Bobcats Early Lead Proves Enough
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ball State football team got its offense going over the final three quarters Tuesday, but the Cardinals spotted Ohio a 25-point lead and never fully recovered in a 48-31 loss.
“We have been an inconsistent football team on offense and defense,” head coach Pete Lembo said. “We have been pretty good [on] special teams all year and I think that showed tonight. The inconsistencies in execution showed tonight. There were times when we had guys in a very position to make plays and we just didn’t make them.”
Junior wide receiver KeVonn Mabon recorded a career-high 312 all-purpose yards, while freshman quarterback Riley Neal threw for 247 yards to surpass the 2,000-yard mark for the season. Neal also accounted for three touchdowns.
Ball State trailed 28-3 before getting the ground game going in the second quarter. The Cardinals rushed for 89 yards in the period, including a 41-yarder on a designed run for Neal. He later pounded it in from 1-yard out to cut the Ohio lead to 28-10 at halftime.
The Cardinals (3-8, 2-5 Mid-American Conference) stayed within reach in the third quarter by going to the air. Neal hit Mabon and senior wide receiver Jordan Williams for touchdowns, both on plays of 20 yards or longer. Both scores cut the Ohio lead to 14 points, but the Cardinals could not get any closer.
Ball State struggled to stop the Ohio offense throughout the night. The Bobcats (7-4, 4-3 MAC) scored on eight of their 12 drives and answered every time Ball State scored in the second half, with the exception of their final possession of the game.
JD Sprague threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Jordan Reid. AJ Ouellette added 121 yards and two scores on the ground.
Ball State started slowly and fell behind early. The Cardinals were moving the ball late in the first quarter and looking to cut into a 14-3 lead when Neal hit Mabon for 36 yards. But Ohio’s Devin Jones ripped the ball away at the end of the play and the Bobcats recovered.
Four plays later, Sprague hit Reid for a 60-yard score on the first play of the second quarter. The Bobcats tacked on another second-quarter touchdown before Ball State could find the end zone.
Mabon became the first Ball State player to surpass 300 all-purpose yards in a game since Dante Love in 2008. He had 10 receptions for 139 yards, and his 173 yards on kickoff returns tied for the third most in Ball State history.
The Cardinals finished with 421 total yards of offense, including 174 on the ground. Darian Green led the team with 13 carries for 74 yards and a late touchdown run. Neal added 62 yards on five carries.
Ball State will return to Muncie to close out the season next week, hosting MAC East Division champion Bowling Green on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at Scheumann Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.