UMass beats Ball State 31-30 in overtime after a missed extra point

One missed kick decided Wednesday night's MACtion at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. UMass beat Ball State 31-30 in overtime after the Cardinals' extra point went wide left.

Ball State had the ball first in overtime, and Jalen Bonds scored from a yard out to make it 30-24. Brody Boehm's kick missed. UMass quarterback William Watson III then ran it in from 13 yards, Derek Morris made the extra point, and the Minutemen won.

How it got there

UMass trailed 17-14 in the third quarter before Watson scored on a 1-yard run to put the Minutemen ahead 21-17. Morris added a 23-yard field goal with 2:14 left for a 24-17 lead. Ball State answered with 25 seconds left on a 2-yard keeper by Keldric Luster to tie it and force overtime.

The play that kept UMass in it came at the end of the first half. Ball State kicked a field goal for a 10-7 lead with 33 seconds left, and Watson hit Jabari Lewis for a 64-yard touchdown 21 seconds later.

The numbers

1. William Watson III, UMass: 17 of 25 for 302 yards and a touchdown, plus 40 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
2. Kezion Dia-Johnson, UMass: 3 catches for 97 yards.
3. Jalen Bonds, Ball State: 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, including a 42-yard score.
4. Keldric Luster, Ball State: 17 of 27 for 182 yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.
5. UMass outgained Ball State 455 to 350 but lost two fumbles. Ball State was flagged 10 times for 95 yards.

The take

UMass moves to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the MAC, and a sixth win would make it bowl eligible. Ball State falls to 3-6. The Cardinals did enough to win, holding a turnover edge, and they lost on a missed extra point.