Northwestern Wildcats Beat Ball State Cardinals 45-14 for…

Northwestern Wildcats dismantled Ball State Cardinals at home, winning 45-14 and making it look easy for long stretches.

The final score was Ball State Cardinals 14, Northwestern Wildcats 45, and Northwestern improves to 4-1 while Ball State drops to 1-5. This one was over by the third quarter, with Northwestern piling up points from every unit on the field.

Box score

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Ball State Cardinals	0	14	0	0	14
Northwestern Wildcats	14	17	14	0	45

See full player stats and game details

How it turned

Northwestern led 14-0 after the first quarter and never looked back. Aidan Chiles got it started with a 1-yard touchdown run, then found Griffin Wilde for a 19-yard score before the quarter ended.

Ball State clawed into the second quarter when TJ Horton punched in a 1-yard touchdown run, but Northwestern answered right back. Caleb Komolafe had already scored on a 14-yard run, Jonah Kleather hit a 52-yard field goal, and then Northwestern defensive back R. Fitzgerald returned a Keldric Luster interception 15 yards for a touchdown. Ball State got a late response when Luster found J. McDougle for a 2-yard score just before halftime, but Northwestern still led 31-14 at the break.

The third quarter belonged entirely to Northwestern. Chiles connected with Drew Wagner for a 12-yard touchdown and then hit A. Honig for a 32-yard score, pushing the lead to 45-14 heading into the fourth. Neither team scored again, and Northwestern closed it out from there.

Scoring plays

Q1 11:42 NU: A. Chiles run for 1 yd, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)
Q1 3:04 NU: A. Chiles pass to G. Wilde for 19 yds, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)
Q2 10:52 NU: C. Komolafe run for 14 yds, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)
Q2 8:20 BALL: TJ Horton run for 1 yd, for a TD (B. Boehm KICK)
Q2 4:47 NU: J. Kleather 52 yd FG GOOD
Q2 3:04 NU: K. Luster pass intercepted, R. Fitzgerald return for 15 yds, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)
Q2 0:12 BALL: K. Luster pass to J. McDougle for 2 yds, for a TD (B. Boehm KICK)
Q3 10:12 NU: A. Chiles pass to D. Wagner for 12 yds, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)
Q3 0:53 NU: A. Chiles pass to A. Honig for 32 yds, for a TD (J. Kleather KICK)

Top performers

Aidan Chiles ran the show for Northwestern, completing 17 of 23 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Griffin Wilde was his top target, hauling in eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown, while Drew Wagner added four catches for 61 yards and a score of his own. Caleb Komolafe chipped in on the ground with eight carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Ball State's Keldric Luster kept the offense moving with 27 completions on 41 attempts for 209 yards and a touchdown, but the interception that turned into a Northwestern score loomed large. Jabari Smith led Ball State's receivers with seven catches for 64 yards, and Donovan Hamilton added two catches for 53 yards.

On defense, Northwestern's Braydon Brus and Ball State's Kaleb Stewart each finished with eight tackles, with Stewart adding a sack.

Top performers

Ball State Cardinals

Keldric Luster (QB) — 27/41, 209 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Johnny Thompson Jr. (RB) — 7 car, 15 yds, 0 TD
Ace Cooper (WR) — 2 car, 15 yds, 0 TD
Jabari Smith (WR) — 7 rec, 64 yds, 0 TD
Donovan Hamilton (WR) — 2 rec, 53 yds, 0 TD
Kaleb Stewart (LB) — 8 tkl, 1 sck, 0 INT