2023 Ball State Cardinals football team
American college football season
2023 Ball State Cardinals football | |
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Conference | Mid-American Conference |
Division | West Division |
Record | 4–8 (3–5 MAC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Kevin Lynch (4th season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple |
Defensive coordinator | Tyler Stockton (5th season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Scheumann Stadium |
Seasons |
| Conf | Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami (OH) xy$ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akron | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kent State | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo xy | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Illinois | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Michigan | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinals were led by eighth-year head coach Mike Neu and played their home games at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.[1][2] They finished the season 4–8 and 3–5 in conference play[3]
Preseason
Preseason polls
Coaches Poll
On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Ball State was picked to finish fifth in the West.[4]
East | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Ohio | 63 (9) |
2 | Miami | 52 (2) |
3 | Buffalo | 51 (1) |
4 | Bowling Green | 35 |
5 | Akron | 26 |
6 | Kent State | 19 |
West | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Toledo | 66 (11) |
2 | Eastern Michigan | 55 (1) |
3 | Northern Illinois | 38 |
4 | Central Michigan | 37 |
5 | Ball State | 27 |
6 | Western Michigan | 23 |
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) | ||
Rank | Team | Votes |
---|---|---|
1 | Toledo | 7 |
2 | Ohio | 4 |
3 | Buffalo | 1 |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | at Kentucky* | SECN | L 14–44 | 58,286 | |
September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 1 Georgia* | SECN | L 3–45 | 92,746 | |
September 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Indiana State* | ESPN+ | W 45–7 | 15,054 | |
September 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Georgia Southern* |
| ESPN+ | L 3–40 | 10,118 |
September 30 | 3:30 p.m. | at Western Michigan | ESPN+ | L 24–42 | 21,880 | |
October 7 | 3:30 p.m. | at Eastern Michigan | ESPN+ | L 10–24 | 18,696 | |
October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | Toledo |
| ESPN+ | L 6–13 | 7,675 |
October 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Central Michigan![]() |
| ESPN+ | W 24–17 | 15,171 |
November 1 | 7:30 p.m. | at Bowling Green | ESPN2 | L 21–24 | 6,091 | |
November 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at Northern Illinois | CBSSN | W 20–17 | 6,282 | |
November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | Kent State |
| ESPN+ | W 34–3 | 8,554 |
November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | Miami (OH) |
| CBSSN | L 15–17 | 8,054 |
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[5][6]
Game summaries
at Kentucky
Game One – Ball State Cardinals (0–0) at Kentucky Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Kentucky | 3 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 44 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
- Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: -
- Game attendance: 58,286
- TV: SEC Network
Game information |
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Statistics | BALL | UK |
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First downs | 18 | 17 |
Total yards | 71–295 | 51–354 |
Rushing yards | 41–72 | 20–113 |
Passing yards | 223 | 241 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–30–0 | 18–31–1 |
Time of possession | 38:16 | 21:44 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Ball State | Passing | Kadin Semonza | 15/21, 165 yards, TD |
Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 15 carries, 33 yards | |
Receiving | Ty Robinson | 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD | |
Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 18/31, 241 yards, TD, INT |
Rushing | Ray Davis | 14 carries, 112 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Dane Key | 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD |
at No. 1 Georgia
Game Two – Ball State Cardinals (0–1) at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (1–0) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
No. 1 Georgia | 0 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 45 |
at Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia
- Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: -
- Game attendance: 92,756
- Referee: Jason McArthur
- TV announcers (SEC Network): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Alyssa Lang (sideline)
Game information |
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no scoring
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Statistics | BALL | UGA |
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First downs | 13 | 22 |
Total yards | 65–224 | 61–386 |
Rushing yards | 28–77 | 28–99 |
Passing yards | 147 | 287 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–37–3 | 24–33–1 |
Time of possession | 31:28 | 28:32 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Ball State | Passing | Layne Hatcher | 10/16, 82 yards |
Rushing | Charlie Spegal | 4 carries, 32 yards | |
Receiving | Ahmad Edwards | 4 receptions, 47 yards | |
Georgia | Passing | Carson Beck | 23/30, 283 yards, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Roderick Robinson II | 6 carries, 38 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Arian Smith | 2 receptions, 50 yards |
Indiana State
Game Three – Indiana State Sycamores (0–2) at Ball State Cardinals (0–2) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indiana State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Ball State | 0 | 10 | 7 | 28 | 45 |
Game information |
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No scoring
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Statistics | ISU | BALL |
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First downs | 12 | 26 |
Total yards | 53–261 | 66–425 |
Rushing yards | 32–104 | 42–288 |
Passing yards | 157 | 137 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 9–21–1 | 18–24–0 |
Time of possession | 26:59 | 33:01 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Indiana State | Passing | Elijah Owens | 9/21, 157 yards, TD, INT |
Rushing | Tee Hodge | 9 carries, 46 yards | |
Receiving | Harry Van Dyne | 3 receptions, 80 yards | |
Ball State | Passing | Kadin Semonza | 17/22, 137 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 22 carries, 177 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Tanner Koziol | 7 receptions, 60 yards, TD |
Georgia Southern
Game Four – Georgia Southern Eagles (2–1) at Ball State Cardinals (1–2) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia Southern | 14 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 40 |
Ball State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Game information |
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|
Statistics | GASO | BALL |
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First downs | 25 | 10 |
Total yards | 77–530 | 55–197 |
Rushing yards | 27–167 | 28–37 |
Passing yards | 363 | 160 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 36–50–0 | 14–29–2 |
Time of possession | 30:41 | 29:19 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Georgia Southern | Passing | Davis Brin | 34/46, 344 yards, 4 TD |
Rushing | OJ Arnold | 9 carries, 90 yards | |
Receiving | Khaleb Hood | 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD | |
Ball State | Passing | Kadin Semonza | 11/23, 123 yards, 2 INT |
Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 9 carries, 16 yards | |
Receiving | Rico Barfield | 2 receptions, 50 yards |
at Western Michigan
Game Five – Ball State Cardinals (1–3) at Western Michigan Broncos (1–3) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball State | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
Western Michigan | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Game information |
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|
Statistics | BALL | WMU |
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First downs | 19 | 26 |
Total yards | 63–364 | 75–461 |
Rushing yards | 26–48 | 36–133 |
Passing yards | 316 | 328 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 26–37–0 | 24–39–0 |
Time of possession | 29:37 | 30:23 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Ball State | Passing | Layne Hatcher | 26/37, 316 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 15 carries, 82 yards | |
Receiving | Qian Magwood | 9 receptions, 110 yards, TD | |
Western Michigan | Passing | Treyson Bourguet | 24/39, 328 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Zahir Abdus-Salaam | 8 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 5 receptions, 73 yards, 3 TD |
at Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Central Michigan
at Bowling Green
Game Nine – Ball State Cardinals (2–6) at Bowling Green Falcons (4–4) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball State | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Bowling Green | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
at Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH
- Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C) • Wind: SW 7 mph (11 km/h)
- Game attendance: 6,091
- Referee: Matt Packowski
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Corey, Rocky Boiman
Game information |
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|
Statistics | Ball State | Bowling Green |
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First downs | 16 | 13 |
Plays–yards | 283 | 281 |
Rushes–yards | 49–217-3 | 34–104 |
Passing yards | 66 | 177 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 9–19–0 | 15-23-0 |
Time of possession | 33:34 | 26:26 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Ball State | Passing | Kiael Kelly | 9/19, 66 yards |
Rushing | Marquez Cooper/Kiael Kelly | 25 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD/ 25 carries, 90 yards, 2 TDS | |
Receiving | Ahmad Edwards | 3 receptions, 25 yards | |
Bowling Green | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 13/21, 128 yards, 2 TDS |
Rushing | Terion Stewart | 15 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Harold Fannin Jr. | 5 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD |
at Northern Illinois
Kent State
Miami (OH)
References
- ^ "Scheumann Stadium". Ball State Athletics.
- ^ "Mike Neu". Sports Reference.
- ^ "MAC College Football Standings - 2023". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked to win conference championship; BGSU tabbed to finish fourth in MAC East". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "2023 Ball State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "Ball State Cardinals Schedule 2023". ESPN.