This was not the case against Ohio University on the road Nov. 17, as uncharacteristic penalties served as potential game-killers for the Cardinals in a 48-31 loss to the Bobcats.
“The disappointing thing tonight was that we had three procedural penalties,” head coach Pete Lembo said. “[They were on] three seniors on offense that are all pretty steady guys for us.”
Defense was once again a struggle for the Cardinals, as they gave up 607 yards of total offense and 28 points in the first half.
Bobcats' quarterback JD Sprague threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Two big defensive pass interference penalties helped Ohio move the ball down the field in the game.
The first interference call happened with a little more than two minutes left in the first quarter when redshirt sophomore David Moore committed the penalty to put the Bobcats in scoring position at the Ball State 15-yard line.
They went on to score a few plays later to extend their lead 14-3.
The second came late in the second quarter, setting up another touchdown to make the score 28-3. Beyond the pass interference calls, the Cardinals committed three additional penalties, which is 1.2 above their season average.
“We gotta play the ball better in the air,” Lembo said. “Whether it's pass interference or whether it's a completed pass, we gotta make some plays on the ball in the air.”
Ball State quarterback Riley Neal scored a 1-yard rush touchdown to make the score 28-10 at the half.
The Cardinals got some offense going in the second half, but their defense couldn't keep the Bobcats off the scoreboard long enough to mount a comeback. Neal threw two touchdowns in the third quarter, but a touchdown and two field goals by Ohio kept hold of a nice lead.
Neal finished 16-34 for 247 and three touchdowns. Jordan Williams and KeVonn Mabon were the recipients of Neal's touchdowns. Mabon led the team with 10 receptions and 139 yards.
Ohio struck first in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 48-24. Sophomore Darian Green scored on a 10-yard run with 6:38 left in the fourth, but that was all Ball State could muster in the final period.
Green rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries to lead the Cardinals. Bobcats' running back A.J. Oullette had the game's best performance on the ground with 22 carries for 121 yards and two scores.
With the loss, Ball State falls to 3-8 on the season and will host one of the top passing attacks in the nation in Bowling Green in its final game of the season on Nov. 24.
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