To see a photo gallery of the game, click here.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – If coach Pete Lembo has anything to be disappointed in his team about in Saturday's 33-31 win over Eastern Michigan, it was the defense's play on third down.
Eastern Michigan converted 13 of 19 third down attempts in the game, including two touchdowns on third-and-long situations.
The defensive struggle on third down is nothing new to Ball State.
"We're doing everything we can to try and work with our guys to get better," Lembo said. "We continue to struggle with the play action pass. We continue to struggle with route concepts. It's a little bit frustrating but we have to stay the course."
The Eagles first touchdown on a third down came late in the second quarter. On a third and nine, Eastern Michigan quarterback Alex Gillett found tight end Tyreese Russell in the back corner of the end zone for 14-yards out. The touchdown pass was the third of the day for Gillett and put Eastern Michigan ahead 21-17.
The combination of Gillett to Russell struck again in the final seconds of the third quarter. On a third and eight from the Ball State 16-yard line, Gillett stepped back and found Russell wide open in the left quarter of the end zone. Gillett's fourth touchdown pass of the game gave Eastern Michigan a 28-27 lead.
The play left linebacker Aaron Morris and cornerback Eric Patterson looking at each other in confusion of who was supposed to cover Russell.
"We didn't execute," safety Sean Baker said. "It's just one of those plays that they had us."
Baker said the two plays Eastern Michigan scored touchdowns on the third downs were similar plays, if not the same play.
"They kept going back to two plays," he said. "They scored twice on the same play. Our guy was there it was just a good ball. Their quarterback is a good player but we have to get off the field on third down."
Late in the fourth quarter and down 30-28, the Eagles had a first and goal from the Ball State one-yard line. After Gillett couldn't get in on a quarterback sneak, running back Dominique White was stopped for a loss of four yards to the Ball State five-yard line, bringing up third down.
Instead of giving up another touchdown on third down, Ball State's defense got the stop it needed to force a field goal.
"We didn't get what we wanted but we held them to field goal which made a big difference at the end of the game," Baker said.
Holding Eastern Michigan to a field goal on its final possession allowed for Ball State to score a field goal instead of a touchdown to win the game.
"Everything worked out I guess," Baker said. "We just kept playing and didn't quit."
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