6-4 , 4-2
Ball State
3-7 , 2-4
Bulls Rally to Best Ball State in Overtime
11/13/2024 12:43:00 AM | Football
It looked bleak for the Bulls as they trailed, 45-31, with 7:08 left in the game. However, midweek MACtion never disappoints, and a 26-yard touchdown run by C.J. Ogbonna, on 4th-and-10, with 5:43 left on the clock sparked the comeback.
After forcing a Ball State punt, the Bulls got the ball back at their own 27, trailing 45-37, and 3:16 on the clock. UB moved the ball down the field and Ogbonna found J.J. Jenkins for a 33-yard touchdown with 1:49 left. A shovel pass from Ogbonna to Jake Orlando completed the two-point conversion and tied the game, 45-45.
Ball State got the ball first in overtime and had to settle for a field goal giving UB a chance to win it with a touchdown. The Bulls did just that as Ogbonna found a heavily covered Lamar Sperling in the corner of the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown and the walk-off win.
Ogbonna threw for 264 yards and a career-best three touchdowns in the game. He favorite target was Jenkins who had the best game of his UB career. The graduate student had eight catches for 131 yards, both career highs. Victor Snow added six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Jenkins and Snow were both able to flip the field, making 49-yard and 41-yard catches, respectively.
Al-Jay Henderson led the Bulls' rushing attack with 126 yards and two touchdowns. Ogbonna rushed for 55 yards and two scores of his own.
Red Murdock and Shaun Dolac continued to add to their eye-popping tackle numbers. Murdock finished with a career-high 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Dolac had 17 tackles, a tackle for loss and made a game-altering interception, With the Bulls trailing, 28-17, in the closing seconds of the half, Dolac was able to pick off the Ball State pass and return it all the way the Ball State 2-yard line with nine seconds left. Ogbonna lofted a touchdown pass to Snow, as the first-half clock expired, to cut the UB deficit to 28-24 at the half.
Buffalo improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the MAC and keeps the Bulls near the top of the MAC standings.
The Bulls will next play at Eastern Michigan next Wednesday night.
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Team Stats
BSU 0, BUF 7
BUF - Ogbonna,C.J. 3 yd run (Bellenfant,Upton kick), 16 plays, 75 yards, TOP 07:13
BSU 7, BUF 7
BSU - Bowick,Justin 23 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Courville,Jackson kick) 7 plays, 81 yards, TOP 03:08
BSU 14, BUF 7
BSU - Koziol,Tanner 2 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Courville,Jackson kick) 7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 03:16
BSU 14, BUF 10
BUF - Bellenfant,Upton 27 yd field goal 7 plays, 53 yards, TOP 02:39
BSU 21, BUF 10
BSU - Pemberton,Vaughn 1 yd run (Courville,Jackson kick), 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP 03:45
BSU 21, BUF 17
BUF - Henderson,Al-Jay 6 yd run (Bellenfant,Upton kick), 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 01:42
BSU 28, BUF 17
BSU - Bowick,Justin 22 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Courville,Jackson kick) 6 plays, 63 yards, TOP 02:20
BSU 28, BUF 24
BUF - Snow,Victor 2 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. (Bellenfant,Upton kick) 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 00:09
BSU 28, BUF 31
BUF - Henderson,Al-Jay 4 yd run (Bellenfant,Upton kick), 9 plays, 63 yards, TOP 04:41
BSU 35, BUF 31
BSU - Pickett,Cam 65 yd pass from Semonza,Kadin (Courville,Jackson kick) 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 00:16
BSU 42, BUF 31
BSU - Pickett,Cam 9 yd run (Courville,Jackson kick), 4 plays, 19 yards, TOP 02:13
BSU 45, BUF 31
BSU - Courville,Jackson 27 yd field goal 9 plays, 58 yards, TOP 05:00
BSU 45, BUF 37
BUF - Ogbonna,C.J. 26 yd run (), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:25
BSU 45, BUF 45
BUF - Jenkins,JJ 33 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. (Orlando,Jake pass) 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 01:27
BSU 48, BUF 45
BSU - Courville,Jackson 36 yd field goal 4 plays, 6 yards, TOP 00:00
BSU 48, BUF 51
BUF - Sperling,Lamar 14 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. () 2 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
