Ball State senior quarterback Keith Wenning stayed hot Wednesday night, tossing four TD passes as the Cardinals blasted Central Michigan 44-24. Wenning has thrown 27 TD passes and just five interceptions this season.
Earlier in the day, Wenning had been named as one of 10 finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually to the nation's best senior or fourth-year junior quarterback.
Wenning was 20 of 29 for 299 yards; he finished 1 yard short of his ninth 300-yard game of the season for the Cardinals (9-1). In his past three games, Wenning is 70 of 101 (69.3 percent completion rate) for 863 yards, 12 TDs and no picks.
The strong-armed Wenning (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) has moved up draft boards with his performance this season.
Wednesday's performance was his fifth this season with at least three TD passes and his fourth with at least four scoring throws. He threw TD passes on three of Ball State's first four drives against Central Michigan.
He has thrown for 3,164 yards this season; he is the fourth quarterback to reach that plateau, joining Oregon State's Sean Mannion, Fresno State's Derek Carr and Washington State's Connor Halliday.
Next Wednesday, he and the Cardinals will duel quarterback Jordan Lynch and Northern Illinois; the winner likely wins the MAC West title.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
