ANATOMY OF A WINNING TOUCHDOWN

5 PLAYS, 59 YARDS, 53 SECONDS TO VICTORY

In the fourth quarter, Ball State’s Eric Patterson intercepted a pass from Arkansas State’s Fredi Knighten, setting up a 16-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took nearly seven minutes and ended with Jahwan Edwards’ 1-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals a 20-16 lead with 1:33 left in the game. Arkansas State’s R.J. Fleming returned Ball State’s squib kick 26 yards to the Arkansas State 41. “When we realized we were down, we had to make a play,” Knighten said. “There was no other choice.”

1ST-AND-10 BALL ON ASU 41 1◊After throwing an interception on the previous possession, Fredi Knighten (left) completed an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Julian Jones (right) on a drag over the middle before Ball State’s Ben Ingle made the tackle.

1ST-AND-10 ON BALL STATE 48 2◊Knighten was forced out of the pocket on the next play, and scrambled for 3 yards to get to the Ball State 45. Ingle made the tackle.

2ND-AND-7 ON BALL STATE 45 3◊On the third play of the drive, Knighten found wide receiver J.D.

McKissic (23) streaking down the seam for a 26-yard gain that left the ball on the Ball State 19.

Brian Jones made the tackle for Ball State.

1ST-AND-10 ON BALL STATE 19 4◊Knighten rushed for 6 yards to get to the Ball State 13 before being tackled by Zack Ryan.

2ND-AND-4 ON BALL STATE 13 5◊Knighten took a Shotgun snap, pump-faked once to his left that allowed a cornerback to bite on the fake, and tossed a floater to Muse (below), who was standing alone in the end zone. Muse said the final play was called three times on the drive, in which he runs a fade over the top of an out route run by R.J. Fleming. “It was just floating up in the air and I looked at it, and I’m like, ‘Man, this is about to be big,’” Muse said. Brian Davis’ extra-point kick made the score 23-20. The final drive accounted for almost half of Knighten’s 115 yards passing, and 59 of ASU’s 69 total yards in the fourth quarter. Knighten finished with 212 yards of total offense, he rushed for 97, and led all five of ASU’s scoring drives. “That little No. 9 did some things, man,” interim Coach John Thompson said. “What a winner, what a wonderful person. Exciting player that Fredi Knighten is.”

Sports, Pages 22 on 01/07/2014

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