A Heartbreaker

Saturday, October 13

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

1-6 , 0-3

Ball State

3-4 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Ball State

Central Michigan

Photo by: Allissa Rusco

10/13/2018 8:45:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

Ball State rallies past Chippewas

By: Andy Sneddon

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – For three quarters, it appeared that the Central Michigan football team had righted the ship.

And then came the fourth quarter.

Morgan Hagee kicked a 36-yard field goal with 47 seconds remaining Saturday as Ball State rallied from a 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit in handing CMU a heartbreaking 24-23 Mid-American Conference loss at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

"Tough loss today," said an obviously dejected CMU coach John Bonamego, who saw his team slip to 1-6, 0-3 MAC with its third consecutive loss. "Too many penalties, especially on the defensive side and late in the game (that) extended (Ball State) drives. We couldn't get (the defense) off the field.

"Proud of the effort. They're hurting right now; we all are. They put a lot into this and its hard right now and they're not getting the reward of a win."

Ball State (3-4, 2-1) scored on two long drives early in the fourth quarter to pull ahead, 21-20, before Ryan Tice kicked his third field goal of the game, a 47-yarder, with 4:19 left to put CMU back in front, 23-21.

But Ball State went on another long drive, this one covering 56 yards in 12 plays, capped by Hagee's field goal.

The Chippewas' last ditch effort to get into field goal range for Tice – who had nailed a career-long 53-yarder in the first quarter – ended as time ran out and CMU at the Ball State 48-yard line.

The Chippewas committed 11 penalties for 115 yards. Two of those penalties, a defensive hold and a roughing the passer, helped to prolong Ball State's game-winning drive. One of them wiped out an interception.

"I am very disappointed with the amount of penalties, it's mind-boggling," Bonamego said. "Probably two-thirds of those came in the second half.

"Learning to win, consistently when you have young team, is a process. You have to learn how to win, learn how to play when you're coming from behind, and you have to learn how to play when you're ahead. It comes down to consistency of play, not hurting yourself."

The Chippewa offense turned in its best performance of the season, finishing with 261 rushing yards, 23 first downs and 388 total yards, all season highs.

Romello Ross ran for 111 yards and quarterback Tommy Lazzaro finished with 110 on the ground and a touchdown. He also threw an 18-yard TD pass to Tony Poljan as CMU appeared to be in control in surging to a 20-7 halftime lead.

The Chippewas have no time to feel sorry for themselves with archrival Western Michigan next on the schedule. CMU and the Broncos square off on Saturday, Oct. 20, at Kelly/Shorts. The Broncos won, 42-35, at Bowling Green on Saturday to improve to 5-2, 3-0. They have won five consecutive games.

"We will find out how tough we are," Bonamego said. "A loss is a loss. When you're that close to (winning) a game you feel it a little bit more. At the end of the day it's a loss and it's not good enough.

"You have to man up and find ways to be better. That's all you can do. It's got to be to a man and it starts with me. I've said it before: I'm the head coach. Ultimately, I'm responsible for everything that happens and I recognize that, I know that. We've got a good team, we're just not playing consistently or well enough."