Late Comeback Pushes Ball State Past UConn

Saturday, October 15

Muncie, IN

2:00 PM

University of Connecticut

3-5 , 0-0

Ball State

4-3 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UConn

Ball St.

10/15/2022 9:49:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stat Book

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State running back Carson Steele ran for 179 yards on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns, the last giving the Cardinals their first lead with 2:40 left in the game to complete a second half comeback and deal the visiting UConn Huskies a 25-21 loss Saturday afternoon at Scheumann Field.

The Huskies (3-5) built a 21-10 lead at the half but were held scoreless in the second half as the Cardinals offense was fueled by Steele who had 133 of his 179 yards to lead the way. UConn grad student running back Robert Burns (Miami, FL) finished with 71 yards rushing on 11 carries, both new career-highs, while scoring his first career touchdown.

Ball State (4-3) finished with 209 yards on the ground dominated in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points, running 28 plays for 131 yards, 93 on the ground, while holding the ball for 9:33. Defensively, they held the Huskies just 10 total yards over the final 15 minutes.

The Huskies got off to a blazing start on Saturday, getting a stop on fourth down on Ball State's first possession then putting together a six-play, 69-yard drive capped by a Zion Turner (Fort Lauderdale, FL) to Aaron Turner (Ellicott City, MD) 19-yard catch and run for six.

After the Cardinals answered to end the first quarter on Steele's first score, Turner engineered another six-play scoring drive, hitting classmate Justin Joly (New Rochelle, NY) who flew up the right sideline untouched for a 39-yard touchdown, his first career score.

Ball State answered the UConn scoring drive with their own scoring drive, capped by a B VonGunten 38-yard field goal to cut the Husky lead to 14-10. UConn got a chance to put points on the board to close the first half, getting the ball with 2:51 on the clock and the Huskies covered 64-yards in nine plays with Burns jumping the pile from a yard out for 21-10 lead into the locker room with the second half kick-off coming their way.

The Cardinal defense took over in the second half and forced four UConn punts while keeping the Huskies off the scoreboard. UConn held Ball State to a field goal on a 10-play drive early in the third to lead 21-13 and looked to steal momentum back early in the fourth blocking a 47 yard VanGunten field goal attempt with 9:14 left.

A UConn fumble on the ensuing possession set up Ball State on the Huskies 24 yard line and Steele ran it in three plays later, with the two-point failing, to pull within 21-19. The Cardinal defense forced three and out, registering back-to-back sacks, to get the ball back with 5:15 left.

Steele carried the ball five times on the eight-play drive that gave Ball State the lead, 25-21, capping it off with a 17-yard scoring run with 2:40 left. The Huskies offense turned the ball over on downs after four plays giving Ball State the chance to run out the clock on the win.

Turner finished 18-for-22 for 129 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Freshman Victor Rosa (Bristol, CT) had 72 yards on 17 carriers while Aaron Turner caught eight passes, a career-high, for 56 yards and a score.

Up Next:

The Huskies return home for the first of three-straight at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field on Saturday, October 29 vs. Boston College. The Eagles are 12-0-2 in the all-time series with the last meeting taking place during the 2016 season.