The Cardinals put together strongest defensive showing of year in Nashville.
Pairing a Vanderbilt team that posted 40 points on Alabama with a Ball State defense that ranked second-to-last in points allowed and yards allowed looked to be a dangerous combination from the Cardinals’ perspective.
But it wasn’t. NFL Primetime host Chris Berman used to always reiterate the saying, “And that’s why they play the game.” While the Cardinals did not pull off the upset over a vastly improved Vanderbilt team, they pushed the Commodores to the limits in a 24-14 defeat.
Ball State, which allowed 34 or more points to each of its first six opponents, stifled Vanderbilt to just 24 in Nashville. The Cardinals entered the fourth quarter deadlocked at 14-14, but the Commodores registered all 10 points in the final frame to secure their third-straight victory. Standout kicker Brock Taylor nailed a 38-yard field goal at the start of the quarter, leaving the door ajar for Ball State’s offense to take a fourth quarter lead. However, the Cardinals immediately punted back to Vanderbilt, and the Commodores consumed substantial clock on a methodical touchdown drive, concluding with a 5-yard Diego Pavia rushing touchdown.
Pavia’s mobility was vital to Vanderbilt victory. The physical runner attained a game-high 82 yards on the ground, converting third down after third down to keep Ball State’s defense on the field. The Commodores finished 9-of-16 on third downs thanks to Pavia’s endeavors — with a 20-yard run on a 3rd and 13 standing out as a key turning point in the second half.
The Cardinals were in front from the opening drive of the game until the 2:39 mark of the second quarter. Ball State, coming off an offensive barnburner vs. Kent State, continued its success on that side of the ball out of the gate with a fruitful 11-play series. The Cardinals reached the end zone on a 5-yard run by former quarterback Kiael Kelly, who now operates as a utility player within the offense.
Vanderbilt responded with a pair of Taylor field goals on its first two drives of the game, but the Commodores finally reached paydirt and took the lead on a screen from Pavia to tight end Eli Stowers, who raced 41 yards to the house for a 14-7 lead. Ball State fell behind in the first half due to the inability to move the ball offensively, punting on four-straight series that traveled a total of 67 yards.
The Cardinals’ offense woke up in the third quarter with another 11-play scoring drive. This time, Ball State thrived primarily through the air as Kadin Semonza strung together several completions, including a 7-yard strike to tight end Tanner Koziol for the tying touchdown. Semonza finished 21-of-29 with 190 passing yards in the defeat with Koziol serving as his top target with nine receptions for 68 yards.
It was overall a clean game in Nashville. Ball State and Vanderbilt refrained from committing a single turnover, and both teams were flagged just two times for 10 yards. The ability to hold onto the ball has been a specialty of Vanderbilt this season as the Commodores rank second in the FBS behind Army with only two giveaways. Ball State started the season struggling in this department with seven interceptions through five games, but the Cardinals completed a turnover-free outing for the second-straight week.
Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1 SEC) matched its best start through seven games since 2008 when it won five-straight to start the season. After escaping in a tight battle with Ball State, the Commodores prepare for an immense challenge against a Texas team that held the No. 1 spot in the country for several weeks.
Ball State (2-5, 1-2 MAC) is the final MAC team to complete non-conference play. The Cardinals finished 1-3 in that portion of the season but showed tremendous in-season improvement after dropping its previous FBS non-conference clashes by a combined score of 125-7. Ball State aims to show similar defensive fight in MAC play when it takes on Northern Illinois next Saturday in the battle for the Bronze Stalk.