Ball State vs Buffalo: Box score, stats and summary feat. Kadin Semonza (Week 12)
The UB Stadium in Amherst, NY, hosted the MAC contest between the Ball State Cardinals and the Buffalo Bulls on Tuesday. This marked only the second meeting between the two since the 2020 MAC Championship game, where the Cardinals pulled off a 38-28 win over the then-unbeaten Bulls.
The two teams entered this contest in contrasting fashion. The Bulls (5-4) needed a win to remain bowl-eligible while the Cardinals' (3-6) bowl hopes were shattered.
The game was a thriller, with the Cardinals taking a narrow 28-24 lead into halftime. The Bulls eliminated that deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. A 14-yard touchdown pass from CJ Ogbonna got the Bulls over the line (51-48) in the end.
Ball State vs Buffalo: Box score
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | OT | Final |
| Ball State | 7 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 48 |
| Buffalo | 7 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 51 |
Ball State Cardinals stats
| Kadin Semonza | 25-37-1 | 327 | 4 | 65 |
| Total | 25-37-2 | 327 | 4 | 65 |
| Tanner Koziol | 11 | 95 | 1 | 20 |
| Cam Pickett | 3 | 74 | 1 | 65 |
| Justin Bowick | 7 | 148 | 2 | 53 |
| Malcolm Gillie | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| TJ Horton | 1 | -1 | 0 | |
| Vaughn Pemberton | 1 | -1 | 0 | |
| Tyce Ferrell | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 327 | 4 | 65 |
| Tanner Koziol | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Kadin Semonza | 4 | 53 | 0 | 53 |
| Cam Pickett | 3 | 37 | 1 | 22 |
| TJ Horton | 6 | 36 | 0 | 17 |
| Kiael Kelly | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Vaughn Pemberton | 11 | 25 | 1 | 8 |
| Braedon Sloan | 7 | 21 | 0 | 5 |
| Malcolm Gillie | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Charlie Spegal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 37 | 193 | 2 | 53 |
| Jackson Courville | 2/2 | 36 | 6 | 12 |
| Kadin Semonza | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DD Snyder II | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Cooey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric McClain | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Munson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Bowick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kiael Kelly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Coleman | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caden Johnson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cam Pickett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm Gillie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Newson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Udo | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thailand Baldwin | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Brandon Berger | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braedon Sloan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AJ Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Wiegold | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Presley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TJ Horton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Willizhuan Yates | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Stemler | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Beebe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vaughn Pemberton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Norwood | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Spegal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darin Conley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Tolsma | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Marsh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Earlewine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drew Hughes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tucker Dunn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ethan Crowe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Reichert | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalib Gilmore | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Mucciolo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Hood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Meeder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taran Tyo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Curran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dahya Patel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eli Hohlt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyce Ferrell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Abney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tanner Koziol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Hudson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Courville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Holmer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dakari Frazier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 85 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Buffalo Bulls stats
| C.J. Ogbonna | 19-37-2 | 264 | 3 | 49 |
| Total | 19-37-1 | 264 | 3 | 49 |
| Victor Snow | 6 | 74 | 1 | 41 |
| Jake Orlando | 2 | 26 | 0 | 26 |
| Al-Jay Henderson | 2 | 19 | 0 | 14 |
| Lamar Sperling | 1 | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| JJ Jenkins | 8 | 131 | 1 | 49 |
| Total | 19 | 264 | 3 | 49 |
| C.J. Ogbonna | 7 | 55 | 2 | 26 |
| Lamar Sperling | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Victor Snow | 2 | 14 | 0 | 11 |
| Al-Jay Henderson | 27 | 126 | 2 | 29 |
| Messiah Burch | 2 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| Total | 41 | 206 | 4 | 29 |
| Ethan Duane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Fuqua | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Tate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dom Polizzi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caelan Shepard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JJ Jenkins | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Colclough | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tadd Barr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Solomon Brown | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Floyd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taji Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tristan Souza | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen McNair | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaun Dolac | 17 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Doty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Orlando | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marquis Cooper | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malin White | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Carrington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daishon Folsom | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Al-Jay Henderson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Pajuste | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerrod Gentry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobe Stewart | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Ogbonna | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan King | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chance Morrow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Capo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornell Evans | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Liam Hamilton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clevester Hines III | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Morgan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Murdock | 19 | 9 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeremy Yancey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pershaun Fann | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Victor Snow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Upton Bellenfant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Pleasant III | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Messiah Burch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Brock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dion Crawford | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Daly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gio De Leon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamiere Munson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Poyser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Schnackenberg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lamar Sperling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Henry Tabansi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Ballard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnell Davis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mathew Hilty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Keough | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shamar Riser-Pressley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrance Shelton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 90 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Ball State Cardinals vs Buffalo Bulls: Game Summary
Buffalo edged Ball State 51-48 in an overtime thriller, highlighted by clutch plays in the final minutes of regulation and overtime.
1st Quarter:
Buffalo struck first with a three-yard touchdown run by CJ Ogbonna.
Ball State responded with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Kadin Semonza to Justin Bowick.
Score: Tied 7-7.
2nd Quarter:
Ball State took the lead early with Semonza’s two-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Koziol.
Buffalo added a 27-yard field goal by Upton Bellenfant and a six-yard rushing touchdown by Al-Jay Henderson to keep pace.
Ball State's Vaughn Pemberton and Justin Bowick scored, extending the lead, but Buffalo closed the half with a six-yard touchdown pass from Ogbonna to Victor Snow.
Halftime Score: Ball State 28, Buffalo 24.
3rd Quarter:
Both teams traded touchdowns, with Buffalo briefly taking the lead after Henderson’s four-yard rushing touchdown.
Ball State responded with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Cam Pickett.
Score: Ball State 35, Buffalo 31.
4th Quarter:
Ball State extended its lead with a nine-yard touchdown run by Pickett and a field goal, but Buffalo fought back.
Ogbonna scored a 26-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a 33-yard touchdown pass to JJ Jenkins, with a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 45.
Score at End of Regulation: Tied 45-45.
Overtime:
Ball State opened with a 36-yard field goal by Jackson Courville.
Buffalo won with Ogbonna’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Lamar Sperling.
Final Score: Buffalo 51, Ball State 48.
Key Performers:
Buffalo: CJ Ogbonna played a vital role, accounting for touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
Ball State: Kadin Semonza connected with receivers for several long scores, keeping the game competitive.
