Ball State
11/14/2026 5:11:00 PM | Football
ATHENS, Ohio -Â The Ohio football team (7-3, 5-1 MAC) returns to Athens for their final Tuesday night game of the season on November 17, taking on Ball State. The Bobcats look to get back in the win column after dropping their last game on the road. Kickoff on Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on CBSSN with John Sadak and Taylor McHargue on the call. The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on The Varsity Sports Network. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BALL STATE
This matchup marks the 30th time the two teams have clashed, with Ball State leading the series, 16-13. The Bobcats dropped their last matchup against the Cardinals, 20-14, when the two teams played last year in Muncie, Ind. Before the previous matchup, Ohio won five of the last six matchups and has won seven of the last ten. The Bobcats have won the past three meetings in Athens, with the Cardinals' last win at Peden Stadium being in 2011.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State enters the matchup at Ohio after a 28-7 home loss to Buffalo, where the Cardinals took an early lead but then allowed 28 straight points to ultimately fall to the Bulls. Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster completed 20 passes for 136 yards and added 34 rushing yards. Wide receiver Donovan Hamilton recorded over 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career, finishing with 104 yards on 11 catches. Running back TJ Horton nearly broke the 100-yard mark, rushing for 92 yards on 11 carries. Defensively, Sterling Smith recorded 10 tackles, leading the Cardinals with 56 on the season. Cincear Lewis tallied seven tackles, putting him at 50 tackles on the season. In the passing game, defensive back Kamron Chamble leads Ball State with two interceptions, while Anthony Pinnace leads with five pass breakups.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio football team (7-3 overall, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) traveled to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami OH (6-4 overall, 3-3 MAC) in the Battle of the Bricks, falling by a score of 34-17. Â
Individually, graduate student quarterback Nick Poulos (Granite Bay, Calif.) had 193 yards and a touchdown pass as well as 63 rushing yards. Junior running back Duncan Brune (Cologne, Germany) had 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Neer (Bellefontaine, Ohio) had 74 receiving yards and a touchdown Â
Defensively, Redshirt senior linebacker Michael Molnar (Mason, Ohio) had eight tackles and an interception, while redshirt sophomore safety Darren James-Hamilton (Charlotte, N.C.) had eight tackles and a tackle for loss. Redshirt senior linebacker Jack Fries (Cincinnati, Ohio) had seven tackles, while redshirt junior safety DJ Walker (Aliquippa, Pa) had five tackles. Â
Ohio received the opening kick and capitalized early, marching down the field on the back of some strong runs from Brune. On third and goal, Poulos found Neer in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Â
After the Bobcats were forced to punt, redshirt sophomore Barry Dillon (Vicksburg, Miss.) punched the ball out on the return, and Walker got the recovery to get Ohio back on offense.Â
The Bobcats converted off the turnover, driving the ball down the field before Brune punched it in from the one-yard line on fourth and one to go up 14-0 with 13:27 left in the second.Â
The Bobcat defense forced another three-and-out, giving the ball back to the offense. Ohio once again marched down the field, getting into field goal range after converting on fourth and 14, setting up a 27-yard field goal for redshirt junior Brack Peacock (Granbury, Texas) to give the Bobcats a 17-0 lead. Â
Miami responded, scoring its first touchdown of the game to cut its deficit to 17-7 with a minute left in the half. Â
Ohio could not extend the lead before the end of the half, setting the score at 17-7.Â
The RedHawks opened the scoring in the second half, cutting the lead to 17-14 on their second possession of the third quarter. The third quarter ended with Ohio leading 17-14. Â
To start the fourth quarter, Miami tied the game at 17 with a field goal, giving Ohio the ball back with less than a minute gone in the fourth. Â
The RedHawks got into field goal range again in the fourth, kicking a 34-yard goal to take a 20-17 lead with less than four minutes left in the game. Â
Miami scored again with less than two minutes remaining, taking a 27-17 lead. The RedHawks defense scored on a pick-six on the next drive to take a 34-17 lead, ultimately winning the game, 34-17.Â
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