Ball State dismantles CMU on both sides of ball
Central Michigan's defense of its Mid-American Conference West Division crown is over.
With a 45-20 loss to Ball State on Saturday in Kelly/Shorts Stadium, the Chippewas fall to 3-2 and will not be able to defend the division championship after losing to arch rival Western Michigan on Nov. 18.
"They took us behind the shed and whooped us pretty good, no doubt about it," said coach Jim McElwain. "Credit to (Ball State) and what they were able to do."
After going 6-0 at home last season in coach Jim McElwain's first season at the helm, the Chippewas will finish with a 1-2 record at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in 2020.
Saturday's game also marked the first home game in December, making CMU 0-1 at home in the month.
How it happened
Kicker Jack Knight kicked the Cardinals onto the board with a 35-yard field goal with 10:24 to go in the first quarter. After CMU struggled to put itself on the board in the first quarter, quarterback Drew Plitt found wide receiver Yo'Heinz Tyler for a 20-yard touchdown pass after breaking a couple of CMU tacklers.
On the first play of the second quarter, redshirt junior Ty Brock, filling in for redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson, found junior wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton for a 38-yard TD pass to cut the Cardinal lead to 10-7.
Taking multiple sacks -- many deep in CMU terrirory -- a punt hitting redshirt freshman Trey Jones' knee and several missed blocking assignments, not allowing the running game to set itself up, compounded mistakes began to haunt the Chippewas.
CMU's defense allowed the Cardinal offense to do whatever it wanted in the second quarter. Plitt ran in a 12-yard TD run after cutting back across the defensive line late in the second quarter.
Later in the quarter, the Chippewa defensive line forced Ball State into a third-and-19 with a persistent pass rush. However, the Cardinals gained 16 yards on the next play and converted the fourth-and-short opportunity. That conversion led to a 5-yard TD pass from Plitt to tight end Dylan Koch with 13 seconds left in the half.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Cardinals squibbed the ball down the middle of the field, hoping to prevent a momentum-turning kickoff return. They did just that.
CMU's returners huddled around the ball, a type of "Starburst" return tactic -- it did not work. It appeared as though senior running back Kobe Lewis did not have control of the ball and fumbled the ball, which Ball State recovered.
In the final seconds of the half, the CMU defense stepped up to not allow the Cardinals to score and take a stranglehold on the game. BSU took a 24-7 lead to the break.
After sophomore safety Willie Reid intercepted Plitt on the Cardinals' first drive, Brock gave the Chippewas life early in the second half.
Brock showed his speed as he broke a couple of tackles and scampered his way to an 82-yard TD run, cutting CMU's deficit to 24-14 with 12:13 in the third quarter.
Another mistake put the Cardinals back in front by 17. On a punt return, Pimpleton called fair catch and let the ball roll into the arms of a Ball State gunner. However, a holding penalty -- and a great coaching decision from McElwain -- forced the Cardinals to punt again. On that punt, Pimpleton called fair catch and dove after the ball and muffed the return, which Ball State recovered.
The Cardinals turned the mistake into an 9-yard run for Will Jones. Pushing the score to 31-14 for Ball State late in the third quarter.
Later in the third, Plitt found wide receiver Jalen McGaughy in stride for an easy 39-yard TD pass. Plitt, in the fourth quarter, found McGaughy again for a 34-yard TD pass. Giving the Cardinals a 45-14 lead with 11:38 to go in the fourth quarter.
"No excuses, we got beat." McElwain said. "Sometimes, when you go out and compete, you don't always win. For us, there are a lot of lessons, and we're going to be able to tell something about our football team going into next week."
With 8:54 to play, the Chippewas drove down the field with ease and Brock found Mount Pleasant senior Hunter Buczkowski for a 7-yard TD pass. The score was Buczkowski's first of his career, in his final game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
When he scored, Buczkowski said to fellow senior fullback Oakley Lavalli that it took them five years, but one of them finally scored.
"For fullbacks, that usually doesn't happen in their role," Buczkowski said. "Being a hometown kids, it's exciting for all of the townies."
Numbers game
In Brock's first career start at CMU, he finished 20-30 passing for 188 yards and two TDs. He also gained 70 net yards (lost yards for sacks are included) and the long TD run.
Conversely, Plitt picked apart the CMU secondary for 366 yards and four TDs on 25-of-42 passing. He also picked up 29 yards and a TD on 14 carries.
Ball State outgained CMU, 524-342, in terms of total yards.
Junior linebacker Troy Brown led the defense with multiple big plays, three interceptions and 11 total tackles (nine solo).
CMU committed four turnovers against the Cardinals, giving them seven turnovers in its last two games.
What's next
CMU will travel to Toledo for the regular season finale at 3 p.m. on Dec. 12 in the Glass Bowl. Ball State will host Western Michigan with the winner of that game winning the division.
