Saturday, October 21
Muncie, IN
3:30 p.m.
Ball State University
2-6 , 1-3
24
vs
17
Central Michigan
4-4 , 2-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Central Mich.
3
0
7
7
17
Ball St.
7
3
7
7
24
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Cardinals Earn 24-17 Homecoming Win over Central Michigan
October 21, 2023 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. – Marquez Cooper rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown, and Kiael Kelly added 64 rushing yards and two scores to lead Ball State to a 24-17 Mid-American Conference win over Central Michigan. Cooper and Kelly led a Cardinal offense that amassed 243 rushing yards, but it was the Ball State defense that asserted itself early and late to lead the Cardinals (2-6, 1-3 MAC) to their first MAC victory.
The Cardinals allowed CMU a 45-yard field goal just three-and-a-half minutes after the opening kickoff, but Ball State defenders kept the Chippewas off the scoreboard until a 19-yard TD strike with 4:29 left in the third and the Ball State offense scored 17 unanswered points to command a third quarter lead.
After Tristan Mattson's field goal to open the scoring, Ball State forced the Chippewas into four straight punts and Kelly, making his second start at quarterback, guided the Cardinals into the lead.
Kelly engineered a 7-play, 75-yard drive after the CMU field goal with the redshirt sophomore scoring the first touchdown of his career to put Ball State on top, 7-3. The Cardinals added a 33-yard field goal by Jackson Courville to lead 10-3 at intermission.
With Sidney Houston Jr., Cole Pearce and Jordan Riley leading an inspired defensive effort, Cooper helped Ball State race to a 17-3 advantage to rally the 15,171 spectators during the Cardinals' 96th homecoming game. Cooper 's 15-yard burst put the Cardinals up by two touchdowns with 10:07 left in the third period. His 39-yard run on that scoring drive was his longest carry of the season. In all, he carried 26 times to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark for the 15th time in his career and the second time this season.
Central Michigan finally got back on the board while driving 79 yards on 11 plays and capitalizing with the 19-yard pass from Jase Bauer to Jesse Prewitt III. But Kelly and the Cards answered right back with a 75-yard drive of their own, using Kelly's athletic leap into the endzone to cap the drive on its 13th play, just moments into the fourth quarter.
Ball State, given its difficult start to the season, found itself in unusual territory while trying to run the clock in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals mustered just one first down on its next two possessions though, and CMU threatened to spoil the homecoming hoopla while reaching the end zone with 4:15 to play and taking over for a final possession with 2:11 to play.
That is when Houston and the defense rose to the occasion again. Bauer led Central Michigan across midfield with a minute remaining when Houston recorded his second sack of the day, forcing third-and-long. Two incomplete passes later, Ball State celebrated its first MAC win of the season.
Keionte Newson led the Cardinal defense with a career-high nine tackles. Pearce added nine and was credited three times with QB hurries that forced the Chippewas into punting situations. Riley had six stops, two behind the line of scrimmage, and a key pass break-up as part of team effort that limited CMU to 260 total yards and just 3-of-13 on third down.
"It all starts up front," said Ball State coach Mike Neu when speaking of the defensive effort. "They use enormous effort do disrupt [the opponent's] pocket and disrupt what [the opponent] is trying to do. Our defense has stood up to the change each of the last three weeks, and it all starts up front."
Offensively, Kelly managed a revamped offense designed to complement his explosive array of skills, completed 13 of 16 passes for 101 yards and vastly outperformed his 4-of-16 passing effort for 38 yards in a driving rain a week earlier against Toledo.
"Kiael is so dynamic," said Ball State coach Mike Neu, "and today he was efficient. He's a great facilitator, a great point guard, and because of his athleticism, defenses have to respect him."
The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing skid while winning their homecoming game for the third time in the past four seasons. The Chippewas (4-4, 2-2 MAC) lost for the second time in three weeks and fell to 1-4 on the road.
Ball State is off for 11 days before opening #MAC-tion midweek play on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Bowling Green.
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The Cardinals allowed CMU a 45-yard field goal just three-and-a-half minutes after the opening kickoff, but Ball State defenders kept the Chippewas off the scoreboard until a 19-yard TD strike with 4:29 left in the third and the Ball State offense scored 17 unanswered points to command a third quarter lead.
After Tristan Mattson's field goal to open the scoring, Ball State forced the Chippewas into four straight punts and Kelly, making his second start at quarterback, guided the Cardinals into the lead.
Kelly engineered a 7-play, 75-yard drive after the CMU field goal with the redshirt sophomore scoring the first touchdown of his career to put Ball State on top, 7-3. The Cardinals added a 33-yard field goal by Jackson Courville to lead 10-3 at intermission.
With Sidney Houston Jr., Cole Pearce and Jordan Riley leading an inspired defensive effort, Cooper helped Ball State race to a 17-3 advantage to rally the 15,171 spectators during the Cardinals' 96th homecoming game. Cooper 's 15-yard burst put the Cardinals up by two touchdowns with 10:07 left in the third period. His 39-yard run on that scoring drive was his longest carry of the season. In all, he carried 26 times to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark for the 15th time in his career and the second time this season.
Central Michigan finally got back on the board while driving 79 yards on 11 plays and capitalizing with the 19-yard pass from Jase Bauer to Jesse Prewitt III. But Kelly and the Cards answered right back with a 75-yard drive of their own, using Kelly's athletic leap into the endzone to cap the drive on its 13th play, just moments into the fourth quarter.
Ball State, given its difficult start to the season, found itself in unusual territory while trying to run the clock in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals mustered just one first down on its next two possessions though, and CMU threatened to spoil the homecoming hoopla while reaching the end zone with 4:15 to play and taking over for a final possession with 2:11 to play.
That is when Houston and the defense rose to the occasion again. Bauer led Central Michigan across midfield with a minute remaining when Houston recorded his second sack of the day, forcing third-and-long. Two incomplete passes later, Ball State celebrated its first MAC win of the season.
Keionte Newson led the Cardinal defense with a career-high nine tackles. Pearce added nine and was credited three times with QB hurries that forced the Chippewas into punting situations. Riley had six stops, two behind the line of scrimmage, and a key pass break-up as part of team effort that limited CMU to 260 total yards and just 3-of-13 on third down.
"It all starts up front," said Ball State coach Mike Neu when speaking of the defensive effort. "They use enormous effort do disrupt [the opponent's] pocket and disrupt what [the opponent] is trying to do. Our defense has stood up to the change each of the last three weeks, and it all starts up front."
Offensively, Kelly managed a revamped offense designed to complement his explosive array of skills, completed 13 of 16 passes for 101 yards and vastly outperformed his 4-of-16 passing effort for 38 yards in a driving rain a week earlier against Toledo.
"Kiael is so dynamic," said Ball State coach Mike Neu, "and today he was efficient. He's a great facilitator, a great point guard, and because of his athleticism, defenses have to respect him."
The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing skid while winning their homecoming game for the third time in the past four seasons. The Chippewas (4-4, 2-2 MAC) lost for the second time in three weeks and fell to 1-4 on the road.
Ball State is off for 11 days before opening #MAC-tion midweek play on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Bowling Green.
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Team Stats
CMU
BSU
Total Yards
260
344
Pass Yards
161
101
Rushing Yards
99
243
Penalty Yards
58
65
1st Downs
20
23
3rd Downs
3
5
4th Downs
3
1
TOP
28:21
31:39
1st Quarter
CMU 3, BSU 0
CMU - Mattson,Tristan 45 yd field goal 8 plays, 23 yards, TOP 03:27
CMU 3, BSU 7
BSU - Kelly,Kiael 3 yd run (Courville,Jackson kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:19
2nd Quarter
CMU 3, BSU 10
BSU - Courville,Jackson 33 yd field goal 12 plays, 73 yards, TOP 06:36
3rd Quarter
CMU 3, BSU 17
BSU - Cooper,Marquez 15 yd run (Courville,Jackson kick), 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 04:48
CMU 10, BSU 17
CMU - Prewitt III,Jesse 19 yd pass from Bauer,Jase (Mattson,Tristan kick) 11 plays, 79 yards, TOP 05:32
4th Quarter
CMU 10, BSU 24
BSU - Kelly,Kiael 1 yd run (Courville,Jackson kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:27
CMU 17, BSU 24
CMU - Lukes,Marion 1 yd run (Mattson,Tristan kick), 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 04:33
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
13
TD
0
YDS
101
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
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K
/ Football
DE/LB
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LB
/ Football
DB
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