AKRON — Jaison Patterson ran for two touchdowns and Harold Fannin Jr.’s 31-yard scoring run with 2:39 left sent Bowling Green to a 27-20 win over Akron at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on Saturday.
After three straight losses by one score, including two to nationally-ranked teams, the Falcons finally won by one score. It was the program’s 300th all-time win in Mid-American Conference play, which ranks No. 3 all-time in league history.
“Anytime you open league play, especially on the road, you find a way to win,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said.
“I didn’t like how we finished last week (30-27 loss to Old Dominion). The positive today was we had a chance to finish on offense and had a chance make a stop at the end. That was a positive that came about from last week.
“These games are going to be heavy weight fistfights. There are good coaches and teams in this league. Spotting them seven points is hard when on the road, but we found a way to win the football game.”
On fourth-and-2, Fannin lined up on the right side of the line and took the handoff from senior quarterback Connor Bazelak. Fannin outraced defenders to the left sideline, cut back to the inside, stiff-armed a defender to the ground and ran it in from there.
Fannin finished with 172 all-purpose yards and extended his Bowling Green tight end record for consecutive games with 100-plus receiving yards to four games. The junior from Canton caught nine passes for 135 and 78 yards after catch. His 63-yard reception on Bowling Green’s first drive set up Jaison Patterson’s first rushing touchdown of the game
The Zips managed to advance the ball to Bowling Green’s 17-yard line before turning it over on downs.
Jackson Kleather’s 31-yard field goal gave Bowling Green (2-3 overall, 1-0 MAC) a 20-10 lead four seconds into the final quarter.
The Zips (1-5, 0-2) countered on their following drive when Tahj Bullock ran it in from the 5 to end a three-play, 75-yard drive.
The score was set up when Ben Finley completed a 48-yard pass to Adrian Norton then a 22-yard completion to Bobby Golden. Garrison Smith kicked a 38-yard field goal with 7:13 left to tie it at 20. Finley threw for 206 yards for the Zips.
Patterson punched in his second rushing touchdown with 22 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Falcons a 17-10 lead heading into the intermission.
The Zips made a push after Fannin’s touchdown. The Falcons’ defense held strong after Akron made it down to the BGSU 18-yard line with a minute to play. A rush for no gain and three incomplete passes gave the ball back to the Falcons with 54 seconds left.
Bazelak was exquisite from the pocket, going 24-of-30 for 268 yards. It is the fourth-straight game Bazelak has thrown for over 200 yards. Bowling Green won its conference opener for the first time since 2022 when the Falcons also won at Akron to open league play.
The game started with BGSU forcing Akron to punt on the Zips’ first possession.
On the ensuing possession, the Falcons marched down the field on a six-play, 96-yard drive capped off by a Patterson 2-yard touchdown run to go up 7-0. On the first play of the drive, Bazelak completed a 63-yard pass to Harold Fannin down the right sideline to set BGSU up in Zips territory.
Akron tacked on a 47-yard field goal on their next drive and scored a touchdown on a muffed punt in the end zone with no time remaining in the first quarter to take a 10-7 advantage.
After both teams exchanged punts, BG went 64 yards in 16 plays in 8:12 to tie the game on a career-long 45-yard field goal from Jackson Kleather to knot the game at 10 apiece.
A 10-yard punt from Akron set up Bowling Green on the Zips 41-yard line. Five plays later, Jaison Patterson broke five tackles on a nine-yard scoring run as BG retook the lead, 17-10, with 22 seconds left in the half.
Both teams punted on their opening drives of the second half. Kleather tacked on a field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter as BG’s drive consumed 7:39 of the clock in 14 plays for 85 yards to make it 20-10.
Then, the Zips marched right down the field in three plays to score on a five-yard rushing touchdown to pull back within one score.
Following a BG punt, Akron booted a 38-yard field goal on a nine play, 59-yard drive to tie it up at 20-20.
Bowling Green took the ball 70 yards in 11 plays on the ensuing possession, capped off by a Harold Fannin Jr. 31-yard scoring run on a jet sweep on a fourth down and two to make it 27-20.
The Falcons sealed the deal on defense by forcing a turnover on downs in the red zone with 54 seconds remaining in the game.
Fannin now has 676 receiving yards on the season which is No. 2 all-time by a BGSU tight end in a single season. The record is Mark Dowdell with 679. He has 1,517 career receiving yards which moves him to No. 2 all-time at Bowling Green. His position coach Alex Bayer is the program leader with 1,543.
BGSU outside linebacker Charles Rosser had a career-high two sacks and Darius Lorfils had a team high seven tackles.
The Falcons return home for Kids Day at Doyt Perry Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12 against Northern Illinois University. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
( — from press reports by AP and BGSU Athletics)
