UMass outlasts Ball State 31-30 in overtime thriller

William Watson III ran 13 yards for a touchdown in overtime to give Massachusetts a 31-30 win over Ball State on Wednesday night in Amherst, Mass.

The Cardinals had tied the game in regulation when quarterback Keldric Luster ran two yards for a score with 25 seconds remaining. That play capped a 9-play, 75-yard drive that brought Ball State back from a deficit to make it 24-24.

In the first possession of overtime, Jalen Bonds rushed one yard for a touchdown for Ball State. However, kicker Brody Boehm missed the extra point, which went wide left. UMass kicker Derek Morris then converted his extra point to seal the victory for the Minutemen.

Watson finished the game 17-for-25 passing for 302 yards. He threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Jabari Lewis just before halftime to extend the UMass lead to 14-10. Watson also ran one yard for a touchdown in the third quarter to give his team a 21-17 advantage with 2 minutes and 31 seconds left in that period.

Ball State quarterback Luster completed 17 of 27 passes for 182 yards. The Cardinals also received 85 rushing yards from Curtis Kimmons, while Elijah Faulkner scored on a one-yard run. The win improved UMass to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the Mid-American Conference. Ball State drops to 3-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Both teams return to action next Wednesday. Ball State will host Buffalo, while UMass travels to Toledo.