BOWLING GREEN — The 2024 regular season for Bowling Green State University’s football team looked a lot like the 2023 campaign.

The Falcons had a lot of positives, but came up short of their ultimate goal.

A veteran BGSU squad finished 7-5 overall for the second straight regular season and made a one-game improvement in the Mid-American Conference in going 6-2. The Falcons finished exactly where they were picked in the MAC preseason coaches’ poll – tied for third – but missed out on a chance to reach the league title game after losing to Miami (Ohio) 28-12 in Friday’s regular-season finale.

Four of BGSU’s five losses were by 10 points or less. The Falcons’ 16-point loss to the RedHawks was not only their biggest margin of defeat of the season; it was their biggest deficit all year as well.

BGSU flexed its muscles in its biggest nonleague games by nearly beating ranked power conference opponents Penn State (34-27 loss) and Texas A&M (26-20) in hostile road environments, similar to last year when the Falcons knocked off Georgia Tech, gave eventual national champion Michigan a scare in the first half, and put up a fight vs. Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl. A 41-26 victory at rival Toledo was also one of the top moments for BGSU this season.

With the regular season in the past and a bowl game that is to be determined upcoming for BGSU, here is a look at how the top preseason storylines for the Falcons played out.

Getting/staying healthy

BGSU had its share of injuries and key players miss parts or all of the season, but for the most part, the Falcons stayed healthy enough throughout the year to put themselves in a position to win every game.

Sixth-year senior quarterback Connor Bazelak appeared in every contest. He missed the fourth quarter of BGSU’s 17-7 loss to Northern Illinois on Oct. 12 after being injured right before halftime, but other than that, he spent most of the year healthy.

Star tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., missed the fourth quarter of BGSU’s win against Ball State due to an injury, while standout running back Terion Stewart overcame an early-season injury to appear in a career-high 10 games. Both players had career years in leading the Falcons in receiving and rushing, respectively.

The Falcons, however, had to overcome some setbacks. Backup quarterback Camden Orth, linebacker Demetrius Hardamon, and Kansas State transfer wide receiver R.J. Garcia II didn’t play a snap this season. All three were expected to be key parts of BGSU’s team this year.

BGSU’s wide receiver room had numerous injuries as well, and at certain points early in the season, half of the Falcons’ wideouts weren’t able to suit up for games. BGSU was able to adjust, though, as running back Jamal Johnson became a pass-catching threat and transfer wideouts Malcolm Johnson, Jr., and Rahkeem Smith made key contributions as well.

Can the two (or three) QB system work?

It turns out that we will never know if this system would have worked like it did in 2023. Orth being sidelined throughout the year, plus Bazelak’s consistent play all season, led BGSU to sticking with their experienced veteran.

Bazelak, who spent three years at Missouri and one at Indiana before arriving at BGSU last year, threw for a career-high 2,654 yards. His five interceptions are a career low in the five seasons in which he appeared in at least 10 games, while his 67.1 completion percentage and 15 touchdowns are both the second highest.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Lucian Anderson III, who took every snap in spring practice and saw valuable time in fall camp, played 57 offensive snaps in eight games this season, according to Pro Football Focus. He was 5 of 12 passing for 32 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 67 rushing yards and two scores on 19 carries.

What will Stewart have in store after efficient season?

Stewart was excellent in BGSU’s wins and average in the Falcons’ losses. The 5-foot-9, 220-pound back averaged 113.8 rushing yards on 17.5 carries in the six games he played that BGSU won. In the four losses, he averaged 51.8 yards on 13.8 carries.

Stewart set career highs in carries (160) and rushing yards (890), while his six rushing touchdowns were his second most. He started the year with a bang in tallying 161 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries in a 41-17 victory over FCS Fordham.

A leg injury slowed him down, though, in the first half of the season; he missed the Falcons’ games against Penn State and Akron and was held to 173 total rushing yards in losses to Texas A&M, Old Dominion, and Northern Illinois.

Stewart found his stride late in the season with three 100-plus-yard rushing performances in the first four games of BGSU’s five-game winning streak. He had 490 yards and two touchdowns on 81 carries during the four games.

First Published December 3, 2024, 7:29 p.m.