Replay: Kent State football falls to Ball State 27-20
Ball State defeats Kent State 27-20
Final score from Dix Stadium: Ball State 27, Kent State 20. Flashes' program-record 12-game home winning streak comes to an end. Kent State led 13-0 after the first quarter.
Junior running back Marquez Cooper paces the Flashes with 168 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Ball State running back Carson Steele tops that effort with 192 yards on 29 carries.
Kent State (3-6, 2-3 MAC) must win out to become bowl eligible.
Collin Schlee slides, comes up short on fourth-and-three
Kent State quarterback Collin Schlee has the first down on fourth-and-three but goes into a slide and is marked short. Ball State has possession near midfield with 2:05 remaining.
Ball State takes a 27-20 lead with 3:21 to go
Ball State quickly regains the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from John Paddock to freshman tight end Tanner Koziol, which followed several lengthy Carson Steele runs. Kent State trails 27-20 with 3:21 to go at Dix Stadium.
Kent State RB Marquez Cooper touchdown run ties the game
Kent State's first points since the first quarter are enough to tie the game at 20. Junior running back Marquez Cooper bursts up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown, backup kicker Johan Silver boots the extra point. Still 6:08 left in regulation at Dix Stadium.
After three quarters Ball State leads Kent State 20-13
At the end of three quarters Ball State leads Kent State 20-13. Flashes have missed two field goals and failed on fourth-and-short deep in enemy territory while going scoreless in the last two quarters. The Cardinals had 43 total yards in the third quarter, and won it 3-0. Kent State ball at its own 36 as the final quarter begins.
Kent State still scoreless since opening quarter
Kent State drives deep into Ball State territory again, comes up empty again. Marquez Cooper stopped short on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 11-yard line. Earlier in the third quarter Andrew Glass missed a 39-yard field goal. Flashes still have not scored since the first quarter, trail Ball State 20-13 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.
Kent State LB Khali Saunders deflection forces another Ball State field goal
Kent State junior linebacker Khali Saunders knocks down a third-down pass at the line of scrimmage and forces Ball State to kick a field goal for the second straight possession. Cardinals lead 20-13 with 12:17 left in the third quarter at Dix Stadium.
Halftime at Dix Stadium, Ball State leads Kent State 17-13
Ball State tacks on a late field goal, leads Kent State 17-13 at the half. Flashes outscored Cardinals 13-0 in the first quarter, Ball State won the second quarter 17-0.
Kent State now appears to be without its top two receivers. Sophomore Devontez Walker, who caught a first-quarter touchdown pass, has not played in the second quarter. Dante Cephas is not in uniform due to an injury.
Total yards: Ball State 281-218. Kent State junior running back Marquez Cooper 19 carries for 99 yards. Cardinals quarterback John Paddock 16-of-25 for 190 yards.
Ball State takes its first lead
After Kent State misses some chances to expand its lead, Ball State takes its first lead of the night on a 43-yard touchdown pass from John Paddock to Jayshon Jackson. Cardinals lead Flashes 14-13 with 4:52 left in the first half at Dix Stadium.
Ball State gets on the board, trails Kent State 13-7
Ball State trims its deficit to 13-7 on a 15-yard touchdown run by sophomore Carson Steele. Kent State's defense stopped the Cardinals' first three drives before giving up an 8-play, 66-yard march.
Kent State leads Ball State 13-0 after one quarter
At the end of the first quarter at Dix Stadium Kent State leads Ball State 13-0. Total yards: Flashes 123-67. Kent State junior running back Marquez Cooper 13 rushes for 64 yards.
Collin Schlee TD pass to Devontez Walker puts Kent State up 13-0
No settling for three this time. Kent State jumps on top of Ball State 13-0 after a 14-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Collin Schlee to sophomore wide receiver Devontez Walker. Flashes have scored on all three drives thus far, 4:25 left in the first quarter.
Interception leads to three more Kent State points
Kent State turns a pick into three more points, leads Ball State 6-0 with 9:28 left in the opening quarter at Dix Stadium. Senior Montre Miller deflected a pass down the sideline into the air and junior CJ Harris intercepted. Andrew Glass hit his second early field goal, this one from 41 yards out.
Kent State takes early 3-0 lead over Ball State
Kent State takes a 3-0 lead on a 39-yard field goal by Andrew Glass. The Flashes drove down to the Ball State 25 on the strength of several solid runs by junior Marquez Cooper. But three straight runs by Cooper netted just one yard each, forcing Kent State to settle for a field goal.
Kent State safety Dean Clark expected to see first action of 2022
Kent State senior safety Dean Clark is expected to see his first action of 2022 tonight against Ball State. Clark suffered an Achilles injury while training last January, and has not been in uniform this fall until tonight.
Clark, a former Massillon High School star, has led the Flashes in tackles the past two seasons.
Collin Schlee to start at quarterback for Kent State
Junior Collin Schlee will start at quarterback for Kent State tonight against Ball State at Dix Stadium. Schlee, a first-year starter, missed the Golden Flashes' last game due to a lower body bruise.
Junior Dante Cephas, Kent State's leading receiver, will not play tonight due to an injury suffered on Oct. 22 against Akron.
Today's matchup
Kent State (3-5, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) will open 2022 midweek action by hosting Ball State (4-4, 2-2) tonight in what amounts to a MAC elimination game. Kickoff from Dix Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
The Golden Flashes and Cardinals both need a win tonight to stay in the thick of their respective division title chases. Kent State trails MAC East Division leader Buffalo (5-3, 4-0) by two games, while Ball State is one game in the loss column behind first-place Toledo (6-3, 4-1) in the West.
If the Flashes win tonight, they'll hope to also receive some help from Ohio (5-3, 3-1) - which hosts the Bulls.
Kent State's quarterback situation remains up in the air heading into tonight's contest. Junior starter Collin Schlee was not able to play in the Flashes' last game, and is questionable once again this week due to a lower body bruise. Freshman Devin Kargman filled in for Schlee and led Kent State to a 33-27 victory over rival Akron on Oct. 22.
Check this live feed for updates on Schlee leading up to kickoff.
The Flashes will look to add to their program-record 12-game home winning streak. They are 3-0 at Dix Stadium in 2022. Ball State has only played three road games this fall, going 1-2.
Here's what you need to know ahead of tonight's game. Return here once it kicks off for live updates.
When is the Kent State football game on Tuesday?
The Golden Flashes and Cardinals kick off at 7 p.m. tonight at Dix Stadium in Kent.
How to watch Kent State-Ball State football game
Kent State's game against Ball State will be televised on ESPNU.
Kent State football's scores in 2022
L, 45-20 at Washington, Sept. 3
L, 33-3 at Oklahoma, Sept. 10
W, 63-10 vs. Long Island, Sept. 17
L, 39-22 at No. 1 Georgia, Sept. 24
W, 31-24 OT vs. Ohio University, Oct. 1
L, 27-24 at Miami of Ohio, Oct. 8
L, 52-31 at Toledo, Oct. 15
W, 33-27 vs. Akron, Oct. 22
Kent State football schedule: what's left for the Golden Flashes
Here's a look at the rest of the schedule for the Golden Flashes:
vs. Ball State, tonight, 7
at Bowling Green, Nov. 9, 7
vs. Eastern Michigan, Nov. 16, TBA
at Buffalo, Nov. 26, TBA
Today's betting line
Kent State is a 7-point favorite according to oddsmakers.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Replay: Kent State falls to Ball State 27-20
