Kent State football | Golden Flashes' offense struggles in MAC road loss at Ball State
MUNCIE, Ind. — Marquez Cooper ran for 140 yards and the Ball State defense held Kent State under 100 yards in total offense in a 34-3 victory for the Cardinals on Saturday.
Cooper scored one touchdown and quarterback Kial Kelly added two more on the ground. Kelly had 88 yards rushing, threw for 71 yards and Ball State had 300 yards rushing.
Ball State (4-7, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) led 13-3 at halftime then broke it open when Kelly scored on runs of 22 and 4 yards in the third quarter, and Vaughn Pemberton scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth.
Andrew Glass hit a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter for KSU's lone points. It was his sixth field goal of 40-plus yards this season.
Kent State quarterbacks were 8-for-22 passing for 68 yards and were sacked five times. KSU running back Gavin Garcia ran for a team-high 29 yards on seven carries.
Ball State led in total yardage 388-97. Kent State (1-10, 0-7) was 1-for-12 on third down.
Neither team committed a turnover.
Defensively for the Flashes, safety Josh Baka made a career-high eight tackles and broke up a pass, while linebacker Saed Abuhamdeh was a part of two tackles for loss, including his first collegiate sack.
Kent State closes the 2023 season at noon next Saturday when it hosts Northern Illinois.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ball State football routs Kent State in Mid-American Conference
