Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart runs with the ball during a game against Toledo on Saturday at the Glass Bowl Stadium in Toledo. Bowling Green defeated Toledo, 41-26 (Scott W. Grau | BGSU Athletics)
TOLEDO — Connor Bazelak threw two touchdown passes, Terion Stewart ran for 99 yards and a score, and Bowling Green shut out Toledo in the fourth quarter for a 41-26 victory in front of 29,697 fans at the Glass Bowl on Saturday.
The fan base from both schools impressed BGSU coach Scot Loeffler, who has been part of the Michigan-Ohio State game, Florida-Florida State game, and other top rivalries as a coach.
“I am happy for everyone associated with Bowling Green, all the way from the president all the way down to the faculty, the students and obviously our great fans. This is a great game,” Loeffler said.
“We are honored to be part of it. It is a classic. I think they say it’s a top five rivalry game in college football.
“I have a ton of respect for the Toledo players. They fought hard and came up a little bit short. I am super happy for our kids. I thought we played a football game similar to weeks one, two and three,” Loeffler continued.
“I thought we played team football — great defense, really good offensive football today. We made our kicks — we closed the deal and finished the game, which was great.”
It was a day of milestones for the Falcons.
Loeffler is 3-3 all-time in the Battle of I-75, including winning two of the last three. Bowling Green won at the Glass Bowl in consecutive trips (2022 and 2024) for the first time in 30 years (1992 and 1994). The Falcons have scored 83 points in the last two trips to the Glass Bowl.
Bazelak completed 17 of 27 passes for 171 yards, surpassing 11,000 yards for his career. He is the 86th player in FBS history to pass for 11,000-plus career passing yards.
BGSU tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had six receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown for Bowling Green (4-4, 3-1 Mid-American Conference).
With six receptions, Fannin has at least one reception in 26-straight games. He had one receiving touchdown to give him six on the season. He is tied with his own 2023 output for No. 2 on BGSU’s single-season ledger for single-season receiving touchdowns by a tight end.
BGSU wide receiver Rahkeem Smith had a career-high 145 all-purpose yards as a Falcon. He once had 243 all-purpose yards when he played at Delaware State.
Stewart surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards. He is the 14th player in BGSU history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards. He is currently No. 13 all-time at BGSU with 2,026 rushing yards.
Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason was 30-of-45 passing for 320 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Toledo (5-3, 2-2). Gleason also scored on a 12-yard run in the second quarter. Jerjuan Newton finished with nine catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Vandeross III added 11 receptions for 106 yards.
Toledo coach Jason Candle believes his team will bounce back from the rivalry loss.
“We have really good leadership on our team and in the locker room,” said Candle. “Those guys have a lot of pride, and I know the fabric that makes up this locker room.
“This is a tough football game that you drop in the middle of the year, but there is a ton of football left to be played. Each and every week in this league, you have to be at your best.
“As tough as it may be, you have to flush this one out and get back out to the practice field and prepare for next week.”
The Falcons’ offense needed just five plays to score on their first drive of the game, as Stewart bullied his way in from five yards out to make it 7-0, but Toledo tied it up with a four-yard scoring pass on a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
After both teams traded punts, the Falcons cashed in on a Fannin nine-yard shovel pass up the middle from Bazelak to break the knot.
The Rockets tacked on a 54-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but BGSU answered in nine plays capped off by a Levi Gazarek (North Baltimore) two-yard touchdown pass in the left flat from Bazelak to make it 21-10. The score marked the first of Gazarek’s career after playing in 46 games.
Toledo worked the ball into the end zone on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took just under six minutes on a 12-yard quarterback keeper by Gleason.
With just over a minute left in the half, BGSU cornerback Jordan Oladokun stepped in front of a throw in the right flat and raced 61 yards untouched for a touchdown, pushing their advantage to 28-17. It was his second career “pick-6.” He had one at Western Michigan in 2023. Oladokun added a second interception for a career high.
A 27-yard field goal by Toledo with no time remaining in the first half made it a one-score game, 28-20.
Toledo capitalized on their opening drive of the second half, scoring on a 64-yard pass in just five plays. The two-point conversion failed, and the score remained 28-26.
BGSU kicker Zach Long made a career-long 47-yard field goal on BG’s ensuing drive. He also tacked on a 35-yarder early in the fourth quarter to make it 34-26.
Smith sealed the deal for the Falcons, as he ran in from 19 yards out on a jet sweep to the left side.
(- by Sentinel-Tribune Sports Editor J. Patrick Eaken with contributions from AP and BGSU Athletics)
