AKRON, Ohio -- The Ball State Cardinals didn't let potentialfirst-round pick Charlie Frye beat them Saturday at the RubberBowl.
Akron's senior quarterback connected on 21 of 33 passes for asolid 246 yards.
But the Cardinals never got a handle on junior running backBrett Biggs, who did the most damage.
Biggs totaled more than 300 all-purpose yards, including 195rushing on 31 carries, and scored three touchdowns as the Zips (4-1Mid-American Conference, 4-4 overall) handed BSU (1-4, 1-7) itsfourth-straight defeat, a 35-23 decision.
"He's a good back; he's hurt the last three teams he's played,"head coach Brady Hoke said. "I didn't think he'd do as well as hedid, no. Again we didn't tackle very well, and we didn't fit acouple runs the right way."
Biggs also registered 86 yards on five catches, including a44-yard touchdown in the second quarter which gave Akron the leadfor good at 14-7.
"They run good screen (because of) the timing of the front(line)," Hoke said. "It's how you fit it defensively, and we didn'tfit it properly."
Biggs' 3-yard jaunt put Akron up 7-0 with 1:17 left in thefirst.
Ball State responded with Adell Givens' 5-yard run to cap a12-play 78-yard drive at the 11:35 mark in the second. Givens washit at the line of scrimmage, but kept his legs churning andeventually slipped over the goal line.
Givens finished with 141 yards and three touchdowns on 23carries, his third game in a row with more than 100yards.�
"I don't know if he's ever not had confidence, as far as runningthe ball," Hoke said of Givens.
More than 11 minutes into the second, Biggs took a screen passfrom Frye and rumbled 44 yards up the left sideline.
Ball State tried to respond again, but freshman quarterback ColeStinson's misfire was intercepted by Reggie Corner at the Akron34.
Frye then efficiently marched the Zips offense to another score,this one a 9-yard pass to favorite-target Domenik Hixon with just34 seconds remaining.
Hixon also scored the second game-breaking touchdown, returninga Reggie Hodges punt 84 yards to put Akron up 28-10 with 4:14remaining in the third. Hixon ranged right to elude one defender,spun away to his left and picked up blocks down the sideline.
"We didn't make plays,"senior safety Justin Beriault said. "Itreally just comes down to not making tackles, and that's on metoo."
Biggs added a 14-yard score on the second play of the fourthperiod.
Stinson was 12 of 26 passing for just 86 yards before Joey Lynchreplaced him in the fourth.
Ball State mounted a mini-comeback, with Givens running 10 and18 yards for touchdowns. On Akron's one play in between, ConradSlaughter forced a fumble that Ryan Patrick recovered. But theCardinals relinquished the ball on downs at the Akron 30 with lessthan three minutes remaining.
"We've just got to keep plugging away," Beriault said. "I don'tthink our guys are going to quit. I guess we showed a littlecharacter there late when we tried to come back.
"It's a game we should win," Beriault said. "There's been teamswe've played that, talent-wise, was much better than us; I'm notafraid to say it and I don't think Coach Hoke is.
"I don't know if that was the case tonight, but we didn't playwell, and I know they beat us fair and square."
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