Ball State University
1-2 , 0-1
Central Michigan
2-2 , 1-0
Football Falls in Thriller at Central Michigan
September 21, 2024 | Football
Â
The Semonza-to-Koziol aerial was their eighth connection of the day and it capped a 5-play, 97-yard drive that began improbably at their own 3-yard line, facing defeat with just 1:59 left in regulation.
Â
Job well done, but did they leave too much time on the clock?
Â
The Chippewas, who led 23-17 at intermission, were stymied in the third quarter but rebounded for a score with 5:02 to play that gave them a 30-27 cushion. After Koziol's score, the Chips had just enough time to match the Cardinals' rally with a 5-play, 75-yard sequence that finished with Chris Parker's 20-yard pass from Joe Labas.
Â
CMU left only 16 seconds for Semonza and Ball State to work another length-of-the-field miracle, Ball State's last-ditch effort was sealed when a ninth completion to Koziol triggered a series of laterals that never crossed midfield. Not until that moment did the Chippewas celebrate a 37-34 shootout victory.
Â
The Cardinals (1-2, 0-1 MAC) lost their second straight game while falling to CMU for the first time in three seasons. The Chippewas (2-2, 1-0 MAC) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Â
Semonza thrived in his first game against MAC competition, completing 75 percent of his passes, 30 of 40, with touchdowns to Koziol, Qian Magwood and Malcolm Gillie. Through the first seven games of his career, he has completed at least 70 percent of his passes four times.
Â
After trailing at halftime, Ball State regained the lead on a key, fourth-down run by Braedon Sloan. Marching on an 11-play drive that consumed 6:04 to open the second half, Sloan slanted off the right end and rambled 22 yards for the go-ahead score. The Cardinals forced the game's only turnover on the ensuing drive and wound up possessing the ball nearly 13 out of 15 minutes of the third quarter – punting on the opening play of the fourth.
Â
Sloan finished with 94 rushing yards on 19 carries. He had 112 all-purpose yards that included three catches and 18 yards.
Â
After the Sloan TD, placekicker Carson Holmer extended Ball State's lead to 27-23, adding the second field of his career – and the longest – from 40 yards. He opened the game with a 31-yarder for the first field goal of his career while stepping in for injured starter Jackson Courville.
Â
Ball State scored first, and led 10-0 in the first quarter, before the Chippewas took advantage of 71- and 76-yard runs from scrimmage to set up a pair of scores and take a 23-17 lead into intermission. Ball State crossed midfield on offense on its first four possessions and took advantage of a blocked punt by freshman Sam Feeney. It was the Cardinals' first blocked punt since Nic Jones against Murray State in 2022.
Â
CMU took a 20-10 lead with its third straight touchdown in the second period, but Darin Conley blocked the Chippewas' extra-point attempt – Ball State's first PAT block since 2015. Semonza brought the Cardinals back with a quick, 75-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the half, with Gillie corralling an over-the-shoulder catch for a nifty 23-yard score with 20 seconds remaining. B.J. Harris broke upfield for 71 yards in the final seconds, though, to set up CMU's 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Â
The two 70-yard runs were among nine CMU carries of 20 yards or more. Ball State succeeded in chewing time, controlling the ball for over 36 minutes and mounting 27 first downs, but Central Michigan's big chunk plays and 335 rushing yards, provided the final margin.
In the midst of the 100th season of Ball State football, the Cardinals travel to James Madison next Saturday to face the Dukes in non-conference action beginning at 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Â
Follow the Cardinals
Â
Team Stats
BSU 3, CMU 0
BSU - Holmer,Carson 31 yd field goal 10 plays, 53 yards, TOP 04:23
BSU 10, CMU 0
BSU - Magwood,Qian 6 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Holmer,Carson kick) 7 plays, 63 yards, TOP 03:26
BSU 10, CMU 7
CMU - Emanuel, Jr.,Bert 20 yd run (Mattson,Tristan kick), 3 plays, 62 yards, TOP 01:18
BSU 10, CMU 14
CMU - Parker,Chris 7 yd pass from Emanuel, Jr.,Bert (Mattson,Tristan kick) 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 01:33
BSU 10, CMU 20
CMU - Lukes,Marion 2 yd run (), 6 plays, 41 yards, TOP 01:49
BSU 17, CMU 20
BSU - Gillie,Malcolm 23 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Holmer,Carson kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:23
BSU 17, CMU 23
CMU - Mattson,Tristan 33 yd field goal 3 plays, 60 yards, TOP 00:20
BSU 24, CMU 23
BSU - Sloan,Braedon 22 yd run (Holmer,Carson kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:04
BSU 27, CMU 23
BSU - Holmer,Carson 40 yd field goal 8 plays, 38 yards, TOP 04:05
BSU 27, CMU 30
CMU - Emanuel, Jr.,Bert 16 yd run (Mattson,Tristan kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:37
BSU 34, CMU 30
BSU - Koziol,Tanner 16 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Holmer,Carson kick) 5 plays, 97 yards, TOP 01:06
BSU 34, CMU 37
CMU - Parker,Chris 20 yd pass from Labas,Joe (Mattson,Tristan kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:37
