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Indiana State University Athletics

ball state post
7
Indiana St. ISU 0-3 , 0-0
45
Winner Ball St. BSU 1-2 , 0-0
Indiana St. ISU
0-3 , 0-0
7
Final
45
Ball St. BSU
1-2 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ISU Indiana St. 0 0 7 0 7
BSU Ball St. 0 10 7 28 45

Game Recap: Football | | Seth Montgomery | GoSycamores.com

Ball State tops Indiana State in the battle for the Blue Key Victory Bell

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State utilized a 28-point fourth quarter to pull away from Indiana State in the Battle for the Blue Key Victory Bell on Saturday afternoon as the Cardinals topped the visiting Sycamores 45-7 at Scheumann Stadium.
 
Indiana State (0-3) pulled the game back within reach midway through the third quarter as freshman quarterback Elijah Owens found wide receiver Dakota Caton behind the Cardinals secondary for a 49-yard touchdown. The Sycamore score pulled ISU back within 17-7 and appeared to halt the Ball State (1-2) momentum on the field.
 
The Cardinal defense ensured Ball State would claim the first matchup between the two programs since the 2014 season as BSU forced three ISU turnovers, including Keionte Newson's 66-yard fumble return for a score to record the win.
 
Owens made the most of his Sycamore debut behind center as the Jacksonville, Ill. native became the first ISU true freshman to start a game since 2014. He finished 9-of-21 for 157 yards through the air completing passes to five different receivers including the touchdown pass to Caton. He added several tough runs with 10 carries for 17 yards in the loss.
 
Tee Hodge (nine carries, 46 yards) and Plez Lawrence (six carries, 39 yards) did most of ISU's damage on the ground as the Sycamores racked up a season-high 104 rushing yards in the game. Harry Van Dyne hauled in three passes for a career-high 80 yards, while Caton added three catches for 59 yards in the passing game.
 
Maddix Blackwell was ISU's leading tackler for the third consecutive game as the redshirt sophomore posted a game-high 12 tackles and added a fumble recovery. Garret Ollendieck added nine tackles, 1.0 sacks, and forced a fumble, while Antoineo Harris Jr. and Gianini Belizaire also recorded sacks in the contest.
 
Kadin Semonza paced the Ball State offense going 17-of-22 through the air for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Marzquez Cooper recorded 22 carries for 177 yards and a score, while Tanner Koziol posted team-highs in receptions (7), yards (60), and added a touchdown.
 
Newson was the Cardinals' leading tackler on the game with eight stops while adding his fumble recovery score. Tyler Potts added an interception that led to a Ball State touchdown, while Jack Sape finished with 1.5 sacks in the win.
 
How They Scored
  • Kadin Semonza found Rico Barfield for a 16-yard touchdown catch with 12:13 left in the second quarter to put Ball State on the scoreboard and give the Cardinals the 7-0 lead.
  • Ball State took the 10-0 lead into the half as Jackson Courville connected on a 23-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining to cap a nine-play, 69-yard drive.
  • Barfield found the end zone for the second time in the contest with 6:45 left in the third quarter as the running back took a handoff around the right side for a 24-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals the 17-0 lead.
  • The Sycamores found the end zone on the ensuing drive as Elijah Owens found Dakota Caton behind the Ball State defense for a 49-yard touchdown pass at the 5:48 mark in the third quarter to pull ISU back within 17-7. The two-play drive featured a 12-yard carry by Owens on the first play to set up the Caton score.
  • Marquez Cooper scored from 11 yards out with a touchdown run with 13:12 left in the fourth quarter to end a 13-play, 75-yard drive to give Ball State the 24-7 lead.
  • Tanner Koziol added to the BSU lead with 11:32 remaining in the contest with an eight-yard touchdown reception from Semonza following a Sycamore turnover.
  • Keionte Newson capitalized on another Indiana State turnover with a 66-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery at the 9:20 mark in the fourth quarter to give the Cardinals the 38-7 lead.
  • Ball State would cap the scoring at 45-7 following Charlie Spegal's one-yard touchdown plunge with 3:13 left in the game to provide the final margin.
Inside the Numbers
  • Indiana State posted season-highs in both rushing (104) and passing (157) yards in the contest.
  • The Sycamores held possession for 26:59 in the contest with 12 first downs including converting on 6-of-15 third-down attempts.
  • ISU added its first multi-sack game of the season with three quarterback takedowns in the contest.
  • The Sycamore kick return game was strong with Dakota Caton (Long of 40) and Zavion Taylor (Long of 33) combining to return four kicks for 110 yards to set up ISU with solid field position during the contest.
  • ISU aired the ball out in the contest averaging a season-high 17.4 yards per completion in the game over nine completed passes.
  • Ball State held the advantage in the run game as the Cardinals utilized 42 carries for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Marquez Cooper was the primary recipient with 22 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown in the game.
  • The Cardinals won the turnover battle forcing three Sycamore miscues to Ball State's one.
  • The Sycamores went 0-for-2 in field goal attempts in the contest in the loss. 
News & Notes
  • Elijah Owens became the first true freshman quarterback to play for Indiana State since 2021 when Cade Chambers took snaps against South Dakota and Western Illinois.
  • Owens taking the first snap made him the first Sycamore true freshman quarterback to earn the start since Matt Adam started the 2014 Homecoming game against Illinois State back on October 11, 2014.
  • The Indiana State-Ball State game saw the continuation of the Battle for the Blue Key Victory Bell dating back to 1940. The Cardinals claimed the bell back for the first time since the 2014 season and third time since 2002.
  • Maddix Blackwell recorded his second double-digit tackling game of the 2023 season in Saturday's loss. He is currently averaging 10.7 tackles per game with two fumble recoveries on the year.
  • Garret Ollendieck was in the backfield constantly with two forced fumbles in the contest, including the hit that led to an Indiana State field goal attempt in the second quarter.
  • Harry Van Dyne set new single-game highs in receiving yards (80) and longest reception (41) surpassing his previous highs set last season against Illinois State (66 & 26).
Postgame Interviews




Up Next
Indiana State heads into a bye week this week as the Sycamores turn their focus to the start of Missouri Valley Football action on Saturday, September 30, as ISU travels to take on MVFC newcomer Murray State. Kickoff in Murray, Ky. at Roy Stewart Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Football, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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