Ball State University
1-3 , 0-1
Georgia Southern
3-1 , 0-0
Late rally leads Georgia Southern past Ball State
September 24, 2022 | Football
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Trailing 20-13 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals (1-3) used a 19-yard touchdown reception from Jayshon Jackson and a 25-yard field goal from Ben VonGunten to take a 23-20 lead with 12:39 remaining in the fourth.
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However, the host Eagles (3-1) countered with 14 unanswered points to win its final non-conference game of the season.
"Obviously disappointed that we couldn't finish the game," head coach Mike Neu said. "We had the lead at 23-20, they stopped us on a three-and-out and we had a short punt that gave them great field position. They took it down and scored a touchdown and we weren't able to answer.
"We had a drive going, and an unacceptable penalty on the sideline after a big run by Carson Steele hurt us. That's got to be taken out of the game. I'm the head football coach here, and I am going to have to adjust some things because the penalties are showing up and we're beating ourselves. I don't want to take anything away from Georgia Southern, they're a good football team, but we are beating ourselves and that has got to get cleaned up."
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Jackson led all players with a season-high 122 receiving yards on 10 catches, while VonGunten put all three of his field goal attempts through the uprights to remain perfect on the season.
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Quarterback John Paddock also turned in a solid effort with career highs of 338 passing yards and 33 receptions. He connected with seven different receivers, including a nine-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Koziol in the second quarter.
Defensively, Clayton Coll led the way with 10 tackles. Jack Blanco and Jordan Riley added nine and eight, respectively. Riley also chipped in a team-high four pass breakups. Tavion Woodard recorded the first sack allowed by the Eagles this season for a one-yard loss.
The two teams produced similar totals on the night. The Cardinals had 496 total offensive yards, 338 yards through the air, 158 rushing yards and 25 first downs, while Georgia Southern had 474 total yards, 310 yards passing, 164 yards on the ground and 26 first downs.
Both teams were perfect in the red zone. Ball State produced three field goals and a pair of touchdowns, while Georgia Southern had three touchdowns and a field goal.
The biggest differences came in third-down conversions and penalties. The Cardinals went 6-of-15 on third down, while the Eagles were 9-of-16. Ball State had seven penalties for 95 yards, while Georgia Southern had four for 35 yards.
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The Cardinals return home Saturday, Oct. 1, for a Mid-American Conference showdown vs. Northern Illinois. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET at Scheumann Stadium.
Team Stats
BSU 0, GS 3
GS - Raynor,Alex 25 yd field goal 16 plays, 81 yards, TOP 07:46
BSU 3, GS 3
BSU - VonGunten,Ben 22 yd field goal 9 plays, 70 yards, TOP 02:58
BSU 3, GS 6
GS - Raynor,Alex 43 yd field goal 6 plays, 44 yards, TOP 01:00
BSU 3, GS 13
GS - Green,Gerald 6 yd run (Raynor,Alex kick), 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 04:37
BSU 10, GS 13
BSU - Koziol,Tanner 9 yd pass from Paddock,John (VonGunten,Ben kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:35
BSU 13, GS 13
BSU - VonGunten,Ben 27 yd field goal 15 plays, 56 yards, TOP 06:04
BSU 13, GS 20
GS - Vantrease,Kyle 4 yd run (Raynor,Alex kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:46
BSU 20, GS 20
BSU - Jackson,Jayshon 19 yd pass from Paddock,John (VonGunten,Ben kick) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 03:46
BSU 23, GS 20
BSU - VonGunten,Ben 25 yd field goal 12 plays, 69 yards, TOP 04:48
BSU 23, GS 27
GS - Mcafee,Jjay 7 yd pass from Vantrease,Kyle (Raynor,Alex kick) 6 plays, 43 yards, TOP 01:47
BSU 23, GS 34
GS - Jones,Amare 47 yd pass from Vantrease,Kyle (Raynor,Alex kick) 10 plays, 86 yards, TOP 03:50
