With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter, Ball State’s defensive line was exhausted. It struggled to get pressure on Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock, allowing him time to survey the field and find open targets.
“When [Iowa] went basically exclusively through the air, that’s when we started giving it up in chunks,” Ball State head coach Pete Lembo said. “We got a little tired, and we weren’t able to get a great pass rush late.”
With just over a minute to go, Rudock found receiver Jake Duzey for a 12-yard touchdown, giving Iowa a 17-13 lead and eventually, the win.
1. Ball State leads 13-10 with 1:10 left and the ball is on the Ball State 12-yard line, on the left hash. Rudock is in the shotgun, his running back to his left. There is one receiver to the left, and two to the right. Duzey, a tight end, is lined up next to the right tackle.
2. Ball State is in its nickel defense with four linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs. At the snap, Ball State’s defensive line is stuffed by Iowa’s offensive line, giving Rudock plenty of time to throw from a clean pocket. The running back slips off to the left and starts curling past the line of scrimmage, beginning his route.
3. Instead of staying on the line to protect Rudock, Duzey runs a quick route over the middle, then turns to his left and starts running across the field. Ball State linebacker Ben Ingle leaves the middle of the field to cover the running back in the flats, while linebacker Zack Ryan drops back into coverage.
4. When Duzey turns to his left and starts running, there’s nobody around him, as he’s in the space formerly occupied by Ingle, who is no longer there because he’s covering the running back. Rudock quickly sees Duzey open, and fires the ball to him, caught at the six-yard line.
5. Duzey runs into the end zone, before any Ball State defender can get to him.
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