Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 8 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M At some point in the days leading up to his team's home opener, Penn State coach James Franklin will most likely issue the obligatory "Bowling Green, Bowling Green, Bowling Green, Bowling Green!" tweet, signaling that everyone in his program needs to be fully focused on the task at hand. Franklin will be helped in that endeavor by the knowledge that Bowling Green performed pretty well in its two games against Big Ten opponents last season. In their visit to Michigan, the Falcons had 3 takeaways in the first half and trailed by only eight points heading into the third quarter before the eventual national champions pulled away for a 31-6 victory. In its Quick Lane Bowl matchup against Minnesota, Bowling Green outgained the Gophers, 303 yards to 281, but fell just short on the scoreboard, 30-24. Not bad, considering the competitive advantages that the Big Ten enjoys over the Mid- American Conference. Fourteen starters return from that team, and they'll be looking to con- tend for the program's first MAC title since 2015. Leading the offense is senior quarterback Connor Bazelak. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Ba- zelak spent the 2022 season at Indiana, though he didn't see action in the Lions' 45-14 win over the Hoosiers that year. A 6-foot-3, 225-pounder from Day- ton, Ohio, Bazelak began his college ca- reer at Missouri, where he started 20 games in three seasons. He hit his stride late last season at Bowling Green, over- coming a leg injury that forced him to miss two games, including the Falcons' visit to Ann Arbor. He completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,935 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 7 intercep- tions. Bazelak's top target is likely to be ju- nior tight end Harold Fannin Jr., a first- team All-MAC performer last year after catching 44 passes for 623 yards and 6 touchdowns. The wide receiver corps was gutted by graduation, but transfers R.J. Garcia from Kansas State and Mal- colm Johnson Jr. from Auburn should help smooth the rebuilding process. In the backfield, the Falcons return junior running back Terion Stewart, who totaled 762 yards and 8 touch- downs last season. Stewart received second-team All-MAC honors despite missing the Falcons' last four games with a leg injury. The defense was solid in 2023, allow- ing 24.0 points per game to rank 51st in the FBS. It was particularly effective at generating turnovers, collecting 16 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. One of their key takeaway specialists is back this fall in safety Jordan Oladokun. As a junior, Oladokun tied for the team lead with 4 interceptions, to go along with 6 pass breakups and 30 tackles. In the front seven, Bowling Green has senior returnees at all three of its defen- sive line positions, while junior Joseph Sipp Jr. is back to lead the linebacker corps after finishing second on the team last year with 66 tackles. — Matt Herb S E P T . 7 | N O O N | B T N | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E , P A . GAME 2 BOWLING GREEN 2024 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2023 Result Aug. 29 Fordham — Sept. 7 at Penn State — Sept. 21 at Texas A&M — Sept. 28 Old Dominion — Oct. 5 at Akron W, 41-14 Oct. 12 Northern Illinois — Oct. 19 Kent State W, 49-19 Oct. 26 at Toledo L, 32-31 Nov. 5 at Central Michigan — Nov. 12 Western Michigan W, 34-10 Nov. 23 at Ball State L, 24-21 Nov. 29 Miami (Ohio) L, 27-0 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads 2-0 Last Meeting: The Nittany Lions defeated Bowling Green, 48-3, on Sept. 12, 1998, giving Joe Paterno his 300th career coaching victory Head Coach: Scot Loeffler (20-35 in five seasons at Bowling Green; career coaching record: same) 2023 Record: 7-6, 5-3 Mid-American Confer- ence Returning Starters: 14 (7 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Terion Stewart (762 yards, 8 TD) Passing: QB Connor Bazelak (1,935 yards, 12 TD) Receiving: TE Harold Fannin Jr. (623 yards, 6 TD) Tackles: LB Joseph Sipp Jr. (73) Sacks: DT Jordan Porter (3) Interceptions: CB Jordan Oladokun (4) BEST-CASE SCENARIO If Connor Bazelak stays healthy and per- forms as he did in the Quick Lane Bowl, in which he threw for 221 yards and a touch- down against Minnesota, Bowling Green could have a legitimate shot at the MAC title. WORST-CASE SCENARIO The takeaways that elevated the Falcons last year — they finished tied for 13th in the FBS with a plus-9 turnover margin — could prove harder to come by in 2024, hindering them in what figures to be a closely con- tested race for the MAC crown. In the most successful of his five seasons at Bowling Green, coach Scot Loeffler guided the Falcons to a 7-6 record in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY BOWLING GREEN ATHLETICS