Neal steps up in Ball State football loss to Ohio

Freshman quarterback Riley Neal attempts to run the ball down the field during the game against Central Michigan on Oct. 24 at Scheumann Stadium. DN PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY
Freshman quarterback Riley Neal attempts to run the ball down the field during the game against Central Michigan on Oct. 24 at Scheumann Stadium. DN PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY

Ball State freshman quarterback Riley Neal was a man of two halves against Ohio University on Nov. 17.

Neal ran for 62 yards and a touchdown in the team's 48-31 loss, the second-best rushing performance of his career after a 74-yard effort against Northwestern on Sep. 26. He also threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns against the Bobcats.

Head coach Pete Lembo saw the progression of his young quarterback throughout the game.

“[Neal] got off to a little bit of a sluggish start, but he settled down nicely,” Lembo said. “He made some good decisions on some zone reads tonight and made some nice plays down the field on some play action passes.”

Neal ran for most of his yards in the first half, but made some big plays in the second half as well.

With just under 10 minutes remaining in the second half and the Cardinals at their 9-yard line, Neal tied his career long with a 41-yard run after a fake handoff to freshman James Gilbert.

“It’s not designed necessarily, it was an option run for me,” Neal said. “It could have gone either way depending on how the defense wants to play it.”

While his success on the ground was mostly held to the first half, he began to throw down the field in the second half. The Ohio defense limited Neal to six completions and 93 passing yards in the first half.

Neal's favorite target on the night was redshirt junior receiver KeVonn Mabon, who finished with 139 yards on 10 receptions and a 20-yard touchdown catch in the middle of the field.

A total of four receivers caught passes against Ohio, but Mabon and Jordan Williams caught 13 of the 16 completed balls.

The duo also caught both of Neal's touchdowns.

"Both of those guys, in my opinion, are some of the best receivers in the [Mid-American Conference]," Neal said. "Different defenses play different ways, ... it's all based on what the defense wants to do."

Mabon dominated the stat sheet, but Williams averaged 26 yards per catch on three receptions.

Neal and his receivers will take on one of the nation's top signal-callers in the final game of the season in Matt Johnson and Bowling Green. Johnson is second in the nation in passing yards, and Bowling Green has only lost one conference game this season.

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