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MUNCIE, Ind.—The Ohio football team (8-3, 6-1) defeated the Ball State Cardinals (5-6, 3-4), 32-18.
"This evening was a hard fought game by both sides," said head coach
Tim Albin. "Our football team continues to find ways to win games, and I thought all three phases complemented each other. Our guys just kept believing."
Redshirt junior quarterback
Kurtis Rourke (Oakville, Ontrario, Canada) went 12-for-16 with one touchdown in 169 yards. Redshirt sophomore quarterback
CJ Harris (West Bloomfield, Mich.) took over just before halftime, going 5-for-8 with 34 yards in the air. Graduate student wide receiver
Sam Wiglusz (Brecksville, Ohio) led the receivers with one touchdown on 80 yards while junior wide receiver
Jacoby Jones (Tunica, Miss.) recorded 87 yards on five receptions.
On the ground, redshirt freshman running back
Sieh Bangura (Bowie, Md.) recorded a career-high 148 yards with two touchdowns. Harris ran for 38 yards on eight carries.
Sixth year safety
Alvin Floyd (North Miami Beach, Fla.) led the defense with 12 tackles, five of which were solo. He also had one interception, which he ran 43 yards, and one pass breakup. Redshirt freshman cornerback
Torrie Cox, Jr. (Miami Gardens, Fla.) had nine tackles on the game with one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups.
Freshman kicker
Nathanial Vakos (Avon, Ohio) continues his strong freshman season, going 3-for-3 on field goals as well as PATs.
The Cardinals struck first with a 21-yard field goal, taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bobcats answered with 13:14 left in the half, surging ahead with a six-yard rushing touchdown followed by a PAT from Vakos. Ohio continued to build on their lead in the second quarter, this time with a passing touchdown to Wiglusz, putting the score at 14-3. A 21-yard Bobcats field goal gave Ohio a 14-point lead heading into the half.
A safety with 8:46 left in the third quarter tacked on two more points for Ohio. Ball State put the score at 19-11 with a passing touchdown followed by a successful two-point conversion. With 13:52 remaining in the game, Bangura wrapped up a 75-yard drive with a touchdown, giving the Bobcats a 15-point lead.
Ball State scored again in the fourth, putting the score at 26-18. Vakos kicked two field goals before the end of the game, and with 27 seconds left, the Bobcats went into victory formation, solidifying their 32-18 win.
"Once we decided we control our own destiny, it became really easy to go one game at a time," said Wiglusz. "We keep viewing each win as 1-0, and hopefully that will take us to Detroit."
Up next, the Bobcats return to Athens on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for the final game of the regular season. Kickoff against Bowling Green is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU or ESPN+.
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