ATHENS, Ohio – When Ohio defensive lineman Bradley Weaver forced Ball State quarterback Kadin Semonza to fumble on the first play of the second half Friday afternoon, Semonza jogged over to the Cardinals’ sideline frustrated. He already knew he didn’t have long to dwell on his turnover, but that process was sped up when Ball State’s team captain linebacker Keionte Newson offered some words of encouragement.
“You’re fighting your ass off. Keep your head up,” Semonza recalled Newson saying.
Semonza then completed seven of his next 10 passes on the following two drives after his fumble, resulting in an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Tanner Koziol with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter.
It seemed like Newson’s pep talk worked. The only problem was that even after Semonza’s touchdown pass and the ensuing extra point, Ball State still trailed Ohio 35-14.
After the Bobcats scored within the first three minutes of action, the Cardinals were never within seven points of their Mid-American Conference (MAC) rival. By the final buzzer, Ohio (9-3, 7-1 MAC) clinched a spot in the conference title game Saturday, Dec. 7 against Miami (OH) at Ford Field in Detroit with a 42-21 win.
Ball State, on the other hand, finished its season with a 3-9 record (2-6 MAC) that is the worst since 2017. Friday not only marked the Bobcats’ fifth-straight win this season and the Cardinals’ fourth loss in a row, but it was the fifth consecutive time Ohio has beat Ball State overall.
Allowing eight plays for 20 yards or more, the Cardinals’ biggest downfall in Athens was continuing to make the same mistakes they have made since Week 1.
“When you sit and make so many corrections and have so many practices and walkthroughs, it's like, ‘What are you doing? Why are you not buying in to make these changes?’” Newson said.
Interim head coach Colin Johnson doubled down on that claim, citing Ball State’s seeming inability to improve on past errors as what led to the Cardinals’ tumultuous season. While Johnson pointed out Ball State’s constant injury trouble forcing players who weren’t ready for starting action as a reason for its lack of consistency on both ends of the ball, he knows that isn’t an excuse for repeated poor performance.
Johnson himself was thrown into a situation he didn’t expect when the season began, taking over for former head coach Mike Neu Nov. 16 after the nine-year leader’s firing. However, he and his players felt that if the program was moving on from the Neu Era, Johnson was the most prepared in-house option for the short term.
“That’s life,” Johnson said. “ … We’re taught to build, and that’s the only job I know.”
Newson said when Neu was fired, Newson went to Johnson and asked what he needed to do to make sure Ball State’s locker room stayed cohesive. Johnson told Newson not to change anything he had been doing in the 11 weeks prior, confirming what Newson touted as one of the biggest lessons he learned about himself this season.
“You have to be you consistently, and that’s what got me to where I am right now,” Newson said. “I don't know if I did a good enough job, but I felt like – for the most part – everybody that was here was bought in.”
Semonza said there was no other option for him this season than to be bought in. After seeing just four games of action last season before taking a redshirt, the second-year gunslinger was asked to lead the Cardinals’ offense in 2024.
He did so for a team that was marred by offseason transfers and staff changes, midseason injuries and the first midseason coaching change for Ball State football this millennium. Twelve turnovers in as many games proved it wasn’t always pretty for Semonza, but he threw for 2,900 yards, and his 26 total touchdowns are the most by a Cardinals quarterback since Keith Wenning’s 35 in 2013.
While he relied on sideline advice from the likes of Newson, he also used guidance he got from his high school quarterbacks coach at Mission Viejo in California, Chad Johnson. During moments of adversity, Semonza claps his hands to clear his mind.
He used that process of acceptance as an example of why he believes his maturity improved above all else this season.
“Getting everything comes with that good, the bad, the ugly – it's all going to help me in the end,” Semonza said.
With its season at an end, Ball State faces an offseason of uncertainty starting immediately. Not only do the Cardinals have to hire a new long-term head coach, but the transfer portal is already open and National Signing Day is in less than a week.
While Semonza didn’t outright confirm his tenure with Ball State will continue next season, his closing statement was damn sure indicative of where his loyalties lie.
“I wanted to be a key piece in turning this place around,” Semonza said. “I'm going to do everything I can, and I know the guys that are with me are doing everything they can.”
Johnson admitted he doesn’t know whose sideline he will be coaching on next season, but he still offered some advice for Ball State’s future as it endures a rebuild. The former Cardinals offensive lineman said improving the program starts with recruiting, primarily from the transfer portal. He believes it is the new regime’s job to not only sell Ball State to recruits and potential transfers, but it’s their job to sell Muncie as a whole.
“There’s nothing wrong with running through the fire,” Johnson said. “The next coach that steps in here is going to have his hands full, but at the same time, he has a group of men that is going to be willing to go to work for him and with him.”
One thing is certain about the group of Cardinals that took Frank Solich Field in Athens on Black Friday. A large number of them played their final collegiate snaps.
Newson included, many of them have aspirations of playing professional football at any level. Some will never wear the pads competitively again.
Newson thinks about the sacrifices the Cardinals have made to even step foot on a football field daily, saying the little moments he shares with teammates in preparation for each game outweigh any experience he gained during the 12 guaranteed games each season.
“We play a child’s sport,” Newson said. “You can’t let the bad stuff ruin it for you. It's hard to get up and constantly do the same hard things every day, but I'm lucky enough to be able to play this game.”
Newson thought about how he has been playing football on and off since he was four years old. As he looked around the Cardinals’ locker room, one of his final acts as TC1 was telling his teammates to wipe their tears.
“Forget all the years that you didn't play, forget the plays that you missed; enjoy this time right now that you got with all your brothers,” Newson said.
Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.
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