Final Statistics | Highlights
MUNCIE, Ind. – Two turnovers and nine penalties in the first half put EKU in a 27-point deficit and the Colonels never recovered in a 41-14 loss at Ball State on Saturday.
A roughing the kicker penalty kept alive Ball State's second possession and allowed Riley Neal to cap it with a 12-yard run to give the home team a 14-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter.
Two second quarter interceptions gave the Cardinals (2-1) the ball inside the Eastern Kentucky 25 yard line each time and BSU converted the turnovers into 10 points. A second Morgan Hagee field goal, in the final seven seconds of the second quarter, sent Ball State to the locker room in front 27-0.
The Colonels (1-2) avoided the shutout with two late touchdown drives.
Maty Mauk completed passes for 32 and 16 yards before connecting with
Devin Borders for a 28-yard touchdown score. The drive covered 77 yards in 2:24.
On Ball State's next possession,
Luder Jean Louis forced and recovered a fumble at the BSU 40 yard line. Mauk began the ensuing drive with a 32-yard toss to Borders. After two penalties he found
Dan Crimmins for 27 yards. Freshman running back
Daryl McCleskey Jr. finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
EKU Newcomer
Ryan Markush caught five passes for a team-best 104 yards. Mauk completed 19-of-32 passes for 285 yards and did not throw an interception.
Jeffrey Canady led all players with 11 tackles.
Neal was 28-for-39 for 238 yards for Ball State. He tossed two touchdown passes. James Gilbert carried 21 times for 67 yards and scored a touchdown.
Eastern did not turn the ball over in the second half, but committed four more penalties, finishing with 13 for 128 yards.
The Colonels will have a week off from game action before returning to action for the first Ohio Valley Conference game of the season at Tennessee Tech on Oct. 1. Kickoff in Cookeville is scheduled for 7 p.m.
NOTES
Devin Borders entered the game 62 yards away from cracking EKU's top-10 career receiving yards list. He finished with four catches for 73 yards and now ranks 10th on the school's all-time receiving yards list with 1,577 yards.
Eastern is ranked 21st in the CollegeSportsMadness poll and just outside the top-25 in the FCS Coaches Poll (No. 31) and the STATS Poll (No. 32).
