Credit Source: Ball State Athletics
Photos by: Rick McIntyre, Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
Bronze Stalk Staying in Muncie as Ball State Defeats NIU
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
Cardinals win rivalry game over Huskies for second straight year
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Bronze Stalk trophy will look good for another year in BSU’s Fisher Football Training Complex. Ball State wore down visiting Northern Illinois 31-25 Wednesday night, keeping the rivalry trophy in Muncie. The Cardinals won 27-20 at NIU last season.
“I’m just proud of the way the guys answered the bell in the second half,” BSU head coach Mike Neu said. “We knew we had to go play a four-quarter game. No matter what would’ve happened in any previous play or previous quarter or half, we just needed to go play, battle, fight, scratch and claw, and the guys did that.”
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
Perhaps the biggest play of the game came in the second quarter with Ball State trailing 14-7 and NIU threatening. Amechi Uzodinma II picked off a pass and ran it 71 yards for a touchdown to tie the game heading into halftime.
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
Caleb Huntley, one of the nation’s top performers last week when he rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns versus Eastern Michigan, took over after having only 19 yards at halftime. Huntley carried six times on the Cardinals’ go-ahead drive, scoring a 3-yard touchdown with 5:12 left on the third-quarter clock. Ball State would lead for the rest of the game.
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
“The defense kept battling and battling and battling, and then we got that pick six,” Neu said. “You could just feel the momentum shift there on the sideline. You could just feel the added punch that we needed.”
Huntley, who entered the week third in the nation in yards per game, continued his dominance on the ground with 103 yards and a score against NIU. It was his seventh consecutive effort of 100 yards or more, which set a school record.
BSU (2-1, 2-1 MAC) extended its lead to 28-14 after Yo’Heinz Tyler made two big plays. Tyler took a Drew Plitt pass 64 yards to the NIU 13 and then was rewarded with the touchdown moments later. NIU answered with a scoring drive, but Ball State tacked on a 33-yard field goal from Jack Knight with 2:20 left in the game to lead 31-22. NIU added a late field goal and tried an onside kick in the final moments, but BSU was able to ice the game and retain the rivalry trophy.
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
“It means a lot,” senior safety Bryce Cosby said. “Before the game, I was telling the guys about 2017. We got beat 63-17. It was hard as a freshman … I can remember that game at NIU like it was yesterday. It was freezing cold. We got beat 63-17 and it was a true gut punch just getting on the bus after that … I am fortunate to be part of this rivalry, and am I glad we have gone on to win the past two years.”
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
Antwan Davis scored a touchdown early in the game and added a 2-point conversion after the Tyler touchdown. Tyler and Justin Hall combined to catch 14 of Ball State’s 17 completed passes. The Cardinals amassed 201 yards on the ground, with Tye Evans gaining 60 yards while spelling Huntley.
Photo by: Rick McIntyre/Excel H Sports/McIntyre Imaging
NIU (0-3, 0-3 MAC) was led by Tyrice Richie, who caught 11 passes for 108 yards. NIU quarterback Ross Bowers threw for 300 yards, but the defensive touchdown scored on the interception swung the game in favor of the Cardinals.
Cosby led the Cardinals with 14 tackles, while Jaylin Thomas had 13. Uzodinma also had two pass breakups in addition to the game-changing interception.
Ball State will have 10 days until its next game, a Saturday, Nov. 28 contest at Toledo. That will be a noon kickoff on ESPN3 and WLBC 104.1 FM.
2020 Ball State Football
NIU vs Ball State (Nov 18, 2020 at Muncie, Ind.)
NIU (0-3,0-3) vs. Ball State (2-1,2-1)
Date: Nov 18, 2020 • Site: Muncie, Ind. • Stadium: Scheumann Stadium
Attendance: 859
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
NIU 7 7 0 11 25
Ball State 0 14 6 11 31
1st 12:04 NIU – RICHIE, Tyrice 17 yd pass from BOWERS, Ross (Richardson, Joh kick), 7-75 2:56 7 – 0
2nd 14:40 BALL – DAVIS, Antwan 5 yd pass from PLITT, Drew (KNIGHT, Jack kick), 8-78 2:22 7 – 7
11:39 NIU – COLLINS, Erin 2 yd run (Richardson, Joh kick), 6-74 2:55 14 – 7
04:29 BALL – UZODINMA, A. 71 yd interception return (KNIGHT, Jack kick) 14 – 14
3rd 05:12 BALL – HUNTLEY, Caleb 3 yd run (SNYDER, Nathan pass failed), 9-59 4:31 14 – 20
4th 12:17 BALL – TYLER, Yo’Heinz 7 yd pass from PLITT, Drew (DAVIS, Antwan pass from PLITT, Drew), 5-80 1:44 14 – 28
07:09 NIU – COLLINS, Erin 3 yd run (CRAWFORD, Danie pass from BOWERS, Ross), 13-80 5:02 22 – 28
02:20 BALL – KNIGHT, Jack 33 yd field goal, 11-59 4:49 22 – 31
00:44 NIU – Richardson, Joh 41 yd field goal, 9-52 1:30 25 – 31
Kickoff time: 7:02 pm • End of Game: 10:24 pm • Total elapsed time: 3:22
Officials: Referee: Ron Hudson; Umpire: Will Steinke; Linesman: Jeff Johnson;
Line judge: K. Loving Sr.; Back judge: Josh Dascher; Field judge: Jason Frank;
Side judge: Ryan Gannon; Center judge: Tony Romano;
Temperature: 45 • Wind: 12 mph • Weather: Clear
Rushing No. Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
WAYLEE, Harriso 17 67 4 63 0 28 3.7
COLLINS, Erin 8 46 0 46 2 11 5.8
RICHIE, Tyrice 2 10 1 9 0 10 4.5
HAIDET, Andrew 1 1 0 1 0 1 1.0
BOWERS, Ross 4 12 19 -7 0 7 -1.8
Totals 32 136 24 112 2 28 3.5
Rushing No. Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
HUNTLEY, Caleb 25 105 2 103 1 17 4.1
EVANS, Tye 5 60 0 60 0 46 12.0
HALL, Justin 2 22 0 22 0 14 11.0
PLITT, Drew 10 41 21 20 0 12 2.0
TEAM 2 0 4 -4 0 0 -2.0
Totals 44 228 27 201 1 46 4.6
BOWERS, Ross 27-40-1 300 1 47 2
TEAM 0-1-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 27-41-1 300 1 47 2
Passing C-A-I Yds TD Long Sack
PLITT, Drew 17-25-1 214 2 64 3
Totals 17-25-1 214 2 64 3
Receiving No. Yards TD Long
RICHIE, Tyrice 11 108 1 17
CRAWFORD, Danie 6 52 0 21
RUDOLPH, Tray 5 95 0 47
TUCKER, Cole 4 41 0 15
WAYLEE, Harriso 1 4 0 4
Totals 27 300 1 47
Receiving No. Yards TD Long
TYLER, Yo’Heinz 7 108 1 64
HALL, Justin 7 73 0 19
DAVIS, Antwan 2 18 1 13
RUDY, Cody 1 15 0 15
Totals 17 214 2 64# Ball State Solo Ast Total Sacks-Yds TFL-Yds FF FR-Yds Int-Yds BrUp Blks QBH
5 COSBY, Bryce 9 5 14 – 1.0-1 – – – – – –
6 THOMAS, Jaylin 6 7 13 1.0-9 2.0-11 – – – – – –
7 MARTIN, Brandon 5 6 11 – 0.5-1 – – – – – –
23 ANDERSON, B. 6 2 8 – – – – – – – –
21 PHILLIPS, A. 3 1 4 – – – – – 1 – –
14 WAHEE, J.T. 3 1 4 – – – – – 1 – –
0 AGYEMANG, Chris 0 3 3 0.5-5 1.0-6 – – – 1 – –
3 UZODINMA, A. 2 0 2 – – – – 1-71 2 – –
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