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Ball State caps perfect regular season
By The Associated Press
Thursday, November 27, 2008 | No comments posted.
MUNCIE, Ind. — Brady Hoke spent six years building up to this day.
He sought the support of fans, students and alums. He asked players to dedicate themselves to winning a championship. He just never dreamed the script might also include an undefeated regular season for Ball State.
On Tuesday night, it all came together for Hoke — a record crowd in the student section, fans dancing on the field, players talking about greater goals and a 12th consecutive victory.
MiQuale Lewis ran for three scores, Nate Davis threw for one touchdown and ran for another and the 15th-ranked Cardinals ran away from Western Michigan 45-22, a victory that sends Ball State into the Mid-American Conference title game and clinches a bowl bid.
Now Hoke expects more.
“The season’s not over,” the Cardinals coach said. “We’re going to be able to play a 13th game and, hopefully, we’ll be able to play another one after that.”
Correction, coach. The Cardinals’ milestone victory assures them of playing No. 14 — they’re just not sure where that game will be.
Ball State (12-0, 8-0) finished an improbable run through the MAC with its first perfect conference record since 1978, when Hoke was playing for the Cardinals. It was its first perfect regular season since 1949 and first trip ever to Detroit for the league title game. The Cardinals face Buffalo on Dec. 5 with a chance to claim their first conference title since 1996.
Not enough?
Consider that Ball State has now assured itself of a second straight bowl bid, the first time that’s happened in school history. And the Cardinals are one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
But for Hoke, who left Michigan to take over Ball State’s program, it’s not quite time to hail the champions yet.
“You guys all want to say that,” he told reporters, drawing laughter. “But the opportunity to play for it is something we look forward to. You set goals and you want to make those goals and put the work into achieving those goals.”
Clearly, these Cardinals know what it takes.
With Lewis and Davis leading the charge, Ball State has run through its schedule with only one victory coming by fewer than 10 points.
It was more of the same Tuesday night.
Lewis produced yet another 100-yard game, finishing with 120 yards on 32 carries. His final score, a 1-yard run with 4:31 left, gave him a school-record 20 rushing TDs this season, one more than Mark Bornholdt had in 1979.
Davis was 17-for-25 and efficiently dissected the Broncos’ defense. Senior Louis Johnson continued his string of big games, catching four passes for 91 yards including a touchdown. Trey Lewis sealed the victory with a 35-yard interception return late in the third quarter.
The combination was too much for Western Michigan (9-3, 6-2).
“We needed to play our best game and we didn’t,” Broncos coach Bill Cubit said. “We made way too many mistakes. That is a good football team. In the four years I’ve been in this league, they’re better than any team I’ve seen.”
The Cardinals lived up to the hype.
MiQuale Lewis got things started quickly, ducking under a defender, staying on his feet and scooting in for a 10-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. On Ball State’s next series, Davis zipped a nifty 40-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, whose stop-and-go move enabled him to elude two defenders.
Western Michigan answered with a trick play. Tim Hiller tossed a lateral to backup quarterback Drew Burdi, who threw a 36-yard TD pass to Scneider Julien to make it 14-7, and the Broncos tied it early in the second quarter on a beautiful lob from Hiller to Juan Nunez, who caught the 9-yard pass over his shoulder.
That got the Cardinals riled up.
“When the score got to 14-14, I thought they were really determined to come back,” Hoke said.
They weren’t even trailing.
Ball State broke the tie on a 43-yard field goal from Ian McGarvey and took a 24-14 halftime lead when Davis scrambled for a 6-yard TD run, his fourth rushing score of the season.
MiQuale Lewis’ 1-yard plunge late in the third quarter and Trey Lewis’ interception return on the ensuing series wrapped it up.
Except, of course, for the Lewis’ record-breaker and the long-awaited celebration that began with more than a minute to go. Fans poured out of the stands and around the Ball State bench, then rushed the field as time expired.
Flags and signs waved, players and students danced and Hoke reveled in the celebration.
I don’t know what it reminded me of, but it was neat,” he said. “That was just special.”
He sought the support of fans, students and alums. He asked players to dedicate themselves to winning a championship. He just never dreamed the script might also include an undefeated regular season for Ball State.
On Tuesday night, it all came together for Hoke — a record crowd in the student section, fans dancing on the field, players talking about greater goals and a 12th consecutive victory.
MiQuale Lewis ran for three scores, Nate Davis threw for one touchdown and ran for another and the 15th-ranked Cardinals ran away from Western Michigan 45-22, a victory that sends Ball State into the Mid-American Conference title game and clinches a bowl bid.
Now Hoke expects more.
“The season’s not over,” the Cardinals coach said. “We’re going to be able to play a 13th game and, hopefully, we’ll be able to play another one after that.”
Correction, coach. The Cardinals’ milestone victory assures them of playing No. 14 — they’re just not sure where that game will be.
Ball State (12-0, 8-0) finished an improbable run through the MAC with its first perfect conference record since 1978, when Hoke was playing for the Cardinals. It was its first perfect regular season since 1949 and first trip ever to Detroit for the league title game. The Cardinals face Buffalo on Dec. 5 with a chance to claim their first conference title since 1996.
Not enough?
Consider that Ball State has now assured itself of a second straight bowl bid, the first time that’s happened in school history. And the Cardinals are one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
But for Hoke, who left Michigan to take over Ball State’s program, it’s not quite time to hail the champions yet.
“You guys all want to say that,” he told reporters, drawing laughter. “But the opportunity to play for it is something we look forward to. You set goals and you want to make those goals and put the work into achieving those goals.”
Clearly, these Cardinals know what it takes.
With Lewis and Davis leading the charge, Ball State has run through its schedule with only one victory coming by fewer than 10 points.
It was more of the same Tuesday night.
Lewis produced yet another 100-yard game, finishing with 120 yards on 32 carries. His final score, a 1-yard run with 4:31 left, gave him a school-record 20 rushing TDs this season, one more than Mark Bornholdt had in 1979.
Davis was 17-for-25 and efficiently dissected the Broncos’ defense. Senior Louis Johnson continued his string of big games, catching four passes for 91 yards including a touchdown. Trey Lewis sealed the victory with a 35-yard interception return late in the third quarter.
The combination was too much for Western Michigan (9-3, 6-2).
“We needed to play our best game and we didn’t,” Broncos coach Bill Cubit said. “We made way too many mistakes. That is a good football team. In the four years I’ve been in this league, they’re better than any team I’ve seen.”
The Cardinals lived up to the hype.
MiQuale Lewis got things started quickly, ducking under a defender, staying on his feet and scooting in for a 10-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. On Ball State’s next series, Davis zipped a nifty 40-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, whose stop-and-go move enabled him to elude two defenders.
Western Michigan answered with a trick play. Tim Hiller tossed a lateral to backup quarterback Drew Burdi, who threw a 36-yard TD pass to Scneider Julien to make it 14-7, and the Broncos tied it early in the second quarter on a beautiful lob from Hiller to Juan Nunez, who caught the 9-yard pass over his shoulder.
That got the Cardinals riled up.
“When the score got to 14-14, I thought they were really determined to come back,” Hoke said.
They weren’t even trailing.
Ball State broke the tie on a 43-yard field goal from Ian McGarvey and took a 24-14 halftime lead when Davis scrambled for a 6-yard TD run, his fourth rushing score of the season.
MiQuale Lewis’ 1-yard plunge late in the third quarter and Trey Lewis’ interception return on the ensuing series wrapped it up.
Except, of course, for the Lewis’ record-breaker and the long-awaited celebration that began with more than a minute to go. Fans poured out of the stands and around the Ball State bench, then rushed the field as time expired.
Flags and signs waved, players and students danced and Hoke reveled in the celebration.
I don’t know what it reminded me of, but it was neat,” he said. “That was just special.”
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