MIAMI FOOTBALL

Gabbert throws three TDs as MU edges Cardinals

Fourth straight win keeps RedHawks in MAC race

By MIKE SMITH
​MUNCIE, IN -- Pouring rain may have drenched Scheumann Stadium and those on hand for Tuesday's Redbird Rivalry contest, but Miami (5-4, 4-1 MAC) made sure the hosting Cardinals didn't douse MU's hopes for reaching a second straight MAC title game. 
Brett Gabbert tossed three first half TDs and MU's defense came up with several big plays to . . .

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. . . preserve the 27-21 Miami victory over Ball State (3-6, 2-3 MAC). 

The RedHawks had just one turnover on the night, but that put BSU in front early. Miami tried to punt at the end of its second possession, but Alec Bevelhimer dropped the ball. He quickly picked it up and tried to get rid of it, but the "pass" went to senior linebacker Brandon Berger. He   returned it 46 yards for a Cardinals touchdown.

Miami responded quickly. Gabbert found Virgil twice on a five-play, 75-yard drive. The first went for 41 yards and the second covered 34 yards. Virgil took a hit inside the five but held on and stretched out while diving to the score.

Ball State went back in front (10-7) a final time when Jackson Courville hit a 27-yard field goal at 13:28 of the second stanza. 

Again, MU responded on its next possession. Gabbert finished a nine-play, 68 yard drive with a 12-yard toss to RB Kevin Davis. 
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Ball State put together a long drive of its own on the following possession. However, the RedHawks halted BSU at the four, and the Cardinals settled for a field goal. 

Leading by one (14-13), MU squeezed in one more touchdown. Gabbert hit Tracy twice on the drive, with the second covering 10 yards for a TD. 

Miami's would not score another touchdown on the night, but Ball State tallied its final touchdown midway through the final period when Justin Bowick got behind a RedHawk defender and caught Kadin Semonza's pass in stride. The 55-yard TD and a successful two-point conversion run by Cam Pickett tied the contest at 21-all.

Miami went back in front at 11:13 of the final quarter on a 28-yard Dom Dzioban field goal. It's defense then forced two straight Ball State punts.

The second gave MU a short field. After moving 24 yards, the RedHawks  turned to Dzioban again and he booted a 39-yard field goal to put Miami up 27-21 with 1:48 remaining.
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A final Cardinals possession started out well with two completions totaling 26 yards. However, linebacker Matt Salopek's subsequent third down sack effectively ended the drive as a 4th-and-18 pass fell incomplete. Miami ran out the clock.

NOTES
>> It was BSU's third MAC loss, with all three being one score margins. The Cardinals two MAC wins were by a total of five points.
>> Miami has now won five straight and eight of the last nine Redbird Rivalry matchups. 
>> Gabbert completed 16-of-32 passes, good for 219 yards and three TDs. 
>> Virgil and Tracy combined for 11 catches, 186 yards and two scores. 
>> Keyon Mozee logged 22 of MU's 29 rushes. He contributed 105 yards (4.8 ypc). It was his fourth straight game with at least 100 yards rushing. 
>> Semonza completed 23-of-36 passes for the Cardinals, good for 280 yards with one TD and two interceptions. Corban Hondru and Raion Strader recorded picks for the RedHawks. 
>> In the four punts that Belvelhimer did get off, he averaged 45.5 yards (long of 54). 
>> Bowick led all receivers with eight catches for 171 yards and a TD. 
>> The Cardinals were held to 51 yards rushing (2.2 ypc). 
>> Miami recorded three sacks and seven TFL. The Cardinals had one sack and four TFL.