Ball State University
1-4 , 0-1
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Western Michigan
2-3 , 1-1
Cardinals Score First and Hatcher Throws for 300 Yards, but Ball State Can't Keep Up with Broncos
September 30, 2023 | Football
Hatcher started for the first time since Ball State opened its season at Kentucky, and eclipsed 300 passing yards for the 12th time in his career. The biggest beneficiary was redshirt sophomore receiver Qian Magwood who caught nine passes for 110 yards. His 32-yard touchdown catch and run on the first possession of the second half, perhaps the game's biggest highlight, brought the Cardinals within 28-17. He finished with career highs in catches and yards.
Magwood's catch capped a 75-yard drive to open the third quarter, corralling a Hatcher pass in the left flat. He fought through blockers and tacklers and reversed right toward the center of the field, then reversed course again and ran mostly untouched as he darted for the end zone.
But just as the Cardinals scored first to open the first half, on a 27-yard field goal by Jackson Courville, Western Michigan responded. Following Courville's field goal to end a 70-yard drive that stalled at the WMU 10, the Broncos answered with three straight touchdowns to command a 21-3 lead. After Magwood's TD early in the third, WMU QB Treyson Bourget found Anthony Sambucci for a 31-yard score on the ensuing possession. It was the third Bourget-to-Sambucci touchdown pass of the afternoon.
Maximus Webster snared a 2-yard Hatcher pass late in the first half for Ball State's first touchdown and the Broncos added a 2-yard score of their own for a 28-10 halftime advantage. Touchdowns by Webster and Magwood were the first touchdowns of both of their careers. Grad transfer receiver Ahmad Edwards caught Hatcher's longest pass of the day for a 57-yard touchdown in the final period.
Hatcher and the Cardinals had a season-high in passing yards, with nine different receivers getting into the action. But WMU's 328 pass yards were aided by 133 on the ground – plus Ball State's season-high 10 penalties for 107 yards that at times proved costly.
The game's only turnover, a Hatcher fumble on one of six WMU sacks, gave the Broncos a short field on the way to its third touchdown.
Cole Pearce and Sidney Houston Jr., each led Ball State with 10 tackles on defense, with Pearce adding a sack and a pass break-up. Running back Marquez Cooper added 82 rushing yards and caught four passes for 54 yards, adding a long run of 23 and a catch of 25.
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Team Stats
BSU 3, WMU 0
BSU - Courville,Jackson 27 yd field goal 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 04:25
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BSU 3, WMU 7
WMU - Sambucci,Anthony 18 yd pass from Bourguet,Treyson (Domschke,Palmer kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:31
BSU 3, WMU 14
WMU - Abdus-Salaam,Zahir 1 yd run (Domschke,Palmer kick), 10 plays, 92 yards, TOP 03:57
BSU 3, WMU 21
WMU - Buckley,Jalen 12 yd run (Domschke,Palmer kick), 7 plays, 43 yards, TOP 02:29
BSU 10, WMU 21
BSU - Webster,Maximus 2 yd pass from Hatcher,Layne (Courville,Jackson kick) 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 02:45
BSU 10, WMU 28
WMU - Sambucci,Anthony 2 yd pass from Bourguet,Treyson (Domschke,Palmer kick) 10 plays, 59 yards, TOP 01:27
BSU 17, WMU 28
BSU - Magwood,Qian 32 yd pass from Hatcher,Layne (Courville,Jackson kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:08
BSU 17, WMU 35
WMU - Sambucci,Anthony 31 yd pass from Bourguet,Treyson (Domschke,Palmer kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:38
BSU 24, WMU 35
BSU - Edwards,Ahmad 57 yd pass from Hatcher,Layne (Courville,Jackson kick) 4 plays, 69 yards, TOP 01:38
BSU 24, WMU 42
WMU - Abdus-Salaam,Zahir 2 yd run (Domschke,Palmer kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 03:22
