First quarter
Ball State won the coin toss and chose to defer. The special teams unit brought down Illinois freshman running back Mike Epstein on the 19-yard line.
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jacob White sacked Illinois junior quarterback Chayce Crouch on the first play from scrimmage. Illinois got one first down, then on third-and-8 redshirt senior Anthony Winbush blew up a toss to the left for an eight-yard loss. Ball State took possession on its own 37-yard line after a 39-yard punt.
The Cardinals called a timeout on their second offensive play after what appeared to be confusion on when the wide receiver was supposed to go in motion.
On third-and-7, junior quarterback Riley Neal completed a pass to redshirt sophomore Antwan Davis near the right sideline. Davis fought past the first-down marker but fumbled. Illinois junior linebacker Tre Watson returned it to the 16-yard line, and Crouch followed with a touchdown pass to junior receiver Mike Dudek on first down. The two-point attempt was no good, giving Illinois a 6-0 lead.
Ball State's next drive nearly stalled on third-and-7 from the Illinois 30. Neal, moving to his left, threw behind redshirt sophomore Riley Miller for an incomplete pass. Head coach Mike Neu, however, kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-7 and this time Neal completed the pass to Miller. A couple plays later, Neal hit redshirt freshman tight end Nolan Givan for an 8-yard touchdown. Junior kicker Morgan Hagee converted the extra point to put Ball State ahead 7-6.
Illinois took the touchback and starts on its own 25 but went three-and-out. Ball State took over on its 19 after a 54-yard punt.
Ball State gained 15 yards before the end of the quarter.
Second quarter
Ball State's drive stalled and Illinois took over on its own 31.The Illini drove down to the Cardinals' 33-yard line, where Crouch took a shot to senior wide receiver Malik Turner in the end zone on second-and-2. Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Miller, however, broke up the pass.
Ball State freshmen Bryce Cosby and Antonio Phillips brought down Illinois senior running back Kendrick Foster for a loss of three yards, but Crouch hit Turner for an 11-yard gain on fourth-and-5.
A few plays later, freshman running back Mike Epstein scored on a 6-yard run up the middle, giving Illinois a 13-7 lead after the extra point. Epstein accounted for 53 of the Illini's 69 yards on the drive.
Ball State converted on a pair of third downs on the following drive, but only gained 3 yards on third-and-8 from its own 48. Illinois took a touchback on a 49-yard punt.
Illinois moved down the field quickly after pass interference moved the offense 15 yards downfield. Dudek turned upfield two plays later to gain 31 yards. Crouch added a 12-yard run to get to Ball State's 20, but the drive stalled from there. A delay-of-game penalty on third-and-7 pushed the Illini back to the 22.
Illinois junior kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 40-yard field goal to increase the lead to 16-7 with 21 seconds left in the half.
Ball State ran out the clock on its next possession and will receive to begin the third quarter.
Third quarter
Junior running back James Gilbert nearly doubled his rushing total after gaining 27 yards on the first three plays of the second half. He had 28 yards in the first two quarters.
Ball State converted three third-down opportunities, including a 12-yard scramble by Neal to put the Cardinals on the Illini 24-yard line. Ball State kept driving until sophomore running back Malik Dunner scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown on a toss play to the left side. Hagee's extra point cut the deficit to 16-14.
Illinois started the next drive on the 35 after Ball State’s kickoff went out of bounds. Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Miller blitzed on first down, adjusting to knock down a quick pass to the open receivers behind him. On third down, pressure forced a weak pass from Crouch, which was deflected by redshirt sophomore Romero Wade to force a three-and-out.
Neal stepped up on third-and-10 on Ball State’s next drive, again scrambling for 12 yards to put the Cardinals on the Illini’s 35 yard-line.
Freshman receiver Justin Hall caught an out-route just past the sticks on third-and-8, spinning away from the defender and sprinting to the 6-yard line for a 27-yard gain. The Cardinals gained three yards on the next two plays, and on third-and-goal Gilbert scored a 3-yard touchdown. Hagee converted the extra point to give Ball State a 21-16 lead.
Defense dominated the rest of the quarter. Illinois went 3-and-out, then Neal was intercepted by junior linebacker Tre Watson on the next drive.
Watson pitched the ball back to sophomore defensive lineman Kenyon Jackson on the play — originally ruled a touchdown — but Watson was ruled down at the 33, before the lateral.
On first down, Illinois gained nine yards on a run by senior running back Kendrick Foster, but Winbush stepped up with back-to-back stacks that pushed the Illini out of field goal range.
The quarter ended after McLaughlin appeared to line up for a 55-yard field goal, but took a direct snap and punted for a touchback.
Fourth quarter
Ball State opened the final quarter by going three-and-out. Illinois broke open a long return, but had to go back to its 29-yard line after a block in the back penalty.
Illinois drove inside Ball State’s 30-yard line, and on third-and-5 from the 28, Crouch threw a pass to Turner near the first-down marker. Turner broke free of the tackle but lost a couple of yards in the process, making it fourth-and-3. McLaughlin missed the ensuing 44-yard field goal attempt.
The Cardinals made it to Illini territory on the next drive as freshman running back Caleb Huntley broke open a 28-yard run. The drive ended after Neal's fourth-and-3 pass to senior receiver Corey Lacanaria fell incomplete.
Two plays later, Crouch’s pass sailed high and was tipped by his receiver. Cosby dove forward to snag the interception.
Ball State went three-and-out on its next drive, however, and Dudek returned the punt to the Cardinals’ 35-yard line. A couple plays after Turner broke off a 25-yard reception, Epstein scored a 1-yard touchdown run. Crouch ran the ball into the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 24-21 Illinois lead.
With 2:06 left, Ball State drove into Illinois territory, but Neal was sacked on first-and-10 from the Illinois 30. The play was originally ruled a fumble but the call was reversed after review. A holding penalty on third down pushed the Cardinals back even farther. They gained back some yards to make it fourth-and-16.
Hagee lined up for a 54-yard field goal with five seconds left and Illinois blocked it. Final score, 24-21.
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