KENT, Ohio - Ten yards separated Ball State from another improbable victory.
Kent State stood at its own 33-yard line, facing a fourth and 10 with only a minute remaining in the game. Ball State led 43-42. Just one more stop by a defense that had been steamrolled by Kent State all day would be enough.
But that stop wouldn't come.
On the ensuing play, Kent State quarterback Spencer Keith passed to wide receiver Matthew Hurdle for a wide-open completion over the middle, gaining 15 yards and a first down.
"As ugly as it was, that's where we were," coach Pete Lembo said. "One play away from sneaking out of here with a win."
Minutes later, fireworks went off. Fans hugged and high-fived in the stands. The scoreboard read "Kent State - 45, Ball State - 43."
Kent State's fourth down conversion defined Ball State's entire defensive performance all afternoon. Cornerbacks and safeties gave up big plays and blew coverages. The defensive line was controlled and moved off the ball. And players from every position missed tackle after tackle.
"Some of our best guys didn't play their best today," Lembo said.
Ball State's defense gave up 461 total yards to Kent State and allowed Kent State to convert seven of 14 third downs. Running back Dri Archer abused Ball State in three phases of the game, piling up 72 rushing yards on eight carries, 104 receiving yards and two touchdowns on three receptions and another touchdown on a 99-yard kickoff return.
Lembo was critical of Ball State's secondary after the game for giving up several touchdowns on blown coverages. He first pointed to junior cornerback Jeff Garrett missing a coverage assignment in third quarter, allowing Hurdle to get wide-open in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.
"Jeff Garrett is one our best two corners; It's not a matter of replacing a guy," Lembo said. "He just has to get better. He has to be more disciplined. He has to be more focused. That's one example of what hurts today. We gave up a couple of touchdowns in man coverage. Actually, one. Chris Pauling was in man, and his leverage was poor. And then we gave up another one in zone where the safeties have to get more help from the corners."
Lembo didn't have many answers on how to improve the defense heading into Ball State's next game. He just said it has to get better.
"It's not great back there right now, but we don't have a choice," Lembo said. "We just have to keep working on it and stay the course."
Wenning and Snead's Big Days
While Ball State's defense struggled to make stops, its offense went on to have one of the most productive games in school history.
After a fumble on a handoff near the goal line on Ball State's first drive of the game, junior quarterback Keith Wenning was surgical. His final total of 445 passing yards were the second-most in Ball State history. His five passing touchdowns were two more than his previous career-high and tied the individual school record for passing touchdowns in a game.
Sophomore wide receiver Willie Snead was the biggest beneficiary of those numbers. He hauled in 14 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including one the nearly mirrored his game-winning touchdown against South Florida on Sept. 22.
Most of Snead's big plays came on intermediate crossing and slant routes over the middle, which he said was a product of Kent State playing its safeties deep in coverage.
"They were rotating coverages sometimes, so when you rotate coverages, you play deep most of the time, and the middle is wide open," Snead said. "Coach [Rich] Skrosky was calling the right plays."
Snead's superb game came only one week after he played one of the other best games of his career against South Florida.
Still, it's not good enough for him. Not when Ball State has to travel home with a loss.
"I'm a team player," Snead said. "Losing kills me. Everybody hates to lose, and it kills me inside. Stats don't really matter to me when you lose a game."
Special Teams Blunders
Following the game, Lembo said special teams has been Ball State's "ace in the hole" since he became head coach.
That wasn't true against Kent State.
It started in the first quarter when Steven Schott badly missed a 51-yard field goal, with the ball falling short of the end zone.
It continued in the second quarter when Archer scored a touchdown on a 99-yard kickoff return, streaking into the open field after he passed untouched through Ball State's first line of defenders.
A muffed kickoff return by Jamill Smith in the second quarter and a missed extra point attempt in the third quarter by Schott added to the mistakes.
"My biggest disappointment today was special teams," Lembo said. "So, you can point to giving up 45 points, and I'm not happy about that, but seven of it is special teams. We could have easily scored more if we had scored on that first drive. But at the end of the day, it's on me, and I've got to do a better job of getting them ready."
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