Ball State University
Georgia
Cardinals Prepare for Battle with Top-Ranked Georgia
September 05, 2023 | Football
| Ball State (0-1; 0-0 MAC) at Georgia | |
| Game 2 - at Georgia (1-0; 0-0 SEC) | Saturday, Sept. 9 at Noon Live Stats | SEC Network |
| Notes | Ball State | Georgia |
| Social Media | X (Twitter)Â | Instagram |
Ball State faces the No. 1-ranked team in the nation for just the second time in school history on Saturday, battling at Georgia against the defending national champion Bulldogs. It is the first time in Cardinals history to face a defending national champion on the gridiron.
** Ball State continues its two-week grind against Southeastern Conference foes - battling two-time defending national champion Georgia this week after falling to Kentucky in last Saturday's opener.
** Ball State faces SEC opponents in consecutive weeks for just the second time in its history. The Cardinals opened the 2001 season on Sept. 1 at Auburn, then Sept. 8 at Kentucky. Saturday's game is the Cardinals' first football matchup with the Bulldogs.
** The Cardinals fared well in Lexington, but for a pair of turnovers before halftime that saw a 10-7 deficit bulge to 20-7, and eventually 23-7 before intermission when the Wildcats tacked on another late field goal. But for those miscues, Ball State outgained Kentucky in first downs, 18-17, and consumed 38:02 elapsed time compared to 21:58 for the Wildcats. The Cardinals led in time of possession in all four quarters and ran 20 more plays than UK (71-51). Kentucky outgained Ball State 357 yards to 295.
** Offensive performances were highlighted Saturday by a cast of newcomers - QBs Layne Hatcher and Kadin Semonza, transfer receiver Ty Robinson and transfer running back Marquez Cooper. Hatcher drew the start -- starting for his third school in his fifth college season -- and scored the season's first touchdown on a 2-yard QB sneak, while true freshman Semonza opened the second half and led the Cardinals with 165 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-21 passing. Robinson, from Colorado, had career highs of five catches and 90 yards while snaring his first touchdown catch since 2021 at Oregon. Cooper, from MAC-rival Kent State, carried 15 times for 33 yards.
** The defense, meanwhile, was led by its solid cast of returners - Jack Sape, Sidney Houston Jr., and Kyron Mims up front, Cole Pearce in the middle and Jordan Riley and Red Potts in the secondary. Riley paced the Cards with five tackles, followed by Sape and Pearce, each with four. Sape recorded a sack, Potts had the game's only interception and Mims batted down a pass. Potts and Mims were each credited with three tackles.
** The Cardinals limited the Kentucky offense to just three touchdowns and forced three field goals. Other Kentucky scoring came on a 69-yard fumble return and a 99-yard kickoff return. The Wildcats offense reached the red zone just twice.
