UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Another week, another huge performance from Harold Fannin, Jr.
This time, the Bowling Green State University standout tight end saved his best for one of the biggest stages of his college career.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior set career highs with 11 receptions and 137 yards in the Falcons’ narrow 34-27 loss at No. 8 Penn State in front of more than 103,000 fans. Fannin also hauled in a 6-yard touchdown reception from Connor Bazelak on the Falcons’ first possession to end the Nittany Lions’ stretch of 28 straight games without allowing an opening-drive touchdown, which was the longest active streak in the nation.
“Harold Fannin, at times, looked like the best player out there,” BGSU football coach Scot Loeffler said. “He really did.”
After a stellar 2023 season in which he earned first-team Mid-American Conference honors, Fannin has taken his game to another level in becoming arguably one of the top tight ends in the country. His 17 receptions and 204 receiving yards so far this season both rank first in the FBS among tight ends, according to Pro Football Focus.
Fannin was limited in BGSU’s loss at No. 2 Michigan last year and missed the Falcons’ victory at Georgia Tech due to injury. But he made an immediate impact against one of the top defenses in Penn State.
Fannin hauled in a 30-yard reception over the middle from Bazelak on the first play of the game, caught a 16-yard pass on BGSU’s next drive that resulted in a field goal, and added a 32-yard reception on the Falcons’ third possession which helped them score another touchdown. His performance marked the seventh straight game dating back to last season that he had at least four catches and 50 yards; during that span, he tallied five touchdowns, as well.
For his career, Fannin has recorded at least one reception 22 of 25 games, including 20 straight. His 80 receptions, 1,045 yards, and eight touchdowns each rank in the top five for a tight end in BGSU history.
“That dude is unbelievable. Harold, he’s the best tight end in the country, in my opinion,” said Bazelak, who spent three seasons at Missouri and one at Indiana before coming to BGSU prior to last season. “He’s funny just because you don’t have to teach him anything; he just does stuff the right way on the field.
“He gets open, can beat zone, knows when it’s zone, knows when it’s man. … I’ve always wanted a tight end like him, and got it with him. So it’s awesome to play with him.”
The tight end battle during the game was noteworthy. As solid as Fannin was, Penn State’s Tyler Warren was equally as impressive in collecting 146 yards — a school record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end — on eight catches.
“He played really, really well,” Loeffler said of Warren. “I thought they did some things schematically that we’ll take.
“Any time we see people getting the tight end the ball, we’re going to copycat pretty quick because we like our tight end too.”
Offensive line holds strong
For the second consecutive game, BGSU’s offensive line did not allow a sack. To do so against a Penn State team that led the FBS with 49 sacks last season and finished sixth with 43 in 2022 speaks volumes.
“I thought our offensive line was exceptional dealing with really, really good players,” Loeffler said. “We need to get better. It doesn’t get any easier. We’re going to face another unbelievable front here soon (on Sept. 21 at Texas A&M).”
Center Alex Padgett, left guard Nate Pabst, and right tackle Alex Wollschlaeger each played all 68 offensive snaps, according to PFF. The trio, along with Bazelak, were the only Falcons to appear in every offensive play.
BGSU’s offensive line was critical in the Falcons getting off to an excellent start in the first half. BGSU racked up 286 yards of offense and scored on four of its five possessions in taking a 24-20 halftime lead.
Even without standout running back Terion Stewart, who missed the game due to an ankle injury from BGSU’s season-opening win against Fordham on Aug. 29, the Falcons rushed for 121 yards against the No. 1 run defense team in the country from last season (75.5 yards per game).
Senior running back Jamal Johnson scored his first career rushing touchdown — a 41-yarder up the middle to give the Falcons a 24-17 lead late in the second quarter — and classmate Jaison Patterson racked up 57 yards on 16 carries. Justin Pegues added 18 yards on three attempts.
“Not having Terion in the run game hurt, but I tell you what, JJ and JP and little J — a lot of J’s if you can tell — I thought they ran really, really hard,” Loeffler said.
Added Johnson: “I’ve got to give all the credit to the O-line. They put in work day in and day out, so it all goes to them.”
Update on Stewart’s injury
In the season opener against Fordham, Stewart rumbled for 161 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. He hobbled off the field, however, after an awkward tackle at the end of his 23-yard carry midway through the third quarter but returned a handful of plays later.
Stewart was dressed for the Penn State game, but he did not regularly go through warmups. Loeffler said Stewart will “be back,” and that the setback isn’t anything like last year when a leg injury sustained against Ball State cost him the final four games of the season.
“He just wasn’t 100 percent. He was more towards the 50 percent,” Loeffler said. “When you’re playing teams like that and you’re 50 percent — we all know Terion’s a good player. Terion’s a good player at 50 percent — but when you’re not healthy and you’re not playing fast, you’re going to get hurt.”
Loeffler said he believes his team came out of the Penn State game healthy, which was a vast difference from last year’s loss at No. 2 Michigan.
“That was the biggest disappointment last year is that we got the hell beat out of us in Ann Arbor,” he said.
For BGSU, which excelled on offense even without Stewart, two of its top wide receivers in R.J. Garcia II and Jaylon Tillman, and backup quarterback Camden Orth — a big part of the Falcons’ ground game — having depth at the skill positions paid off.
“It’s just next man up,” Bazelak said. “Nobody cares that we have guys out.
“Penn State doesn’t care that we have guys out. We’ve got to figure out a way to go out and win, play well as an offense no matter who’s out there on the field. Just have to know your assignment, know your job, and execute.”
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