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Miscues costly for Kent State football in Mid-American Conference loss at Ball State
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- Miscues costly for Kent State football in Mid-American Conference loss at Ball State
Kent State was its own worst enemy Nov. 5 in Muncie, Indiana.
The Golden Flashes had several costly turnovers and committed a handful of untimely penalties in a 17-13 Mid-American Conference loss to Ball State.
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The final miscue was the most costly. Leading 13-10 and facing fourth-and-1 at their own 41 late in the fourth quarter, the Flashes (3-6, 2-3) were guilty of a bad snap that resulted in a 4-yard loss and gave the Cardinals the ball at the Kent State 37. That set up the game-winning score four plays later when quarterback Kiael Kelly connected with wide receiver Kameron Anthony on a 29-yard TD pass on fourth-and-2 with 1:58 to play.
After the Cardinals' go-ahead score, Kent State drove to the Ball State 38-yard line, where the drive ended on an incomplete pass on fourth down with 18 seconds remaining.
The loss spoiled another solid outing by redshirt freshman quarterback Dru DeShields, who finished 15-of-27 passing for 212 yards. The former West Branch standout led the Flashes back from a 10-3 halftime deficit with 10 unanswered points to take the lead.
Wayne Harris was DeShields' favorite target with five catches for 87 yards, and Gavin Garcia paced the Flashes ground game with 59 yards on 12 carries.
Kent State quarterback Dru DeShields (12) runs with the ball against Ball State on Nov. 5, 2025, in Muncie, Indiana.
Donovan Delaney Jr. scored the lone touchdown for Kent State, tying the score 10-10 with a 4-yard run with 4:42 left in the third quarter. Will Hryszko gave the Flashes a 13-10 lead with a 28-yard field goal with 11:07 to play.
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The Flashes lost despite leading 301-238 in total yards, 212-173 in passing yards and 89-65 in rushing yards. Kent State was flagged 10 times for 78 yards, which contributed to several drives stalling out in Ball State (4-5, 3-2) territory. One penalty erased a 35-yard field goal by Hryszko, who then missed from 40 yards out.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Late score lifts Ball State over Dru DeShields, Kent State
