Ball State Covers Spread in Loss to UConn, 31-25
UConn defeated Ball State 31-25 in Week 4 action, though the Cardinals covered the 21.5-point spread in a competitive contest. The Huskies jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Ball State answered with a touchdown in the second quarter to make it 10-7 at halftime.
UConn extended its advantage to 17-10 with a third-quarter score, but Ball State mounted a fourth-quarter comeback. The Cardinals scored 15 unanswered points in the final period to take a 25-24 lead, fueled by strong offensive performances. Kiael Kelly led Ball State's passing attack with 209 yards, while Qua Ashley rushed for 86 yards and Donovan Hamilton caught 61 receiving yards.
However, UConn's Cam Edwards proved decisive in the fourth quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns to secure the 31-25 victory. The game surpassed the 54-point over-under line. Despite the loss, Ball State's 15-point fourth-quarter performance proved enough to cover the substantial spread, showcasing offensive resilience in the second half.
AI-generated recap · Aug 15, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ball State | 0 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
 UConn | 10 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Ball State | UConn |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 18-25 | 20-30 |
| Pass Yards | 228 | 181 |
| Rush Yards | 176 | 226 |
| Total Yards | 404 | 407 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| 3rd Down | 4-12 | 5-15 |
| Penalties | 4-32 | 2-20 |
| Possession | 27:44 | 32:16 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Skyler Bell
Cam Edwards run for 20 yds to the CONN 45 for a 1ST down
Cam Edwards run for no gain to the CONN 45
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 5 yds to the 50 yard line
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Reymello Murphy
Connor Stutz punt for 48 yds
Qua Ashley run for 3 yds to the BALL 5
Qua Ashley run for 1 yd to the BALL 6
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to Qian Magwood
Adam Saul punt for 38 yds , Jackson Harper returns for 25 yds to the BALL 19
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Reymello Murphy for 2 yds to the BALL 17
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for a loss of 1 yard to the BALL 18
Cam Edwards run for 6 yds to the BALL 12
Chris Freeman 30 yd FG GOOD
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Eric Weatherly for 12 yds to the BALL 37 for a 1ST down
Qua Ashley run for 6 yds to the BALL 43
Qua Ashley run for 3 yds to the BALL 46
Qua Ashley run for no gain to the BALL 46
PENALTY BallSt False Start (Dolan,Adam) 5 yards from BallSt46 to BallSt41. NO PLAY.
Adam Saul punt for 45 yds , Jackson Harper returns for 1 yd to the CONN 15
Cam Edwards run for 2 yds to the CONN 17
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 46 yds to the BALL 37 for a 1ST down
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 2 yds to the BALL 35
Victor Rosa run for no gain to the BALL 35
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Victor Rosa for no gain to the BALL 35
Joe Fagnano pass complete to John Neider for 26 yds to the BALL 9 for a 1ST down
Victor Rosa run for 1 yd to the BALL 8
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 5 yds to the BALL 3
Joe Fagnano run for 1 yd to the BALL 2
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 2 yds for a TD (Chris Freeman KICK)
Chris Freeman kickoff for 60 yds , Qua Ashley return for 12 yds to the BALL 17
Qua Ashley run for 2 yds to the BALL 19
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Qian Magwood for 53 yds to the CONN 28 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to TJ Horton
Kiael Kelly run for 6 yds to the CONN 22
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 3 yds to the CONN 19
Qian Magwood pass complete to Kiael Kelly for 19 yds for a TD (Carson Holmer KICK)
Carson Holmer kickoff for 64 yds , Terrence Smith return for 25 yds to the CONN 26
Joe Fagnano run for 7 yds to the CONN 33
Cam Edwards run for 7 yds to the CONN 40 for a 1ST down
Terrence Smith run for 7 yds to the CONN 47
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Nader Chirchi for 3 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Oliver Lundberg Coleman run for 4 yds to the BALL 46
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Skyler Bell
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to John Neider
Connor Stutz punt for 46 yds for a touchback
Kiael Kelly run for 9 yds to the BALL 29
Kiael Kelly run for 1 yd to the BALL 30 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly sacked by Oumar Diomande for 0 yards to the BALL 30
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 7 yds to the BALL 37
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 4 yds to the BALL 41 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly run for 5 yds to the BALL 46
Kiael Kelly sacked by Tyquan King for a loss of 8 yards to the BALL 38
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to Qua Ashley
Adam Saul punt for 55 yds
Cam Edwards run for 11 yds to the CONN 18 for a 1ST down
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 4 yds to the CONN 22
Cam Edwards run for 4 yds to the CONN 26
Cam Edwards run for 6 yds to the CONN 32 for a 1ST down
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Shamar Porter
Cam Edwards run for 16 yds to the CONN 48 for a 1ST down
Cam Edwards run for 1 yd to the CONN 49
Joe Fagnano run for 6 yds to the BALL 45
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Cam Edwards
Connor Stutz punt for 44 yds
Qua Ashley run for 2 yds to the BALL 3
Qua Ashley run for 4 yds to the BALL 7
TJ Horton run for 9 yds to the BALL 16 for a 1ST down
TJ Horton run for 2 yds to the BALL 18
Qua Ashley run for 4 yds to the BALL 22
Qua Ashley run for 16 yds to the BALL 38 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Qua Ashley for 4 yds to the BALL 42
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to Eric Weatherly
Kiael Kelly run for 2 yds to the BALL 44
End of 2nd Quarter
Qua Ashley run for 1 yd to the BALL 26
Qua Ashley run for 9 yds to the BALL 35 for a 1ST down
TJ Horton run for 3 yds to the BALL 38
Qua Ashley run for 2 yds to the BALL 40
Kiael Kelly sacked for a loss of 8 yards to the BALL 32
Adam Saul punt for 36 yds , Jackson Harper returns for 8 yds to the CONN 40
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 8 yds to the CONN 48
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Cam Edwards
Cam Edwards run for 3 yds to the BALL 49 for a 1ST down
Cam Edwards run for 2 yds to the BALL 47
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Chris Parker
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Reymello Murphy for 4 yds to the BALL 43
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 5 yds to the BALL 38 for a 1ST down
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 4 yds to the BALL 34
Cam Edwards run for no gain to the BALL 34
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Reymello Murphy
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Shamar Porter for 33 yds to the BALL 1 for a 1ST down
Cam Edwards run for no gain to the BALL 1
Cam Edwards run for a loss of 2 yards to the BALL 3
No Huddle-Shotgun Fagnano,Joe pass incomplete short right to Porter,Shamar thrown to BallSt00 broken up by Whitner,Ashton PENALTY BallSt Roughing The Passer (Beebe,Jack) 2 yards from BallSt03 to BallSt01, 1ST DOWN. NO PLAY.
Terrence Smith run for 1 yd for a TD (Chris Freeman KICK)
Kiael Kelly sacked by Malachi McLean for a loss of 5 yards to the BALL 20
Eric Weatherly run for 22 yds to the BALL 42 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Qua Ashley for 7 yds to the BALL 49
Qua Ashley run for 14 yds to the CONN 37 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to Ty Robinson
TJ Horton run for 12 yds Ball State Penalty, (-10 Yards) to the CONN 35
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 22 yds to the CONN 13 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 7 yds to the CONN 6
TJ Horton run for 2 yds to the CONN 4
Kiael Kelly run for a loss of 2 yards to the CONN 6
Carson Holmer 23 yd FG GOOD
DC Pippin kickoff for 46 yds , Jackson Harper return for 14 yds to the CONN 33
No Huddle-Shotgun Lundberg Coleman,Oliver rush right for 5 yards gain to the UConn38 (Chea,Alfred; Glenn,Ameir) PENALTY UConn Holding (Wayburn,Brady) 10 yards from UConn33 to UConn23. NO PLAY.
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 4 yds to the CONN 27
Cam Edwards run for 2 yds to the CONN 29
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 19 yds to the CONN 48 for a 1ST down
Cam Edwards run for 6 yds to the BALL 46
Joe Fagnano run for 1 yd to the BALL 45
Cam Edwards run for 4 yds to the BALL 41 for a 1ST down
Joe Fagnano pass incomplete to Alex Honig
Cam Edwards run for 4 yds to the BALL 37
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 5 yds to the BALL 32
Cam Edwards run for 32 yds for a TD (Chris Freeman KICK)
TJ Horton run for 13 yds to the BALL 38 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 6 yds to the BALL 44
Kiael Kelly pass intercepted Lee Molette III return for no gain to the CONN 42
Victor Rosa run for 4 yds to the CONN 46
Cam Edwards run for 2 yds to the CONN 48
No Huddle Edwards,Cam rush right for 52 yards gain to the BallSt00 TOUCHDOWN nullified by penalty, clock 07:31 PENALTY UConn Holding declined UConn Holding (Wayburn,Brady) 10 yards from UConn48 to UConn38. NO PLAY.
Joe Fagnano pass complete to Skyler Bell for 5 yds to the CONN 43
Connor Stutz punt for 22 yds, punt out-of-bounds at the BALL 35
Qua Ashley run for 13 yds to the BALL 48 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Koby Gross for 18 yds to the CONN 34 for a 1ST down
Qua Ashley run for 3 yds to the CONN 31
Qua Ashley run for 2 yds to the CONN 29
Kiael Kelly pass incomplete to Eric Weatherly
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Eric Weatherly for 28 yds to the CONN 1 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly run for no gain to the CONN 1
Qua Ashley run for 1 yd for a TD (Carson Holmer KICK)
DC Pippin kickoff for 50 yds , Jackson Harper return for 17 yds to the CONN 32
Cam Edwards run for 3 yds to the CONN 35
Cam Edwards run for a loss of 2 yards to the CONN 33
Cam Edwards run for 67 yds for a TD (Chris Freeman KICK)
Chris Freeman kickoff for 54 yds , Eric Weatherly return for 24 yds to the BALL 35
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Donovan Hamilton for 12 yds to the BALL 47 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Koby Gross for 6 yds to the CONN 47
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Qua Ashley for 3 yds to the CONN 44
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Qian Magwood for 6 yds to the CONN 38 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly run for 27 yds to the CONN 11 for a 1ST down
Kiael Kelly pass complete to Dahya Patel for 11 yds for a TD (Koby Gross pass to for Two-Point Conversion)
Kneel down by UConn at UConn44 for loss of 4 yards.
Ball State Penalty, (15 Yards) to the BALL 44 for a 1ST down
Kneel down by UConn at BallSt46 for loss of 2 yards.