passing for a season-high 390 yards and three touchdowns for Bowling Green (7-6), which lost a bowl game for the third straight year.

Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. finished his career with 17 receptions and 213 yards with one touchdown, breaking two major FBS records in the process.

Fannin set the single-season tight end records for receiving yards (previously Jace Amaro, 1,352 for Texas Tech in 2013) and receptions (previously James Casey, 111 for Rice in 2008). Fannin finished his season with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards.

Trailing 24-21 at halftime, Bowling Green received the ball early in the second half. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Terion Stewart was stripped of the ball and Arkansas State’s Noah Collins recovered. Raynor threw his second touchdown to Rucker, this time from 6 yards out, giving the Red Wolves a 10-point lead.

The Falcons cut it to seven before the end of the third, but their next three drives ended in a turnover on downs, a missed field goal and a punt.

Arkansas State turned to Wallace to end the game. He gained 59 yards on six straight runs, the last of which was a 14-yard touchdown with 3:10 left.

Wallace’s insurance score was crucial as Bowling Green scored late on Bazelak’s 23-yard pass to Rahkeem Smith (seven catches, 97 yards).

The Red Wolves took an early 10-0 lead after Jackson broke through the left side on his punt return TD less than seven minutes into the game.

Bowling Green got revenge on its second possession when backup QB Baron May disguised himself as a punter. May threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr.

Raynor’s 5-yard TD run gave Arkansas State a 17-7 lead. Bazelak responded with 6:46 left in the second quarter by hitting Jaison Patterson for an 8-yard score.

Raynor hit Rucker over the top for a 79-yard catch-and-run score, punctuating a 93-yard drive.

The Falcons drove to the 4-yard line and Bazelak threw into the end zone with 1:36 left. His pass went in and out of a defender’s hands, and Fannin caught it as it fell to the ground.

–Field level media