Friday, November 29
Athens, OH
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at
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Ohio
Photo by: Sam Findley/Ball State Athletics
Ball State Falls at Ohio in Final Game of 100th Season
November 29, 2024 | Football
ATHENS, Ohio — Tanner Koziol broke a Ball State career receiving record and Cam Pickett recorded career highs in catches and receiving yards, but a depleted Cardinals roster in snow and freezing Ohio temperatures spelled a 42-21 road defeat at Ohio University in the final game of Ball State's 100th season.
Koziol caught his sixth pass of the game and 159th of his career with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Already the owner of Ball State's single-season mark for catches by a tight end, Koziol got past the Cardinals' career record of 158 by Darius Hill (2005-08) in just his third college season.
Koziol finished the day with 10 catches for 88 yards. His 94 catches for the season are fourth in Ball State history by any receiver.
Pickett, meanwhile, didn't break any records with his nine catches and 119 receiving yards, but he registered the best receiving game of his career while amassing 276 all-purpose yards including 27 on one carry and 130 on five kickoff returns. Returning kickoffs for the first time in his career, he posted Ball State's best all-purpose mark of the season, and joined Koziol and Justin Bowick as Ball State's only receivers this year with 100-plus yards in a game.
Ball State (3-9, 2-6 MAC) closed the 2024 campaign with a fourth straight defeat while Ohio (9-3, 6-2 MAC) won its fifth straight game to advance into next week's Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
Trailing at intermission, the Cardinals received the second-half kickoff but Kadin Semonza's QB scramble and fumble on Ball State's first play set up a quick Ohio touchdown and a three-TD deficit. The Bobcats scored on their next possession, too, and led 35-7 with 6:40 to play in the third.
Koziol's TD catch moments later was his eighth of the year, just one catch following his record-breaker, and capped a seven-play scoring drive. Ohio made it 42-14 on its ensuing possession. Ball State's only other score came on a 27-yard connection from Semonza to sophomore receiver Jamarion McDougle, just 2:42 from the final horn.
Semonza, a redshirt freshman ordained the Ball State starter prior to the Cardinals' opener, completed his first full season with 29-of-47 passing against the Bobcats for 333 yards. It was his third 300-yard passing game of the season and his 25 touchdown throws this season were the most by a Cardinals' QB since Keith Wenning in 2013.
Entering the game tied atop the MAC standings with Bowling Green and Miami, Ohio scored on its first two first-half possessions, too, for an early 14-0 advantage. The Cardinals staved off a third consecutive touchdown drive when cornerback Thailand Baldwin intercepted the first pass of his career just inches from the Ball State goal line. Ohio tacked on another score in the second period before Ball State reached the end zone on a 33-yard pass play from Semonza to Dayha Patel.
Trailing by two touchdowns and playing with nothing to lose, kicker Carson Holmer dribbled an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and a Cardinals' recovery by Caden Johnson energized the Ball State sideline, looking for momentum. It was Ball State's first onside kick recovery since 2019, but the Cardinals turned the ball over on downs at the Ohio 21, then forced a Bobcats' punt as the first half drew to a close.
On a day marked by Koziol's veteran receiving mark, emerging stars also took center stage. Besides Pickett's first venture as a kick returner, a pair of freshman found themselves in the mix as starters at offensive tackle – true freshman Arkel Anugwom at left tackle and redshirt freshman Cody Smith on the right. Receiving mates Patel and McDougle also reflected the Cardinals' abbreviated roster which was depleted in recent weeks by injuries, transfers and a redshirt. Patel entered the game with just three career catches, but recorded the first TD of his career among two more catches. McDougle played only a handful of snaps all season but also logged his first TD among three catches for 47 yards, all in the fourth quarter.
Koziol caught his sixth pass of the game and 159th of his career with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Already the owner of Ball State's single-season mark for catches by a tight end, Koziol got past the Cardinals' career record of 158 by Darius Hill (2005-08) in just his third college season.
Koziol finished the day with 10 catches for 88 yards. His 94 catches for the season are fourth in Ball State history by any receiver.
Pickett, meanwhile, didn't break any records with his nine catches and 119 receiving yards, but he registered the best receiving game of his career while amassing 276 all-purpose yards including 27 on one carry and 130 on five kickoff returns. Returning kickoffs for the first time in his career, he posted Ball State's best all-purpose mark of the season, and joined Koziol and Justin Bowick as Ball State's only receivers this year with 100-plus yards in a game.
Ball State (3-9, 2-6 MAC) closed the 2024 campaign with a fourth straight defeat while Ohio (9-3, 6-2 MAC) won its fifth straight game to advance into next week's Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
Trailing at intermission, the Cardinals received the second-half kickoff but Kadin Semonza's QB scramble and fumble on Ball State's first play set up a quick Ohio touchdown and a three-TD deficit. The Bobcats scored on their next possession, too, and led 35-7 with 6:40 to play in the third.
Koziol's TD catch moments later was his eighth of the year, just one catch following his record-breaker, and capped a seven-play scoring drive. Ohio made it 42-14 on its ensuing possession. Ball State's only other score came on a 27-yard connection from Semonza to sophomore receiver Jamarion McDougle, just 2:42 from the final horn.
Semonza, a redshirt freshman ordained the Ball State starter prior to the Cardinals' opener, completed his first full season with 29-of-47 passing against the Bobcats for 333 yards. It was his third 300-yard passing game of the season and his 25 touchdown throws this season were the most by a Cardinals' QB since Keith Wenning in 2013.
Entering the game tied atop the MAC standings with Bowling Green and Miami, Ohio scored on its first two first-half possessions, too, for an early 14-0 advantage. The Cardinals staved off a third consecutive touchdown drive when cornerback Thailand Baldwin intercepted the first pass of his career just inches from the Ball State goal line. Ohio tacked on another score in the second period before Ball State reached the end zone on a 33-yard pass play from Semonza to Dayha Patel.
Trailing by two touchdowns and playing with nothing to lose, kicker Carson Holmer dribbled an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and a Cardinals' recovery by Caden Johnson energized the Ball State sideline, looking for momentum. It was Ball State's first onside kick recovery since 2019, but the Cardinals turned the ball over on downs at the Ohio 21, then forced a Bobcats' punt as the first half drew to a close.
On a day marked by Koziol's veteran receiving mark, emerging stars also took center stage. Besides Pickett's first venture as a kick returner, a pair of freshman found themselves in the mix as starters at offensive tackle – true freshman Arkel Anugwom at left tackle and redshirt freshman Cody Smith on the right. Receiving mates Patel and McDougle also reflected the Cardinals' abbreviated roster which was depleted in recent weeks by injuries, transfers and a redshirt. Patel entered the game with just three career catches, but recorded the first TD of his career among two more catches. McDougle played only a handful of snaps all season but also logged his first TD among three catches for 47 yards, all in the fourth quarter.
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