Ball State University
2-1-0 , 1-0
Buffalo
1-2-0 , 0-1
Football Wins Thriller In Last Minute Over Buffalo
September 18, 2011 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State University football team (2-1, 1-0 MAC) defeated Buffalo 28-25 (1-2, 0-1 MAC) Saturday night in Scheumann Stadium in its first Mid-American Conference game of the season.
"I was very proud of our guys," said head football coach Pete Lembo. "There was no panic on the sidelines. We had a lot of guys leave the game with injuries. I think Buffalo took advantage of some of those matchups in the second half but we kept fighting. Even though we didn't score until the very end it felt like we were making every effort to try to answer the momentum Buffalo generated in the second half. Obviously the last drive was very well executed. Some guys stepped up and made plays and that's how you win close games."
Ball State managed to put together an 18 play, 75 yard drive which resulted in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Wenning to wide receiver Willie Snead with 29 seconds left to win the game. The touchdown was the first in the career of the freshman wide receiver and capped a first ever win for Lembo in his first game in Scheumann Stadium.
Buffalo scored on its opening drive after quarterback Terrell Jackson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marcus Rivers to take the early 7-0 edge over the Cardinals.
After a scoreless first quarter, Ball State managed to tie the game at 7-7 when freshman Jahwan Edwards scored an 8-yard touchdown run with 14:11 on the clock in the second stanza.
Ball State would then score two more times before the half, once after sophomore quarterback Keith Wenning found senior wide receiver Briggs Orsbon for his eighth career TD reception off of a 19-yard pass at the 4:39 mark making it a 14-7 ball game. With 49 seconds remaining, Edwards scored his second TD of the game and third of his career off a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals the 21-7 cushion over the Bulls.
At the 7:29 mark the Bulls scored a touchdown after running back Branden Oliver ran the TD in for 10 yards. Jeffrey Garrett blocked the extra point to make the score 21-13, marking the first time the Cardinals blocked a PAT since Brandon Crawford did so Sept. 27, 1998, at home against Kent State.
Buffalo would score again at the start of the fourth quarter after Chazz Anderson connected with Alex Neutz on a 45-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was no good, which made the score 21-19. The Bulls would then take the lead back after a 1-yard touchdown run by Anderson to go up 25-21 over the Cardinals.
Ball State Notes vs. Buffalo (9/17/11)
Freshman Jahwan Edwards posted a career-high 18-yard rush in the first quarter against Buffalo, surpassing his previous high of a 17-yard rush against South Florida (9/10/11).
Edwards scored his second career touchdown with an eight-yard run in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.
Edwards added his third career touchdown with a four-yard run in the second quarter for a 21-7 lead. He has the Cardinals' first multiple-rushing touchdown game of the season.
Edwards rushed for a career-high 112 yards, surpassing his previous career-high of 84 yards posted against Indiana (9/3/11).
Senior wide receiver Briggs Orsbon caught a 21-yard pass in the second quarter -- his longest reception of the season, surpassing his 10-yard reception against Indiana (9/3/11).
Orsbon posted his first touchdown reception of the season in the second quarter with a 19-yard reception for a 14-7 lead. The touchdown was the eighth of his career.
Orsbon's 39-yard kick return in the third quarter was the longest return of his career.
Quarterback Keith Wenning posted his 17th career touchdown pass with a 19-yard throw in the second quarter. He added his 18th career touchdown with a four-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
Wenning's two touchdown performance is the second two-TD game of the season, matching his effort against Indiana (9/3/11).
Wenning throws for a season-high 226 yards. His 226 yards is a career-high, surpassing his previous total of 224 vs. Toledo (10/23/10).
Wenning tied his career-high with 24 completions, matching his total from last weekend at South Florida (9/10/11).
Tight end Zane Fakes posted a career-high 25-yard reception in the third quarter, surpassing his previous high of 22 yards as a freshman (at Army, 9/19/09).
Cornerback Jeffery Garrett blocked an extra point attempt by Buffalo in the third quarter for his first career blocked kick. It is the Cardinals' first extra point block since Brandon Crawford blocked a PAT against Kent State (9/27/08). It also marked the Cardinals' second blocked kick in as many games (field goal block at South Florida by Joel Cox- 9/10/11).
Wide receiver Willie Snead caught his first career touchdown pass with 29 seconds left in the game. The reception was the second of Snead's career.
Linebacker Travis Freeman posted a season-high 12 total tackles, his most tackles since recording 12 against Eastern Michigan (10/16/10).
Ball State's 400 total yards of offense is a season-high and is the most for the Cardinals since 426 yards at Central Michigan (10/2/10).
First Quarter
Buffalo 7, Ball State 0
11:56- Terrell Jackson 27-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Rivers. Peter Fardon kick good.
7 plays, 60 yards, 3:04
Second Quarter
Ball State 7, Buffalo 7
14:11- Jahwan Edwards 8-yard touchdown run. Steven Schott kick good
8 plays, 72 yards, 3:24
Ball State 14, Buffalo 7
4:39- 19-yard touchdown pass Keith Wenning to Briggs Orsbon. Steven Schott kick good
8 plays, 71 yards, 4:15
Ball State 21, Buffalo 7
:49- Jahwan Edwards 4-yard touchdown run. Steven Schott kick good
6 plays, 57 yards, 2:19
Third Quarter
Ball State 21, Buffalo 13
7:29- Branden Oliver 10-yard touchdown run. Peter Fardon extra point blocked.
3 plays, 26 yards, :50
Fourth Quarter
Ball State 21, Buffalo 19
13:58- Chazz Anderson 45-yard touchdown pass to Alex Neutz. Two-point conversion no good.
1 play, 45 yards, :08
Buffalo 25, Ball State 21
6:28- Chazz Anderson 1-yard touchdown run. Two-point conversion no good.
Ball State 28, Buffalo 25
:29- four-yard touchdown pass Keith Wenning to Willie Snead. Steven Schott kick good.
18 plays, 75 yards, 5:50
Team Stats
UB 7, BSU 0
UB - RIVERS, Marcus 27 yd pass from JACKSON, Terrel (FARDON, Peter kick) 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:04
UB 7, BSU 7
BSU - EDWARDS, Jahwan 8 yd run (SCHOTT, Steven kick), 8 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:24
UB 7, BSU 14
BSU - ORSBON, Briggs 19 yd pass from WENNING, Keith (SCHOTT, Steven kick) 8 plays, 71 yards, TOP 4:15
UB 7, BSU 21
BSU - EDWARDS, Jahwan 4 yd run (SCHOTT, Steven kick), 6 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:19
UB 13, BSU 21
UB - OLIVER, Branden 10 yd run (FARDON, Peter kickblocked), 3 plays, 26 yards, TOP 0:50
UB 19, BSU 21
UB - NEUTZ, Alex 45 yd pass from ANDERSON, Chazz (ANDERSON, Chazz passfailed) 1 plays, 45 yards, TOP 0:08
UB 25, BSU 21
UB - ANDERSON, Chazz 1 yd run (OLIVER, Branden rushfailed), 14 plays, 86 yards, TOP 7:01
UB 25, BSU 28
BSU - SNEAD, Willie 4 yd pass from WENNING, Keith (SCHOTT, Steven kick) 18 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:50
