Buffalo Bulls at Ball State Cardinals
· NCAA - FootballBall State bowl eligible after 20-3 victory over Buffalo
It's just the third time in program history that the Cardinals (6-6, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) have qualified for a bowl game in back-to-back seasons. Ball State and Buffalo met for the MAC championship last season — a game the Cardinals won 38-28.
Ball State set the tone early when Malcolm Lee picked off Matt Myers on the Bulls' first series, giving the Cardinals the ball on Buffalo's 42-yard line. Eleven plays later Plitt scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead. Buffalo's next possession also ended in disaster when Hassan Littles blocked a punt by Jackson Baltar and Brandon Berger recovered, giving Ball State a first-and-goal at the 6. Plitt connected with Jayshon Jackson for a 7-yard score on third down and the Cardinals never looked back.
Plitt completed 19 of 31 passes for 176 yards. Jackson finished with nine catches for 103 yards.
Myers was 18-of-39 passing for 188 yards with four interceptions for Buffalo (4-8, 2-6). He led the Bulls with 78 yards on 16 rushes.
Buffalo outgained the Cardinals 336 yards to 230, but couldn't overcome four turnovers.
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How To Watch
How can I watch Buffalo Bulls vs. Ball State Cardinals?
- TV Channel: Bulls at Cardinals 2021 College Football, week 13, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
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TD | 1st Period 4:44 | Drew Plitt 1 Yd Run (Jake Chanove Kick) |
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TD | 1st Period 2:22 | Jayshon Jackson 7 Yd pass from Drew Plitt (Jake Chanove Kick) |
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FG | 2nd Period 11:43 | Alex McNulty 38 Yd Field Goal |
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FG | 2nd Period 0:36 | Jacob Lewis 35 Yd Field Goal |
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FG | 3rd Period 4:12 | Jacob Lewis 48 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
BUFF |
BALL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1st Downs | 13 |
| 9-18 | 3rd down efficiency | 6-17 |
| 1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 2-2 |
| 336 | Total Yards | 230 |
| 188 | Passing | 176 |
| 18/39 | Comp/Att | 19/31 |
| 4.8 | Yards per pass | 5.7 |
| 148 | Rushing | 54 |
| 40 | Rushing Attempts | 34 |
| 3.7 | Yards per rush | 1.6 |
| 4-30 | Penalties | 6-45 |
| 4 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 4 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 29:40 | Possession | 30:20 |
Game Information
Location: Muncie, IN
Attendance: 6,112 · Capacity:
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