Saturday, November 25
Muncie, IN
12:00 p.m.
Ball State University
4-8 , 3-5
15
vs
17
Miami
10-2 , 7-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Miami (OH)
7
7
3
0
17
Ball St.
6
6
0
3
15
Redbird Rivalry Ends in Roller-Coaster Finish: Redhawks 17, Cardinals 15
November 25, 2023 | Football
MUNCIE, lnd. – Miami withstood a pair of late interceptions, 365 yards by the Ball State offense and nearly 38 minutes of Cardinals' possession time Saturday as the Redhawks escaped with a narrow road win in front of 8,054 spectators at Scheumann Stadium.
While trying to win their third straight game and snap the Redhawks' three-game win streak, the Cardinals recorded their first interceptions in over two months, each of them setting up potential winning scores in the fourth quarter of a 17-15 defensive battle that helped the Redhawks secure the Redbird Rivalry trophy for the fourth straight year.
The first came with 7:38 to play when redshirt freshman Jordan Coleman picked off Redhawks' QB Aveon Smith for the Cardinals first interception in more than two months. What followed was a nine-play, 81-yard drive that stalled at the Miami 12-yard line and culminated in Jackson Courville's third field goal of the day. The key play of the drive was a 55-yard run by Cardinals' quarterback Kiael Kelly, helping him finish with 136 rush yards to become the first Ball State QB since 2000 to rush for more than 100 yards in a game.
Moments after Courville's kick brought Ball State within 17-15, senior linebacker Cole Pearce celebrated Senior Day with one of the most dramatic moments of his long career – stealing another pass from Smith just two plays into Miami's ensuing possession. Pearce, who came to Ball State as a walk-on in 2018, leaped in the Miami backfield to swipe at Smith's pass, but instead clutched it into his chest with both arms to allow the Cardinals offense to take over with under three minutes remaining and already deep into Miami's red zone.
Three plays later, Ball State appeared to take command on Kelly's 16-yard burst through the MAC's top-ranked run defense on third down, scoring the apparent go-ahead touchdown until penalty flags halted the Cardinal celebration and cued Ball State's final heartbreak.
A holding penalty moved the ball back to the Miami 26 to set up a clinching 42-yard field goal. Courville's kick, though, was blocked, sinking the hearts of the Cardinals and their fans who had hoped for four wins in the season's final five games.
After a 1-6 start (0-3 in the MAC) to the Ball State season, Kelly took over at starting quarterback to lead the Cardinals' late-season surge. Among his three losses as a starter, Ball State fell 13-6 to MAC West Division champion Toledo and surrendered Saturday's two-point decision to the MAC East champs. Miami and Toledo meet next week in the MAC Championship Game.
Against the vaunted Redhawks' defense, Kelly and running back Marquez Cooper each tallied exactly 136 rushing yards as the Cardinals rambled for 274 yards on the ground – the most allowed by Miami all season. It was the first time since 2019 that two Ball State players ran for 100-plus yards.
Entering the game 93 yards shy of his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, Cooper used a seven-yard run to reach the 1,000-yard plateau with 7:36 left in the third period. He scampered five yards on the following play to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game for the fourth time this season and 17th time in his career.
Ball State got on the board first, going 92 yards in nine plays on their first possession and scoring on Vaughn Pemberton's nine-yard pass from Kelly. Courville's point-after kick was the first of two Miami blocks, however, and the Redhawks took a 7-6 lead four minutes later. Miami assumed a 14-6 lead after a second-quarter touchdown, and Courville and Miami kicker Graham Nicholson traded field goals the rest of the way.
The Redhawks clung to a 17-12 lead after three quarters and Ball State appeared poised to re-assume the lead, but the Cardinals couldn't find the end zone after either of their fourth quarter interceptions.
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While trying to win their third straight game and snap the Redhawks' three-game win streak, the Cardinals recorded their first interceptions in over two months, each of them setting up potential winning scores in the fourth quarter of a 17-15 defensive battle that helped the Redhawks secure the Redbird Rivalry trophy for the fourth straight year.
The first came with 7:38 to play when redshirt freshman Jordan Coleman picked off Redhawks' QB Aveon Smith for the Cardinals first interception in more than two months. What followed was a nine-play, 81-yard drive that stalled at the Miami 12-yard line and culminated in Jackson Courville's third field goal of the day. The key play of the drive was a 55-yard run by Cardinals' quarterback Kiael Kelly, helping him finish with 136 rush yards to become the first Ball State QB since 2000 to rush for more than 100 yards in a game.
Moments after Courville's kick brought Ball State within 17-15, senior linebacker Cole Pearce celebrated Senior Day with one of the most dramatic moments of his long career – stealing another pass from Smith just two plays into Miami's ensuing possession. Pearce, who came to Ball State as a walk-on in 2018, leaped in the Miami backfield to swipe at Smith's pass, but instead clutched it into his chest with both arms to allow the Cardinals offense to take over with under three minutes remaining and already deep into Miami's red zone.
Three plays later, Ball State appeared to take command on Kelly's 16-yard burst through the MAC's top-ranked run defense on third down, scoring the apparent go-ahead touchdown until penalty flags halted the Cardinal celebration and cued Ball State's final heartbreak.
A holding penalty moved the ball back to the Miami 26 to set up a clinching 42-yard field goal. Courville's kick, though, was blocked, sinking the hearts of the Cardinals and their fans who had hoped for four wins in the season's final five games.
After a 1-6 start (0-3 in the MAC) to the Ball State season, Kelly took over at starting quarterback to lead the Cardinals' late-season surge. Among his three losses as a starter, Ball State fell 13-6 to MAC West Division champion Toledo and surrendered Saturday's two-point decision to the MAC East champs. Miami and Toledo meet next week in the MAC Championship Game.
Against the vaunted Redhawks' defense, Kelly and running back Marquez Cooper each tallied exactly 136 rushing yards as the Cardinals rambled for 274 yards on the ground – the most allowed by Miami all season. It was the first time since 2019 that two Ball State players ran for 100-plus yards.
Entering the game 93 yards shy of his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, Cooper used a seven-yard run to reach the 1,000-yard plateau with 7:36 left in the third period. He scampered five yards on the following play to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game for the fourth time this season and 17th time in his career.
Ball State got on the board first, going 92 yards in nine plays on their first possession and scoring on Vaughn Pemberton's nine-yard pass from Kelly. Courville's point-after kick was the first of two Miami blocks, however, and the Redhawks took a 7-6 lead four minutes later. Miami assumed a 14-6 lead after a second-quarter touchdown, and Courville and Miami kicker Graham Nicholson traded field goals the rest of the way.
The Redhawks clung to a 17-12 lead after three quarters and Ball State appeared poised to re-assume the lead, but the Cardinals couldn't find the end zone after either of their fourth quarter interceptions.
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Team Stats
MIA
BSU
Total Yards
216
365
Pass Yards
170
91
Rushing Yards
46
274
Penalty Yards
20
30
1st Downs
12
21
3rd Downs
1
2
4th Downs
0
2
TOP
22:34
37:26
1st Quarter
MIA 0, BSU 6
BSU - Pemberton,Vaughn 9 yd pass from Kelly,Kiael () 9 plays, 92 yards, TOP 04:25
MIA 7, BSU 6
MIA - McDonald,Cade 10 yd pass from Smith,Aveon (Nicholson,Graham kick) 2 plays, 13 yards, TOP 00:49
2nd Quarter
MIA 14, BSU 6
MIA - Amos,Rashad 1 yd run (Nicholson,Graham kick), 6 plays, 74 yards, TOP 02:58
MIA 14, BSU 9
BSU - Courville,Jackson 45 yd field goal 11 plays, 45 yards, TOP 05:34
MIA 14, BSU 12
BSU - Courville,Jackson 29 yd field goal 16 plays, 81 yards, TOP 05:33
3rd Quarter
MIA 17, BSU 12
MIA - Nicholson,Graham 37 yd field goal 4 plays, yards, TOP 01:53
4th Quarter
MIA 17, BSU 15
BSU - Courville,Jackson 29 yd field goal 9 plays, 81 yards, TOP 04:23
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
14
TD
1
YDS
91
INT
2
Players Mentioned
DB
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