After poor showings against Iowa and Indiana State, the Ball State offense started to ignite against Toledo.
Wide receiver Jordan Williams returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact. He hauled in seven receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown, moving the chains and being a reliable target for quarterback Ozzie Mann.
Mann looked more comfortable, finding Williams and wideout KeVonn Mabon for large gains throughout the night. Late in the third quarter, Mann fired a deep pass to Mabon into the end zone, trusting his wide receiver to make a play.
He did, catching the ball while falling backwards for the touchdown. It was one of the few times Ball State made it into the end zone.
“I think we moved the ball very well tonight, but we settled for a lot of field goals,” Ball State head coach Pete Lembo said. “We have to improve our execution in the red zone.”
Trailing 20-6, freshman Dedrick Cromartie intercepted Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside and returned it to the Toledo 22-yard line. After running back Jahwan Edwards scampered to the Toledo four, the offense fell apart.
A theme throughout the night, Ball State’s offense appeared to wake up, but continuously fell short of the end zone.
After being bottled up the previous two weeks, Edwards ran with authority throughout the night. He finished the game with 125 yards on 21 carries, his most productive game since the season opener against Colgate.
Edwards was consistently dragging multiple defenders with him, literally carrying the Cardinals offense every time he touched the ball. Even with a severe weather delay that lasted nearly three hours, Edwards was ready to go as soon as he stepped on the field.
“The kids were really excited to play and to their credit they were very resilient during that time we were in the locker room,” Lembo said. “They would have played this game at three in the morning.”
Edwards’ success running the ball wasn’t just a positive for him, but for the rest of the offense. With the Toledo defense needing to hound his every move, passing lanes opened up. Mann finished the game 15-for-27 for 176 yards and two touchdowns, not turning the ball over.
Not outstanding numbers, but his best performance of the season.
Late in the game, Mann found Williams in the end zone for a short eight-yard touchdown, although a little luck was involved. The ball was intended for Mabon, but bounced off his hands, and wound up falling into Williams' arms.
The Cardinals produced 351 yards of offense, the most since its game against Colgate.
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