With an incomplete pass from second-year quarterback Daniel Richardson to fourth-year receiver Carlos Carriere on 4th-and-4, Ball State Football (3-3, 2-1) sealed their second straight comeback in a close 17-16 win over Central Michigan (1-5, 0-2) Oct. 8.
“I’m just proud of this football team,” head coach Mike Neu said. “We talk about being the best team and the best family and we have to have each other’s back no matter how it happens but the goal is to always win by one more point than our opponent and that is what we did today.”
The Cardinals opened up the game with a promising start after a fumble recovery by fourth-year safety Malcolm Lee but failed to capitalize as fourth-year kicker Ben VonGunten missed the uprights from 39 yards out.
On the following drive for Central Michigan, a field goal put the Chippewas on the board first.
After a Cardinals punt and a turnover on downs for Central Michigan, third-year quarterback John Paddock fumbled on his own 3-yard line, setting up the Chippewas for a 1-yard touchdown run from second-year running back Lew Nichols III.
The woes for Ball State carried into the second quarter when a Central Michigan punt was fumbled by fourth-year receiver Jayshon Jackson but the Chippewas failed to capitalize the second time around.
Six minutes later, a 28-yard Central Michigan punt put the Cardinals into position for a five-play, 40-yard drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown pass from Paddock to redshirt freshman tight end Brady Hunt to leave Ball State back by three heading into the locker room.
Coming out of the second half, the status quo remained on both sides until just under seven minutes left in the third quarter when a Central Michigan run was fumbled by second-year running back Myles Bailey and returned by third-year linebacker Sidney Houston Jr. to give the Cardinals their first lead of the afternoon.
“It was hype, I couldn’t really take it all in because I knew we had to go right back on the field, but I felt overjoyed,” Houston Jr. said. “It was my first-ever career touchdown in college so it definitely felt good to hold the Turnover Belt with my brothers and put points on the board when it really mattered.”
On the next series for the Chippewas, seven plays and 62 yards rewarded a 17-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Carriere to put Central Michigan back on top.
In the fourth quarter, Ball State regained the lead after a 16-yard pass from Paddock to Hunt put the Cardinals at the Chippewas 12-yard line, which led to a 22-yard field goal from VonGunten to give Ball State a one-point lead.
Second-year running back Carson Steele broke through in the second half with offensive line help to finish with 124 yards rushing on 28 attempts.
“I had to slow myself down mentally and try not to think about any pressure,” Steele said. “Props to the O-line, we sat down at halftime and switched some stuff up and that is what got us rolling.”
Two Central Michigan punts and a turnover on downs later, the Cardinals took a knee to take the 17-16 win.
Ball State is back at Scheumann Stadium Oct. 15 to face the University of Connecticut at 2 p.m.
Contact Corbin Hubert with comments at cchubert@bsu.edu or on Twitter @corbin_hubert_
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