Miami University
Ball State University
RedHawks Down Cardinals 28-20
9/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 29, 2001
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Cal Murray ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns to lead Miami to a 28-20 victory over Ball State on Saturday.
Ball State (0-4, 0-1 Mid-American) took a 14-0 lead on Talmadge Hill's two touchdown passes.
Murray's 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter brought Miami (2-2, 1-0) within seven points, and the Cardinals lost their lead by halftime when Jason Branch caught a 6-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to tie it at 14.
Ball State's Marcus Merriweather scored on a 3-yard run with 6:30 to play in the third quarter, but the Cardinals failed on a 2-point conversion try.
The Cardinals' offense floundered in the second half.
Tom Pucke, who missed a 34-yard field goal with the score tied 14-14 early in the third quarter, missed a 29-yard field goal minutes later.
Murray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 46-yard run in the third and capped the scoring with a 32-yard run in the fourth.
The Cardinals managed only 29 yards of offense in the fourth quarter, and their last two possessions ended with Hill throwing interceptions.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Cardinals, who extended their losing streak in September games to 19.
Roethlisberger completed 15 of 24 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Miami.
p>Merriweather had 27 carries for 182 yards, the second-highest total of his career, and one touchdown for Ball State.
Team Notes
? Miami has been outscored 41-14 this season in the first quarter, after falling behind 14-7 to the Cardinals.
? The 28 points scored by Miami is a season high.
? Miami has won its last six MAC openers and is 37-16-1 all-time in such contests.
? Miami's all-time win total now stands at 599. With its next win, it will become the 22nd Division I program to record 600 victories.
Individual Notes
? SO RB Cal Murray's touchdown in the first quarter vs. the Cardinals was his first of the year, and it marked the first time this season FR QB Ben Roethlisberger was not involved in a Miami touchdown via the pass or the run.
? Murray set a career single-game high for yards (183) and attempts (25) en route to recording his second career 100-yard rushing game, his first being a 14-carry, 113-yard effort vs. Kent State last Sept. 23. In his last two games, he is averaging 9.3 yards per carry (28 rushes, 259 yards). His rushing yard total is the most by a Miami runner since Steve Little racked up 222 vs. Buffalo in last year's season finale. After scoring three rushing touchdowns today, Murray has scored seven of his eight career touchdowns in two games, as he found the end zone four times last season vs. Kent State.
? The fourth-quarter interceptions by JR LB Matt Robillard and SO DB Ryan Sprague were the first of their careers.
? Gino DiGiandomenico's four tackles for a loss and nine total tackles were career highs. His two sacks also tied a career high, which he set against Kent State in 1998.
? Roethlisberger completed passes to eight different receivers for the second straight game. His one touchdown pass this week snapped a string of three straight games in which he had thrown at least two touchdown passes.
