5 posts tagged “ball state cardinals”
Golden Hurricane -2 1/2 vs. Cardinals
The bowl season unofficially wraps up with the GMAC Bowl on Tuesday, January 6th in Mobile, Alabama as the Ball State Cardinals take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. This is the last "bowl game" before the BSC Championship game to be held in Miami two days later and one of the teams, Ball State, has as many losses as both teams in the championship game.
Even if they won out, Ball State (12-1) would not have been in the national title picture and perhaps not even in a BCS game. All those questions were moot when the Cardinals were destroyed in the Mid-American Championship Game held December 5th in Detroit. Ball State literally fumbled away their chance at a better bowl game when they let go of the ball four times, two of which were ran back for scores and the other two were turned into touchdowns in a 42-24 loss to Buffalo which dropped the Cardinals ten spots to number 22.
Star quarterback Nate Davis had a lousy game throwing an interception and was a part of all four fumbles. Davis has decided to stick around for another season after throwing for 3446 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While one key member of the best Ball State team in decades is sticking around, the head man, coach Brady Hoke is gone. Hoke accepted the position of head coach at San Diego State and chose not to be on the sidelines for the GMAC Bowl. A interim coach for the game has not yet been announced.
David Johnson had an equally outstanding season at quarterback for Tulsa (10-3). Both quarterbacks involved in this game rank in the top 10 in passing efficiency. The Golden Hurricane were runners-up in the Conference USA this season, having lost the title game to East Carolina on December 6th.
This is the first meeting between the programs.
Tulsa is playing in their fourth straight bowl game, winning last year's GMAC Bowl 63-7 over Bowling Green. That was the largest margin of a victory in a bowl game ever. This will be Ball State's second straight postseason contest, but they have not fared well in bowl games. They have yet to win one in six attempts, including last year's 52-30 loss to Rutgers in the International Bowl.
Cardinals -14 1/2 vs. Bulls
By now everyone knows about the phenomenal season that the Ball State Cardinals have achieved. However, if one was to ask a Mid-American Conference pundit before the season to pick which was more likely that Ball State would go undefeated all the way to the MAC Championship game or that Buffalo would win the East and go to that same game in Detroit, it's a safe bet that pundit would pick Ball State's seemingly unpredictable season over Buffalo's.
Buffalo will play for the MAC Championship Friday night at Ford Field in Detroit, while Ball State will play for so much more.
The Bulls (7-5, 5-3) won the school's first division title and clinched the school's first bowl game. The team moved up to Division I-A (now Football Bowl Subdivision) in 1999 and have been pretty awful most of their time there. Over the last 14 games, spanning two seasons, Buffalo has gone 9-5 within the MAC, which is an incredible improvement over the 10 games won in the league in the teams first seven seasons in FBS.
All is not totally rosy for the Buffalo Bulls, however, as they lost last Friday night 24-21 to Kent State. The loss put an end to a five-game winning streak for Buffalo. Much of their success can be attributed to their running attack led by James Starks, who is sixth in the nation with 122.6 yards per game. The junior has now rushed for 1000 yards for a second straight season. Coupled with the pass, the offense is averaging 30.2 points per contest, but will be in for a touch matchup with Ball State's defense which surrenders only 16.7 per game.
While their defense has helped, it has been the offense that has gotten Ball State (12-0, 8-0) here. Winners of the MAC's West division, the Cardinals look to win their first MAC title since 1996. With two more victories the Cardinals will have achieved an undefeated season. That may be the best distinction they will have to claim as a victory over a heavy underdog more than likely will not spur them into a BCS bowl invitation. Under BCS rules, only one non-BCS school is allowed to go to a BCS game and three (Utah, Boise State and TCU) are ranked higher than the 12th ranked Cardinals.
With a win, Ball State's most likely destination is where they will be Friday: Detroit for the Motor City Bowl, while Buffalo will go to another game with MAC tie-ins. If they lose, Buffalo goes to the Motor City Bowl and Ball State will find themselves either in the GMAC or International Bowl.
Buffalo has yet to beat Ball State in four tries and is 0-8 versus ranked opponents since moving up to the FBS in 1999.
Cardinals -7 vs. Chippewas
The mid-week college football matchups have traditionally not been "Must See TV" in the past. Most teams are from mid-majors and at this point in this season, usually floundering with losing records, but this Wednesday, one of the best games on the college slate this week will be played when the undefeated Ball State Cardinals will face their toughest test of the season as they travel to Mount Pleasant to take on their fellow first place, Central Michigan Chippewas.
Fans in Muncie know this season is special for Ball State (10-0, 6-0). Not since 1978 have they had so much success. Interesting enough in that season, in which the Cardinals posted 10 wins, current Coach Brady Hoke was a linebacker. So perhaps lightning has struck twice for Hoke. But the season can spiral quickly out of control for the Cardinals if they loss to Central Michigan and then face a tough Western Michigan coming in for Ball State's home finale.
Central Michigan (8-2, 6-0) is the only other team without a loss within the MAC. They will attempt to upset Ball State to take over first place in the Western Division and pave their way to the MAC Championship Game so they may attempt to win their third straight conference title. The Chippewas know they have the upper hand in recent years in head-to-head matchups. Ball State has lost four straight to Central Michigan. Last season, CMU rolled up 58 points in a road decimation of Ball State.
Last week Miami served as Ball State's latest victim, 31-16. Running back MiQuale Lewis ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns. The back now has eight 100-yard games this season and has scored in nine straight games. The balanced Cardinal offensive attack is anchored by Nate Davis. The quarterback tossed for 289 yards and a score. Ball State is ranked 16th in the AP and 17th in the BCS with an offense ranked 12th in the country with 461 yards per contest and 15th with 37.6 points per game.
Central Michigan had a little tougher task last week when they had to go to overtime to beat Northern Illinois 33-30. The Chippewas blew a 24-point lead in the second half. Perhaps CMU was looking ahead to Ball State or perhaps they were just road weary. The Chippewas were finishing a grueling three game road streak against MAC foes and they won all three. They have not been home since a 38-28 victory over in-state rival Western Michigan.
Ball State has not beaten Central Michigan since 2003 and has not won in Mount Pleasant since 2002.
Cardinals -17 1/2 vs. RedHawks
Ball State continues to climb the ladder of the BCS and AP polls as they keep winning every week and are one of only five undefeated teams left in the Football Bowl Subdivision. In order to clinch a BCS bowl berth, the Cardinals just need to do more of the same, however the Mid-American Conference schedule is getting a little tougher. This week's game, however, may be a tune-up for those tough MAC games looming. The only way Ball State may fall to the sputtering Red Hawks of Miami of Ohio is if they are looking past them.
On the horizon for Ball State (9-0, 5-0) are matchups in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan against the two-time defending MAC Champion and fellow first place team Central Michigan Chippewas and the regular season home finale against Western Michigan, who a week ago knocked off Illinois. There is still a game to played this Tuesday night in Oxford, Ohio. Just one loss in the final three games will certainly knock the Cardinals out of BCS contention.
If they hold court and when, Ball State will have a double digit win total for the first time in school history. It has been a remarkable ride for the Cardinals as they have surged into the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history and have landed at number 19 after their throttling of Northern Illinois 45-14 last Wednesday night. The news is even better in the BCS, where Ball State finds itself in the rarified air of number 14.
The Ball State Cardinals have gotten to this point with a strong offense which is averaging 38.3 points and 458.4 yards per game, which ranks the team 11th in the nation in both categories. Last week matched Ball State up with the MAC's best defense, but the Cardinals managed the KO of NIU by running up 529 yards. They will not be facing a tough test again with Miami of Ohio, who have given up a combined 521 rushing yards in their last two games, both losses.
Last week, Miami (2-7, 1-4) surrendered 476 total yards and were thumped 37-17 on the road in Buffalo. During their two game losing streak, Miami has been outscored 91-38.
Miami has fared well against Ball State, but usually on the road. The Red Hawks claimed victory last season 14-13 in Muncie and have won three of their last four against the Cardinals, but Ball State has two the last two games played in Yager Stadium. The last time Miami won at home against Ball State was 1997.
Cardinals -9 1/2 vs. Huskies
The list of undefeated teams remaining in college football includes who? Ball State? It's true. Ball State (8-0, 4-0) has not been getting much love nationally because they play in the Mid-American Conference which is often lost on the national stage and is also often blocked out by the large shadow of the big brother residing in the same region of the country, the Big Ten. But one of the bigger reasons Ball State has not received more national acclaim and attention is that they really have not beaten anyone of note. This will change beginning with tonight's game against Northern Illinois.
The Ball State Cardinals are ranked 16th in the country and count their two best wins of the season as a 35-23 victory over the Naval Academy and a victory over the hapless Indiana Hoosiers from the "big brother" conference. The win over Navy was the only one that Ball State has achieved that was over a team who is over .500 at this point in the season. But times will be getting tougher for the Cardinals who face a 5-3 Huskies team who have a 4-1 conference mark. North Illinois will then finish out their season with the Western Division leading Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant and their home finale against Western Michigan who boasts a 5-1 MAC record.
The last time out Idle Ball State beat Eastern Michigan 38-16 on October 25. Nate Davis was the star of the show, going 17 of 31 for 241 yards including two touchdowns and a touchdown reception. He will face a tougher test with Northern Illinois' ninth ranked defense by allowing only 13.6 points per game.
The Huskies also enjoyed a bye week last Saturday. Their vacation followed a 16-13 home victory over Bowling Green. Northern Illinois gained 233 yards, which marked the third straight game eclipsing the 200 yard mark.
For Ball State to start 9-0 for the first time since 1965, they will have to reverse recent history against NIU. The Huskies have won three straight in the series and four straight on the Cardinals home field. But the Northern Illinois Huskies will have to excise some demons of their own as they attempt to snap a five game losing streak to Top 25 teams. Their last victory was over Alabama in 2003.
