Saturday, November 28
Toledo, Ohio
Noon ET
Ball State University
3-1 , 3-1
27
at
24
Toledo
2-2 , 2-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Ball State
14
3
7
3
27
TOLEDO
0
3
6
15
24
Ball State Stifles Toledo Rushing Attack, Holds off Rockets 27-24
November 28, 2020 | Football
Box ScoreFINAL STATSBSU Postgame NotesBSU Postgame Press Conference (Neu, Plitt, Martin)Photo Gallery
Cardinals win third straight to keep pace in MAC West Division race
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Ball State needed a big-time play to finish a road win, and Anthony Ekpe delivered. Ekpe's strip sack with less than a minute left in the game stopped a rally by host Toledo and allowed BSU to finish off a 27-24 win. The Cardinals have won three straight games and are now 3-1 on the year.
"I'm really proud of our guys; I'm proud of the effort, and I'm proud of the fight," head coach Mike Neu said. "More than anything else, what matters is we're leaving the Glass Bowl here 1-0 on the weekend. And we're not done. It'll be a great ride back home to Muncie, and we'll continue to work. It's on the next one."Â
Ball State (3-1, 3-1 MAC) dominated early and never trailed. The Cardinals led 17-0 early in the second quarter and extended that to 24-3 after Yo'Heinz Tyler caught his second touchdown of the day. The score was 24-9 after three quarters before Toledo began to rally at the end of the game.Â
UT (2-2, 2-2 MAC)Â scored 15 unanswered points in 2:57 of game time and then had a potential game-winning drive in the final minute. The Rockets, with their backup quarterback in the game, advanced into Ball State territory before Ekpe knocked the ball free from Carter Bradley. Bryce Cosby, who also had an interception, recovered the fumble to clinch the win.
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"I was proud of the defense for delivering in a critical situation," Neu said. "Our defense was incredible."
Ekpe's play capped the best defensive effort for Ball State this season. The Cardinals had 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and two takeaways while holding Toledo to just 42 yards rushing. Neu called the effort "championship-level defense." Brandon Martin racked up 12 tackles, and Jaylin Thomas made 10 stops. Christian Albright made three tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including a sack, and he also forced a fumble.
Playing without star running back Caleb Huntley, the Cardinals ran up 447 yards of offense. Drew Plitt passed for 304 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score. The Cardinals went to Justin Hall through the air and on the ground for 151 yards from scrimmage. Hall caught nine passes for a career-high 127 yards and ran for 24 more. Tye Evans gained 101 yards on 25 carries while taking on the bigger role in the backfield.Â
"Caleb is a special player, but we have other guys on our team who are special players too," Neu said. "And when the opportunity presents itself, it's next man up. And it was great to see those guys deliver. It all starts up with the guys up front in the trenches."
The game looked like a rout early as Plitt ran in a short TD early in the game and then found Tyler for an 11-yard score eight minutes later. The Cardinals led 17-3 at halftime and then Tyler found the end zone again in the third quarter. Tyler has scored at least one touchdown in each of the last three games and has six touchdowns in the last five games dating back to last season.
Bryce Mitchell scored both of Toledo's fourth-quarter touchdowns, catching one from each UT quarterback. Eli Peters threw for 363 yards -- most of them coming in the late rally when Ball State had a sizable lead -- but was sacked three times.
With two games remaining in this shortened, six-game season, Ball State's "Detroit Or Bust" mentality is thriving and as Neu says, the Cardinals are staying in the "winners' bracket."
"We know how critical that is. With the shortened season, they all matter," Neu said. "The MAC West is very competitive from top to bottom. And that's all you can ask, is to be in a position to control your own destiny."
BSU's destiny next week is a trip to Central Michigan with prime division positioning at stake. The Cardinals and Chippewas are tied for second in the MAC West Division, one game behind Western Michigan (BSU will close the season with WMU).Â
The television designation and kickoff time for next Saturday's game at CMU has not yet been announced. It can be heard, as always, via the Ball State Radio Network on 104.1 WLBC.
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"I'm really proud of our guys; I'm proud of the effort, and I'm proud of the fight," head coach Mike Neu said. "More than anything else, what matters is we're leaving the Glass Bowl here 1-0 on the weekend. And we're not done. It'll be a great ride back home to Muncie, and we'll continue to work. It's on the next one."Â
Ball State (3-1, 3-1 MAC) dominated early and never trailed. The Cardinals led 17-0 early in the second quarter and extended that to 24-3 after Yo'Heinz Tyler caught his second touchdown of the day. The score was 24-9 after three quarters before Toledo began to rally at the end of the game.Â
UT (2-2, 2-2 MAC)Â scored 15 unanswered points in 2:57 of game time and then had a potential game-winning drive in the final minute. The Rockets, with their backup quarterback in the game, advanced into Ball State territory before Ekpe knocked the ball free from Carter Bradley. Bryce Cosby, who also had an interception, recovered the fumble to clinch the win.
Â
You make the game-winning play, you get the belt. #DOB #1AAT pic.twitter.com/ppqRKnoAVJ
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) November 28, 2020
"I was proud of the defense for delivering in a critical situation," Neu said. "Our defense was incredible."
Ekpe's play capped the best defensive effort for Ball State this season. The Cardinals had 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and two takeaways while holding Toledo to just 42 yards rushing. Neu called the effort "championship-level defense." Brandon Martin racked up 12 tackles, and Jaylin Thomas made 10 stops. Christian Albright made three tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including a sack, and he also forced a fumble.
Playing without star running back Caleb Huntley, the Cardinals ran up 447 yards of offense. Drew Plitt passed for 304 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score. The Cardinals went to Justin Hall through the air and on the ground for 151 yards from scrimmage. Hall caught nine passes for a career-high 127 yards and ran for 24 more. Tye Evans gained 101 yards on 25 carries while taking on the bigger role in the backfield.Â
"Caleb is a special player, but we have other guys on our team who are special players too," Neu said. "And when the opportunity presents itself, it's next man up. And it was great to see those guys deliver. It all starts up with the guys up front in the trenches."
The game looked like a rout early as Plitt ran in a short TD early in the game and then found Tyler for an 11-yard score eight minutes later. The Cardinals led 17-3 at halftime and then Tyler found the end zone again in the third quarter. Tyler has scored at least one touchdown in each of the last three games and has six touchdowns in the last five games dating back to last season.
Bryce Mitchell scored both of Toledo's fourth-quarter touchdowns, catching one from each UT quarterback. Eli Peters threw for 363 yards -- most of them coming in the late rally when Ball State had a sizable lead -- but was sacked three times.
With two games remaining in this shortened, six-game season, Ball State's "Detroit Or Bust" mentality is thriving and as Neu says, the Cardinals are staying in the "winners' bracket."
"We know how critical that is. With the shortened season, they all matter," Neu said. "The MAC West is very competitive from top to bottom. And that's all you can ask, is to be in a position to control your own destiny."
BSU's destiny next week is a trip to Central Michigan with prime division positioning at stake. The Cardinals and Chippewas are tied for second in the MAC West Division, one game behind Western Michigan (BSU will close the season with WMU).Â
The television designation and kickoff time for next Saturday's game at CMU has not yet been announced. It can be heard, as always, via the Ball State Radio Network on 104.1 WLBC.
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Team Stats
BALL
TOLEDO
Total Yards
447
449
Pass Yards
304
407
Rushing Yards
143
42
Penalty Yards
42
101
1st Downs
28
20
3rd Downs
5
5
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
31:57
26:59
1st Quarter
BALL 7, TOLEDO 0
BALL - PLITT, Drew 2 yd run (KNIGHT, Jack kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:56
BALL 14, TOLEDO 0
BALL - TYLER, Yo'Heinz 11 yd pass from PLITT, Drew (KNIGHT, Jack kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:20
2nd Quarter
BALL 17, TOLEDO 0
BALL - KNIGHT, Jack 32 yd field goal 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:37
BALL 17, TOLEDO 3
TOLEDO - CLUCKEY,Thomas 37 yd field goal 4 plays, -6 yards, TOP 0:25
3rd Quarter
BALL 24, TOLEDO 3
BALL - TYLER, Yo'Heinz 10 yd pass from PLITT, Drew (KNIGHT, Jack kick) 2 plays, 44 yards, TOP 0:16
BALL 24, TOLEDO 9
TOLEDO - WINSTEAD,Isaiah 10 yd pass from PETERS,Eli (PETERS,Eli passfailed) 8 plays, 84 yards, TOP 3:55
4th Quarter
BALL 27, TOLEDO 9
BALL - KNIGHT, Jack 31 yd field goal 14 plays, 60 yards, TOP 5:22
BALL 27, TOLEDO 17
TOLEDO - MITCHELL,Bryce 28 yd pass from PETERS,Eli (MITCHELL,Bryce pass) 3 plays, 68 yards, TOP 0:56
BALL 27, TOLEDO 24
TOLEDO - MITCHELL,Bryce 18 yd pass from BRADLEY,Carter (CLUCKEY,Thomas kick) 6 plays, 48 yards, TOP 1:54
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
26
TD
2
YDS
304
INT
1
Players Mentioned
OLB
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S
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OLB
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WR
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RB
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ILB
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ILB
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WR
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