Bowling Green State University senior quarterback Connor Bazelak threw for two touchdowns and running back Terion Stewart ran for 92 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons beat Ball State 24-21 in a Mid-American Conference game Wednesday at Doyt Perry Stadium.

“It’s awesome,” Bazelak said. “The coaches have been preaching that people remember teams that win in November. I think that’s true and it’s a big part of MACtion (mid-week MAC games).

“We have to find ways to win games. It’s good to get that first MACtion win and get used to the schedule throughout the week.”

Bazelak was 13-for-21 for 128 passing yards with two touchdowns.

“Connor played a great game today,” BGSU coach Scot Loeffler said. “I felt like he competed to the best of his ability and made the right plays when it was called.”

The Falcons never trailed, but the Cardinals answered each of three BGSU touchdowns, as the game was tied at 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21.

But, the Falcons drove into the red zone and got a game-winning 22-yard Alan Anaya field goal with 3:14 left, then got a key game-ending stop as a last-second field-goal attempt fell short for the visitors. The Falcons would have rather won big, but they’ll take single digits.

“We’re going to keep fighting regardless of the ups and downs in the game. We’re just not going to give up. That’s the message that we sent today,” said BGSU defensive lineman Dontrez Brown.

BGSU running back Ta’ron Keith added, “We have heart, we never give up, this team. We have always been a fighting team, no matter what the situation is. We will always fight until the end, which is what I like about this team.”

It is the Falcons’ third straight win — all coming over MAC opponents as BGSU (5-4, 3-2 MAC) got over the .500 mark and stayed in contention for a league championship. Ball State falls to 2-7 and 1-4.

“I am excited to get our first MACtion win and glad to be 1-0 in November,” Loeffler said. “We have to find a way to get our second win of November. That is our mindset.

“We aren’t going to worry about the past. We aren’t going to worry about the future. We are going to worry about the now.

“We are going to make sure we do everything in our power to give ourselves a chance to win. I am happy with the win tonight but this game is over and it’s time to move on to the next.”

The Cardinals had an opportunity to win, but the Falcons defense stood tall when it mattered most. The BGSU defense stopped Ball State quarterback Kiael Kelly on a fourth-down sneak with 1:43 remaining in the fourth quarter deep in Ball State territory.

Loeffler said all that he was asking for was defense when it mattered most.

“Just get a stop, honestly we just wanted to get the quarterback,” Loeffler said. “We know he’s a great runner, so we just want to contain him and the running back at the end.”

But the Falcons offense wasn’t able to run out the clock, due to three timeouts by Ball State, and Bazelak was sacked on fourth down after electing not to attempt a field goal.

Ball State took over at its 33-yard line with 1:20 left. Kelly led the Cardinals to the BGSU 35-yard line with 12 seconds left. But two incompletions led to a long field-goal attempt by freshman Jackson Courville, who missed from 52-yards out as time expired.

Bazelak said it was not pretty, but the Falcons got the job done.

“Coach (Max) Warner (co-offensive coordinator) was saying in the locker room after the game whatever it takes. If it’s ugly, raining like it was against Akron and we found a way to win that game. Similar way with Buffalo,” Bazelak said.

“This game today was close, we didn’t have a lot of possessions in the first half and they did a good job stopping us. They were running the ball, too, so the game went by pretty quick and we just found a way to win at the end.

“Props to the kick return team for getting us good field position on that last game winning drive. Getting the field goal, would’ve liked to get a touchdown there on the one-yard line, but whatever it takes to get a win the team is going to do it.”

BGSU could have pulled away in the first half but shot themselves in the foot with penalties. The Falcons led 14-7 at halftime after holding Ball State to just 100 yards.

Both touchdowns by the Falcons came following fumble recoveries. Stewart rushed for a 54-yard touchdown to cap a two-play drive, and Bazelak connected with Harold Fannin Jr. for a 23-yard score.

Fannin finished with five catches for 92 yards and Ta’ron Keith also had a touchdown grab for Bowling Green, and receiver Odieu Hiliare had a big catch to keep a key drive alive toward the end of the game.

“I think our receivers did a good job stepping up and that fourth-and-five to O.J. (Hiliare) there on that last drive was huge,” Bazelak said. “If we don’t get that they can run out the clock and be able to win.

“So that was huge, and props to him for catching that. We distributed the ball to a lot of different guys tonight and I think that’s good. Those guys are kind of waiting to make a play so when they get an opportunity they’re ready for that. Austin (Osborne) had a great game, Harold obviously.”

Plus Keith, listed as a running back but always a playmaker in the passing game, was dealing with his own adversity.

“He’s been sick all week,” Loeffler said. “He lost 15 pounds two days ago. He was able to get himself healthy enough to play.

“T.K. is a playmaker. He finds a way. He isn’t the fastest, but he’s nifty and he’s a smart football player and we are glad he’s on our team.”

Defensively for the Falcons, Brown had one sack, nine tackles and a tackle for a loss and linebacker Darren Anders had 10 tackles.

Ball State had a narrow 283-281 lead in total offense on the night, with 217 of the Cardinals’ yards coming on the ground.

Kelly was 9-of-19 passing for 66 yards and he carried it 19 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns for Ball State (2-7, 1-4).

“I think most importantly I wanted to commend them for their effort they played with, but there is nothing I can say to take anyone’s pain right now,” Ball State coach Mick Neu said.

“The first question that is going to be asked is, we’ve eliminated ourselves from bowl eligibility. That’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re a young man that’s a senior in your final year of college football.

“But there is still a lot to play for and we have to stay by each other’s side. It’s going to be a long bus ride home with a lot of mixed emotions and a lot of feelings, but we have to pick our chins up.”

BGSU has won eight of the last nine games against Ball State dating to 1999. The lone loss, 41-24, over that span was the last meeting at Doyt Perry Stadium in 2014.

( — by Sentinel-Tribune Sports Editor J. Patrick Eaken, sportswriter Yaneek Smith with contributions from the Associated Press and BGSU Athletics)