Ball State football dropped its first game of the season against No. 10 ranked Miami 62-0.
Here are four takeaways from the Cardinals’ first shutout-loss since 2011.
Cameron Ward IS that good.
Miami senior quarterback Cameron Ward is in the Heisman running for a reason, and he showed why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation against the Cardinals.
Ward was 17-for-25 with 317 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone.
The Ball State secondary is new, but it was all but non-existent against the experienced Ward.
Ward also had the upper hand because his offensive line was able to hold the Cardinals' defensive line for seemingly as long as the Hurricanes wanted. This not only gave Ward ample time but also gave his wide receivers time as well.
Because the passing game was so effective, Miami only attempted eight rushes in the first half. The defensive line for the Cardinals was just not able to maintain enough pressure on Ward whatsoever.
Ward finished with video game numbers. He was 19-for-28 with 346 yards and five touchdowns. He also was pulled from the game after the first drive in the third quarter.
Abysmal offensive first-half.
The Cardinals only tallied up 90 total yards of offense in the first half.
Senior running back Braedon Sloan had 21 carries with 103 yards and a touchdown against Missouri State last weekend. But in the first 30 minutes of play, Sloan only had three carries.
The Cardinals as a whole only had 10 rushing attempts in the first half, tallying to -4 total yards.
Sloan finished with only five carries.
Redshirt freshman Kadin Semonza started out 10-for-11 through the air but finished 14-22. He racked up 97 yards but also had an interception. Semonza was hit from behind, coughing up the ball into the Hurricanes' hands.
Semonza finished his day 16-for-26 with 111 yards.
Ball State went 1-7 on third down and it was a half to forget for the Cardinals.
Could Kiael Kelly be used better?
It is not old news, but former quarterback Kiael Kelly has moved to defensive back. He might be on defense, but the Cardinals also use him occasionally on offense.
Ball State usually brings Kelly in for rushing purposes only. But since he is not in every down, it makes it obvious what the Cardinals offense is trying to do.
Although Kelly was not the most accurate passer last year, Ball State could get very creative with him in the backfield with Semonza. If the Cardinals mixed and matched who takes the snaps from time to time it could throw off defenses.
Ball State did have Kelly throwing one pass, but it was incomplete.
Since he is a DB, Kelly could also be used as a receiver. Even if the passing plays are just short passes or screens, Kelly has proven more times than not that he can use his legs in space.
Kelly is a versatile player, and for him to only be used in rushing situations feels like a waste.
Where to go next?
Ball State will return to the field against Central Michigan University, and will immediately need to bounce back against a Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent on the road.
The Cardinals will need to improve their running game and continue to push the ball down the field. While yes, today was against the No. 10 ranked team in the nation, the offense will still need to regroup going forward.
The Ball State offense did not have a single play in the red zone and will be something to watch against the Chippewas.
On the defensive side, the secondary still has a ways to go until they are fully playing together. This is to be expected with so many new faces, but the MAC schedule is coming rather quickly.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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