Ball State Cardinal football reflective after loss to Central Michigan

Fully changed out of his pads and uniform, Kadin Semonza sat in a plastic chair with small office walls surrounding him. Shortly after he entered, the Cardinals starting quarterback Semonza let out a sigh.

Less than 30 minutes prior, there was 1:59 on the clock in the fourth quarter, and it was up to the Cardinals offense to come back from a 30-27 deficit starting on their own three-yard-line. Things started well for Ball State when Semonza hit redshirt junior wide receiver Qian Magwood for a 14-yard gain.

Next, Semonza found his favorite target in sophomore tight end Tanner Koziol for nine yards. Another Semonza pass followed this time to redshirt sophomore Cam Pickett for 13 yards. A huge play came next when Semonza uncorked a 46-yard gain to Magwood.

Now at the Chippewas’ 16-yard line, Semonza went back to Koziol, who hurdled a Central Michigan defender to find the end zone. After a successful extra point, Ball State led 34-30.

The only problem? There were still 53 seconds remaining and the Chippewas had all three timeouts left to use.

Five plays later, Central Michigan took its lead right back when the Chippewas’ quarterback Joe Labas hit wide receiver Chris Parker for the deciding score.

Semonza admitted that the Cardinals maybe should have considered letting more time run off the clock before scoring if he finds himself in a similar situation later in the season, but he didn’t feel like Saturday’s scenario called for that.

“I’m not gonna sit there and not throw a touchdown because there’s too much time left on the clock,” Semonza told the Daily News. “The play opened up, Tanner was there, and I’m not gonna not throw it to him.”

The redshirt freshman had his best game as a Cardinal despite Ball State’s 37-34 loss in Mount Pleasant, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns on 75 percent passing. His chemistry with close friend Koziol showed more than ever Saturday, as the 6-foot, 6-inch tight end reeled in nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.

It wasn’t enough to clinch a win against a Mid-American Conference (MAC), and that’s what Semonza was focused on postgame.

“I’ve been blessed to be where I’m at now,” Semonza told the Daily News. “ … I’m far from a finished product. Whatever this team needs, I’m gonna try to do it for them.

“You look to your right and you look to your left, and these are your brothers you’re playing with.”

Redshirt freshman safety Elijah Davis was focused solely on the same thing after the loss. In the third quarter, Davis forced the first turnover of his collegiate career after earning the starting free safety role when DD Snyder was ruled out with a pregame injury.

But he was one of the many Ball State defenders who allowed 527 total yards of offense to the Chippewas (2-2, 1-0 MAC). He was one of the many Cardinals who allowed 335 rushing yards, the most in more than five years.

To juggle the feelings of a loss and a career highlight is tough for Davis, but he always thinks back to something a friend at Pike High School told him in his youth.

“Never let the good get to your head, never let the bad get to your heart,” Davis recalled.

To ensure he follows that advice, Davis keeps God at the center of his life, both on and off the gridiron.

“I’m probably my biggest critic,” Davis told the Daily News. “ … I just understand I am a servant, and to be a safety on this team, you got to be a leader. To lead is to serve, so I’m here to serve these guys and lay it all on the line for them.”

He continued, referencing 2 Corinthians 6:14 from the Bible as inspiration.

“We’re equally yoked,” Davis said. “When it comes to this team, that’s probably the best blessing to have.”

Davis talked about Ball State’s “drivers,” influential figures in each Cardinal’s life that motivate them on the field. For the Hays, Kansas, native, it’s his late grandmother. It’s his brother, who is paralyzed from the waist down.

It’s his mother, who stood to Davis’ left with her face and hair decorated in support of Ball State. It’s his stepfather, who inspired Davis’ love for football and stood right beside Davis’ mother.

When he stood up from his chair, Davis embraced his two guardians. They quietly offered words of advice and encouragement to their son.

“I love you guys,” Davis said softly.

This family-based culture instilled in every member of Ball State football is exactly why head coach Mike Neu isn’t worried about the Cardinals’ personnel after two consecutive losses. He does not doubt that players will look at their downtrodden teammates and uplift them with unwavering support.

But Neu constantly reminded the Cardinals not to place blame upon any individual member or position group after a roller-coaster ride of a loss in Mount Pleasant.
“Nobody’s coming out here and trying to get themselves out of position, nobody’s coming out here trying to not make a tackle in the open field,” Neu told the Daily News. “The reality of it is, we gotta own it. We got to look ourselves in the mirror, each guy in that locker room does. I challenged them in there. I said, ‘Just make sure, are you preparing with everything you’ve got?’”

Neu made it clear that his challenge was rhetorical, but as he continued, he drew back on his own experiences as a Ball State football player to lay out his expectations for the Cardinals moving forward.

“I don’t have to go to class,” Neu told the Daily News. “They got to go to class, but that’s part of being a Division-I athlete. You don’t have free time. Your free time is invested in making sure that I know exactly what I’m doing game plan wise.”

Neu knew heading into the season that Ball State’s 2nd-best defense in the MAC from 2023 would not be the same in 2024. He knew graduation and transfers were going to hurt the Cardinals’ defense, even if he’s confident in the men who are suiting up now.

He put it plainly: being outscored 23-7 after grabbing a first quarter 10-0 lead can’t be something Ball State allows on a weekly basis. Giving up 37-second touchdown drives in the closing moments of a MAC game isn’t a winning formula.

Although the Cardinals’ next contest is a non-conference battle at James Madison University (3-0), Neu said Ball State must operate with a sense of urgency sitting at 1-2 (0-1 MAC) with nine games remaining.

“You might only get your opportunity called one time, and it’s a bad feeling if you’re not ready,” Neu told the Daily News. “It happens week after week after week after week, an injury takes place, and you gotta be ready to go. It just is what it is. There are no excuses.”

Contact Kyle Smedley via email kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.