by MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football opened Mid-American Conference (MAC) play as the Cardinals hosted defending league champion Ohio Saturday afternoon.
After four quarters of football, it was the Cardinals (2-3, 1-0 MAC) taking a 20-14 victory over the visiting Bobcats (3-3, 1-1 MAC).
Here are three notes from the game.
Defensive first half
The first MAC contest for the Cardinals began as both teams saw their defenses take control. The first four dives of the day ended with a missed field goal attempt, a turnover on downs and two punts.
During this time, both teams struggled to find momentum in their offensive performance. However, the Bobcats broke through at the 4:39 mark of the first quarter as the Green and White found the end zone on a short touchdown rush. After taking a 7-0 lead, no one scored again in the opening period.
The second half was similar, as the only score came from the Bobcats once again. This time, Ohio redshirt senior QB1 Parker Navarro found redshirt junior receiver Rodney Harris II for a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Ohio finished the first half with 262 offensive yards to Ball State’s 121.
The Nathan Voorhis experience
Last season, the most sacks for the Cardinals in a single game were 5.5. In his fifth game with the Cardinals, the senior defensive end showcased his skills, recording 3.5 sacks in the first half alone and finishing the game with that total. Coming into the contest, his average for taking the quarterback down was third in the country.
During the first half, he single-handedly impacted a drive as he had back-to-back sacks and had quarterback pressure on third down.
In his first five games as a Cardinal, he has eight sacks.
The Ball State turnaround
Though the Bobcats outgained and outscored the Red and White during the first half, things changed following the midway break. Since the end of the first quarter, Ball State recorded 344 offensive yards while the Green and White had 188.
While the amount of yardage was a large point of emphasis, the Cardinals’ offense was able to carve into the Ohio defense, scoring 10 points in the third quarter thanks to a 22-yard field goal and a fourth-down 13-yard touchdown.
Heading into this game, Ohio averaged 28.8 points per game, yet they only had. Before the Bobcats’ final drive, Navarro only completed one pass for four yards in the second half. The Bobcat also fumbled a snap in the end zone, allowing the Cardinals to record a safety.
Because of the all-around solid play by Ball State, the Cardinals drove down the field. With 57 seconds remaining, Kelly found redshirt senior Qian Magwood for a 43-yard touchdown play. After the Cardinals stopped the Bobcats on a hail mary attempt to the end zone, they captured their first MAC victory of the season.
Ball State will next travel to face Western Michigan Saturday, Oct. 11. The game will start at 3:30 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
