Career Receiving Milestones in Loss to Miami at Home

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Justin Bowick's career-high eight catches for 171 yards, and Tanner Koiziol's record-breaking 68 single-season catches by a tight end highlighted Tuesday night's Redbird Rivalry game between the Ball State Cardinals and Miami Redhawks. The Cardinals, however, fought in a losing effort, losing 27-21.

Bowick's 171 receiving yards marked the most by a Ball State receiver since Riley Miller's 208-yard performance versus Kent State in 2018.

The Cardinals (3-6, 2-3 MAC) fell in their rivalry matchup with the Redhawks (5-4, 4-1) for the fifth straight season. Miami won its fourth straight game.

With the game tied 21-21 to start the fourth quarter, Miami advanced the ball to Ball State's 5-yard line to set up a go-ahead score and the lead the Redhawks never relinquished. Will Yates brought down Redhawks' running back Kevin Davis for a 5-yard loss on second down, and after a third-down throw out of the back of the endzone, Miami settled for a field goal to take the lead 24-21.

Both teams traded fourth-quarter punts during consistent rain that poured over Scheumann Stadium throughout the night, until Miami sent a 39-yard field goal through the uprights in the game's final minute.

Trying to summon the momentum of a last-minute drive 10 days earlier to beat Northern Illinois, Ball State made it to Miami's 35-yard line before quarterback Kadin Semonza was sacked for a loss and threw an incomplete pass to Malcolm Gillie to effectively end the Cardinals' final opportunity.

Tanner Koziol caught four passes on the night to eclipse the Ball State single-season record for catches by a tight end, breaking a 40-year-old standard of 67 set by Mike Leuck in 1983.

George Udo totaled nine tackles, followed by Keionte Newson's eight. Scott Hudson tallied his first sack since transferring to Ball State for a loss on nine yards. The Cardinals' biggest defensive highlights came from Brandon Berger to get Ball State on the board in the first period.

In back-to-back plays, Berger blew up the Redhawks' third down play with a backfield loss, followed by his first career interception and a TD return of 46 yards on an errant punt attempt that was initially fumbled by punter Alec Bevelhimer, then passed into Berger's arms.

Berger's score was the first by the Ball State defense this season. Miami evened the game with a 75-yard, two-and-a-half-minute drive comprised of 41-yard and 34-yard passes.

Ball State trailed 21-13 at the intermission, following a pair of field goals from Jackson Courville and a pair of short touchdown passes by Redhawks' QB Brett Gabbert.
Ball State knotted the score at 21 when Semonza connected with Justin Bowick for a 55-yard reception in the third period, and Cam Pickett's completed a two-point conversion. Bowick's grab was Ball State's longest offensive score of the season.

Ball State resumes #MAC-tion play next Tuesday night when the Cardinals travel to Buffalo for a second consecutive midweek game.

Career Receiving Milestones in Loss to Miami at Home

Players Mentioned

Brandon Berger

Justin Bowick

Jackson Courville

Malcolm Gillie

Scott Hudson

Tanner Koziol

Keionte Newson

Cam Pickett

Kadin Semonza

George Udo