MUNCIE, Ind. -- Riley Neal passed for 402 yards and four touchdowns -- two in the first quarter -- and ran for another score as Ball State walloped Kent State 52-24 in a Mid-American Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.
His 402 yards was a career-best in a single game for Neal and the seventh 400-yard passing game in the program's history, first since 2013.
After faking a handoff left, Neal bolted through the line over right guard and sprinted 31 yards untouched for the game's final score.
Kent State had allowed only 10 first-half points in its first three games, but Ball State scored three touchdowns on its first four possessions, leading 21-0 with 3:47 left in the opening quarter, and posted 35 points by halftime.