NCAA Game Summary - Ball State at Toledo
(Tuesday, November 6th)
Final Score: Ball State 34, (23) Toledo 27
Toledo, OH (Sports Network) - Jahwan Edwards broke a tied game with a 15-yard
touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, as Ball State ended Toledo's eight-
game winning streak by topping the 23rd-ranked Rockets, 34-27, at the Glass
Bowl.
Edwards ran for 105 yards on 16 carries, and Keith Wenning threw for three
touchdowns for the Cardinals (7-3, 4-2 MAC), winners of four straight
following losses to Kent State and Northern Illinois.
Wenning completed 29-of-42 passes for 280 yards and was intercepted three
times, but Ball State made up for the miscues by forcing a key turnover on
downs midway through the fourth quarter.
"It doesn't get any better than this," Ball State coach Pete Lembo said. "Our
guys just hang in there and keep battling. We're not a great team but we're a
team. We're together. We ride out the highs and lows and we keep believing."
Toledo's David Fluellen gashed the Cardinals for 200 yards and a score on 34
carries, though he lost a fumble and was unable to move the chains at a
critical time.
Terrance Owens threw for 215 yards and a TD on 14-of-27 throws for the Rockets
(8-2, 5-1), who had not lost since dropping their season opener to Arizona in
overtime.
"Ball State made the more disciplined plays throughout the football game,"
Toledo coach Matt Campbell said. "We played behind much of the game tonight,
and we did some things that have been uncharacteristic of us this season. We
have to correct those and pay attention to details and executing in critical
situations as we move forward. Hopefully tonight is a great learning
experience."
With the score tied, 27-27, Campbell opted to pass up a short field goal try.
It was the second time in the fourth quarter Toledo's head coach went for the
first down on 4th-and-1. The first gamble resulted in a touchdown run by
Fluellen, but the second ended with Fluellen getting stuffed for no gain at
the Ball State 14-yard line with 6:02 remaining.
Edwards did most of the work in getting the Cardinals down the field, carrying
the ball four times in the first five plays for 41 yards, including a 19-yard
run on 3rd-and-9. Another third-down conversion on a nice catch by Zane Fakes
kept the drive alive, and Edwards took a handoff around the left side and
sprinted into the end zone with 1:43 remaining.
Toledo, with no timeouts, only moved the ball seven yards on its final
possession. A sack on second down and two straight incompletions sealed the
upset win for the visitors.
Wenning went 7-for-8 for 71 yards on the game's opening drive and connected
with Jamill Smith on a corner route in the end zone for a 6-yard score.
After Toledo punted in enemy territory, Wenning completed all five of his
attempts on an 87-yard march, the last 25 yards coming on Connor Ryan's
touchdown catch for a 14-0 lead less than 11 minutes in.
Later in the first quarter, Fluellen got Toledo moving with a 31-yard run, and
Owens found an open Bernard Reedy behind the secondary for a 24-yard TD.
An illegal block negated a Fluellen touchdown run early in the second quarter,
and the Rockets settled for a 29-yard field goal by Jeremiah Detmer.
Another promising drive by the Rockets ended when Fluellen fumbled near the
red zone. Ball State linebacker Tony Martin scooped up the loose ball, ran it
back to the Toledo 12, and the Cardinals padded their lead on Steven Schott's
24-yard field goal with just over four minutes left in the half.
Fluellen shook off the fumble and helped Toledo reach the Ball State 33, and
Cassius McDowell picked up the rest on three carries to make it a 17-17 game
heading to halftime.
The Rockets went three-and-out on their first two possessions of the second
half, allowing Ball State to regain the lead. A pair of third-down conversions
on a 10-play, 61-yard drive ended with Smith hauled in a 3-yard TD pass.
Detmer's 22-yard field goal cut Toledo's deficit to 24-20 late in the third
quarter, and Dan Molls came away with an interception on the first play of the
ensuing drive.
The Rockets looked like they were going to settle for three again when Owens
was stopped a yard short on third down, but Campbell kept his offense on the
field. Fluellen then took a handoff up the middle and went virtually untouched
for a go-ahead 16-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Schott, who missed a 35-yarder midway through the third quarter, tied things
again on a 30-yard field goal with 9:41 remaining.
Game Notes
Toledo, which was ranked for the first time since 2001, trails Northern
Illinois by one game in the West Division. The two schools play each other
next Wednesday ... Ball State went 8-for-12 on third-down conversions,
compared to 7-for-16 for Toledo ... The Rockets outgained the conference's
best offense, 526-447 ... Toledo committed 11 penalties for 115 yards ...
Toledo holds a narrow 19-18-1 advantage in the all-time series.
11/07 00:58:08 ET
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