Ball
State Cardinals
2008 Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Scott
Kovanda P 6-3 190 Hartland, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central)
Earned two letters in football for Coach Tom Mack . . . managed 40 punts for
a 39.0 average as a senior . . . tallied 82 punts for a 41.5 average in career .
. . named team’s Specialist of the Year as a senior
Potential Instant Impact Players
Kyle Hoke S/LB 5-11 190 Sugar Land, Texas
(Clements)
Competed in football for Coach Jeff Hulme . . .
helped team to a 13-1 record as a senior . . . helped the Rangers to a 10-0
start for the first time in school history . . . all-district linebacker as a
sophomore and all-district free safety as a junior and senior . . . managed 99
tackles with two interceptions as a sophomore and 110 tackles with two INTs as a
junior
Austin Holtz OL 6-5 290 Holt, Mich. (Holt)
Earned three letters in football for Coach Mike
Smith . . . also lettered three seasons in basketball . . . Helped team to a
10-1 record as a senior and a 28-5 mark in career . . . helped Holt to four
straight conference championships and a district championship as a senior . . .
helped team to 26 consecutive wins and four top-10 rankings in the Associated
Press Poll . . . all-state as a senior . . . all-conference as a junior and
senior
Rest of the Class
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2007 BSU
Season
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2007 BSU Preview
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2006 BSU
Season
2007 Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 5-7
2007 Record:
7-6
Aug. 30
Miami Univ. L 14-13
Sept. 8
at East Mich
W 38-16
Sept. 15 at Navy W 34-31 OT
Sept. 22 at Nebraska L 41-40
Sept. 29
Buffalo
W 49-14
Oct. 6
Central Mich L 58-38
Oct. 13
W Kentucky
W 35-12
Oct. 20
at West Mich
W 27-23
Oct. 27 at Illinois L 28-17
Nov. 3 at Indiana L 38-20
Nov. 13
Toledo
W 41-20
Nov. 24 at No Illinois W 27-21
International Bowl
Jan. 5 Rutgers L 52-30 |
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The Cardinals had the league's third best
offense and the number one passing attack last year, and now QB Nate
Davis leads the way with all 11 starters returning. The defense had
issues, but it gets eight starters back. If that wasn't enough, P Chris
Miller might be the best in America while the kicking combination of Ian
McGarvey and Jake Hogue is solid. In other words, this is a loaded team
that has to think MAC title or bust. Three of the non-conference games
are against Navy, Indiana and Western Kentucky.
Why to be grouchy: There isn't much. As long as Davis is healthy
and gunning, all the pieces are there for this to be the best season in
Cardinal history. The defense has to be far better, and while the O will
pick up the slack in shootouts, the front seven has to be far more
physical against the run and do a better job of getting into the
backfield.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting more from the
defensive line. The run defense allowed 204 yards per game and only
generated 66 tackles for loss. The secondary struggled and that's mostly
because there wasn't enough pressure generated. B.J. Hill and Trey Lewis
are solid corners, and if there's a little more help from the front
seven, they'll shine.
Biggest offensive loss: C Dustin Brown
Biggest defensive loss: DE Cortlan Booker
Best returning offensive player: QB Nate Davis, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Bryant Haines, Sr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
For the first time since 1996, Ball State finished a season above
.500 and in a bowl game, riding the right arm of QB Nate Davis and
the MAC’s most prolific passing attack to seven wins. While the
defense rarely held up against better competition, Davis was able to
overcome, throwing 30 touchdown passes to just six interceptions
with the help of all-league receivers Dante Love and Darius Hill.
Even in losing regular season games to Nebraska, Illinois, and
Indiana, Ball State performed admirably, nearly stunning the Huskers
in Lincoln on Sept. 21.
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Nate Davis
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Bryant Haines
Biggest Surprise: DE Brandon Crawford. A 31-year old former
Marine, Crawford developed into one of the defensive leaders and the
Cardinals’ most reliable pass rusher. After playing sparingly in
2006, he set the standard in Muncie with 16 tackles for loss and
seven sacks.
Biggest Disappointment: The Cardinals were every bit as
potent as the Huskers in September, but fell one point short in a
lost opportunity to make a resounding national statement. Ball
State ripped the home team for more than 600 yards of offense, but
could only claim a moral victory after missing the potential
game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
Looking Ahead: Led by Davis, the entire offense returns in
2008, a frightening thought for MAC defensive coordinators. If the
Cardinal defense makes even modest progress next fall, Ball State
will be a season-long factor in the race with Central Michigan to
win the West Division.
Jan. 5
2008 International Bowl
Rutgers 52 ... Ball State 30
Ray Rice ran for 280 yards and four scores highlighted by a
90-yard scoring dash on the third play in the second half to give
Rutgers a 31-9 lead. Ball State kept the pressure on with Nate Davis
and the passing game, with two fourth quarter touchdown passes to
Darius Hill and a ten-yard scoring toss to Dante Love, but balanced
Scarlet Knight offense proved to be too much to overcome. Along with
the big dash, Rice also scored three times for one yard out, but it
was the passing attack that made it a blowout with Mike Teel
starting off the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown on
the opening drive, and putting it away with a 47-yard strike to
Kenny Britt late in the fourth. Rutgers rolled up 595 yards of total
offense, 292 on the ground and 303 through the air, while Ball State
amassed 460 total yards.
Offensive Player of the
Game:
Rutgers RB Ray Rice
ran 35 times for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensive Player of the Game: Rutgers S Courtney Greene made
ten tackles and broke up a pass
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis,
25-49, 291 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chris Clancy, 12-98. Receiving: Dante Love,
13-169, 1 TD
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 16-25, 303 yds, 3
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 35-280, 4 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt,
6-125, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ...
It was a more entertaining game than
it'll be remembered for. Ray Rice made a great final statement
showing he belongs in the 2008 NFL Draft, while Nate Davis had a
fantastic day throwing the ball under tremendous pressure
throughout. Even though Rutgers had command from the beginning,
there was a moment or two in the second half when it looked like the
Cardinals had a shot to turn it around. ... Rice was the star of the
game, but Mike Teel was terrific. He was on the mark most of the
day, and he threw a beautiful, perfect ball to Kenny Britt to seal
the win. ... Rutgers came up with six sacks, Ball State one. The
Cardinals didn't have the defensive line to hold up against the
solid Rutgers offensive front. ... The Scarlet Knights appeared to
care from the beginning. This was an overmatched Ball State team,
but Rutgers never played like it.
Nov. 24
Ball State 27 ... Northern Illinois 21
Ball State got three sacks from Brandon Crawford and two
touchdown passes from Nate Davis to hold off a pesky Northern
Illinois. The Huskies got two Ryan Morris touchdown passes including
a 23-yard strike to Evans Adonis with 1:32 to play, but BSU
recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. The two teams
combined for nine sacks with NIU finishing with -1 rushing yard.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis completed 23 of 35 passes for 326 yards and
two touchdowns and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis,
23-35, 326 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Frank Edmonds, 5-33. Receiving: Dante Love,
9-135
Northern Illinois - Passing: Ryan Morris,
24-44, 252 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: David Bryant, 17-37, 1 TD. Receiving: Matt
Simon, 7-86
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
It was a struggle, but the Cardinals got
past a NIU team that fought hard on Senior Day to cement its bowl
plans. At 6-6 the Cards would likely have been left out, but they're
in at 7-5. Nate Davis was his typical fantastic passing self, but it
took way too long to put the game away. The defense isn't going to
be a rock, but it had a knack over the second half of the year of
coming up clutch in MAC play. Forget about the D; in the expected
bowl game, it'll be all about Davis bombing away.
Nov 14
Ball State 41 ... Toledo 20
Ball State broke open a tight game with 28 unanswered points
on two one-yard Nate Davis touchdown runs, and 35-yard Dante Love scoring grab,
and a one-yard Chris Clancy run. The Toledo offense cranked out 17 first quarter
points helped by a six-yard Jalen Parmele run and a nine-yard Nick Moore catch,
but Ball State stayed alive with a 27-yard touchdown grab from Darius Hill and a
39-yard scoring catch from Love. After a Toledo field goal, the Ball State
defense put the clamps down on the Rocket offense led by Alex Knipp, who made 15
tackles with an interception. Greg Hay made 16 stops for the Rockets.
Player of the
game:
Ball State WR Dante
Love caught five passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis,
14-20, 265 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chris Clancy, 13-103, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius
Hill, 6-91, 1 TD
Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 20-30, 203
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 24-123, 1 TD. Receiving: Stephen
Williams, 9-135
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Where the heck did Chris Clancy come from? With 13
carries for 103 yards and a touchdown against Toledo, the Cardinals found
another rushing weapon to help Frank Edmonds against Northern Illinois in the
finale with a chance to see a 13th game with a win. Give credit to the Cardinal
defense for adjusting after the first quarter, not allowing many deep balls from
the Rocket passing game, and for keeping Jalen Parmele under wraps after a hot
start. Nate Davis got a great game out of Dante Love and Darius Hill, who each
made key catches to make the game a rout.
Nov. 3
Indiana 38 ... Ball State 20
In a shootout with the two teams combining for 699 passing
yards, Kellen Lewis threw two touchdown passes to James Hardy, from 20 and four
yards out, and two to Ray Fisher, from 60 and 25 yards, out, but it was an
errant throw that turned the game around. With the game tied at ten, IU's Chris
Phillips took a Nate Davis pass 58 yards for a touchdown, and the Hoosiers
stayed ahead from then on. Davis threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Ifft,
and Chris Clancy ran for a four yard score for the Cardinals.
Player of the game:
Indiana QB Kellen Lewis completed 22 of 35 passes for 354 yards and four
touchdowns with an interception, and ran ten times for 52 yards
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 26-48, 332
yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Clancy, 9-29, 1 TD. Receiving: Dante Love, 14-177
Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 22-35, 354 yds, 4 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: Kellen Lewis, 10-52. Receiving: James Hardy, 8-116, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
BSU bombed away well with Indiana, but two
interceptions, including the pick six, and not enough rushing production proved
to be a problem. When the Hoosiers started to get on a roll, the Cardinal
passing game didn't do enough to control the game, and didn't do nearly enough
to control the clock until the fourth quarter. The offense had better get ready
to gear it up again with a track meet against Toledo coming up..
Oct. 20
Ball State 27 ... Western Michigan 23
Ball State went 79 yards in nine plays, capped off by a
one-yard Frank Edmonds touchdown run with 1:09 to play, to get the win. Western
Michigan got three Mike Jones field goals a one-yard Tim Hiller touchdown run,
and a 50-yard scoring pass to Jordan White, but Ball State kept pace with Nate
Davis touchdown passes from 34 and 44 yards out, along with Jake Hogue field
goals, until the final drive. The two teams combined for 15 penalties.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis
completed 25 of 48 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 25-48, 358
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Frank Edmonds, 9-41, 1 TD. Receiving: Dante Love, 11-101
Western Michigan - Passing: Tim Hiller, 21-38, 237 yds, 1
TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Brandon West, 21-171. Receiving: Jamarko Simmons, 9-110
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball
State might not be in the MAC title race after losing to Western Michigan a few
weeks ago, but the win over Western Michigan was vital to keeping bowl hopes
alive. This was a bigger, more clutch win than it might appear, considering it
was the first of a brutal finishing kick with four road games in the final five,
and trips to Illinois and Indiana ahead. Nate Davis is hot again, and he needs
to be ready to bomb away to keep pace with the Illini and Hoosiers. The BSU run
defense isn't even close to doing anything right at the moment.
Oct. 13
Ball State 35 ... Western Kentucky 12
Ball State used three interceptions to help keep WKU off the
board in the second half, while the offense got two one-yard Frank Edmonds
touchdown runs and a 41-yard Louis Johnson scoring grab to pull away. Johnson
started off the scoring with a 21-yard catch, and the Cardinals got up for good
on a 40-yard Dante Love touchdown, but WKU made it interesting with 12 second
quarter points. The Hilltoppers outgained BSU 411 yards to 363.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis
completed 21 of 31 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns with an
interception.
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing: K.J. Black,
20-29, 184 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Hayden, 24-91. Receiving: Curtis Hamilton, 8-83, 1
TD
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 21-31, 288 yds, 3 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: Frank Edmonds, 16-48, 2 TD. Receiving: Dante Love, 6-91, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's
always nice to go through the motions and get the win, and thanks to the defense
against WKU, that's what the offense was able to do. No, the D wasn't a brick
wall, allowing 222 rushing yards and 189 though the air, but it came up with the
three picks needed to stop any momentum shifts, and the offense took advantage.
Nate Davis was good, but he's had two games in a row when he hasn't bombed away.
He'll have to bomb away against Western Michigan next week.
Oct. 6
Central Michigan 58 ... Ball State 38
Dan LeFevour accounted for 506 yards of total offense as CMU
ripped apart Ball State for 658 yards in a breathtaking performance.
The Chippewas
got up 14-0 on touchdown runs from Justin Hoskins and Antonio Brown, but Ball
State answered with a 100-yard Dante Love kickoff return for a score. And then
LeFevour went to work, throwing two second quarter touchdown passes, and then
connected with Bryan Anderson on scoring strikes from 39 and 24 yards out to
break the game open early in the third. Ball State stayed alive with a one-yard
Koreen Burch touchdown run, and a 22-yard Darius Hill scoring grab, but CMU
pulled away with ease on a 15-play, 80-yard drive finishing up with a one-yard
LeFevour scoring run.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB
Dan LeFevour went 30-of-38 for 360 yards, five touchdowns and an interception,
rushing for 146 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
30-38, 360 yds, 5 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 16-146, 1 TD. Receiving: Bryan Anderson,
10-154, 2 TDs
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 16-35, 204 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Koreen Burch, 17-67, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Hill, 4-63, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Ball State never got into any sort of a groove
against Central Michigan, getting its doors blown off before it knew what
happened. Nate Davis wasn't Nate Davis, struggling to push the ball deep,
failing to find the open man often enough, and failing to move the chains early
on. Central Michigan appeared to be a team on a mission, and BSU simply had to
deal with an all-timer of a performance from Dan LeFevour, and a phenomenal game
from the defending champions.
Sept. 29
Ball State 49 ... Buffalo 14
Ball State rolled out 507 yards of total offense, and got out
to a 35-0 lead, with Darius Hill catching two touchdown passes and
Dante Love each scoring twice. Frank Edmonds started off the scoring
with a one-yard touchdown run, and finished it off with a one-yard
score for the Cardinals. Buffalo only managed 219 yards of total
offense and two short James Starks touchdown runs.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis finished 21-of-29 for
233 yards and three touchdowns, running for 44 yards on five
carries.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy,
14-19, 136 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Starks, 19-47, 2 TDs. Receiving: Naam
Roosevelt, 5-44
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 21-29, 233
yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Frank Edmonds, 24-126, 2 TDs. Receiving: Darius
Hill, 6-80, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Forget
about any sort of a letdown after the Nebraska near-miss. Ball State
played like a living, breathing MAC title contender with the
thumping of Buffalo, getting yet another terrific passing day from
Nate Davis, and good running from Frank Edmonds, in place of a
banged up MiQuale Lewis. Now comes the real test, needing to beat
Central Michigan to truly declare itself a legitimate player in the
conference race.
Sept. 22
Nebraska 41 ... Ball State 40
Nebraska's record-setting offensive day almost went for naught
as Ball State had a last-second field goal attempt to win the game, but Jake
Hogue's 55-yard field goal attempt want wide left to give the Huskers the win.
It was close, as BSU just missed on what would've been a sure touchdown pass to
go for the field goal attempt. The Cardinals got up 37-28 in the fourth quarter
on the third Nate Davis touchdown pass of the day, going 21 yards to Madaris
Grant. The Huskers got back in it on a 34-yard Bo Ruud interception return for a
score, and later went ahead for good on a 11-yard Maurice Purify touchdown
catch. The Husker offense got 398 passing yards from Sam Keller, highlighted by
a 73-yard scoring pass to Sean Hill, but Ball State's Davis was even better,
connecting with Dante Love for a 58-yards score and Darius Hill for a 20-yard
touchdown. In all the two teams combined for 1,162 yards of total offense.
Player of
the game ... Nebraska QB Sam Keller completed 36 of 54
passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Nebraska - Passing: Sam
Keller, 36-54, 438 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marlon Lucky, 21-102, 1 TD Receiving:
Marlon Lucky, 11-81
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 26-43,
422 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 19-122, 1 TD Receiving:
Dante Love, 10-214, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Last
year Ball State almost beat Michigan, and now there's the near-miss against
Nebraska. Now, why aren't the Cardinals expected to be bigger players in the MAC
race? If the offense hums like it did this week, it'll roll over the next three
weeks against Buffalo, Central Michigan and Western Kentucky, but it has to be
consistent. There's no one left on the schedule who can light things up like
Nebraska did this week, so the BSU offense should be able to outbomb everyone.
Sept. 15
Ball State 34 ... Navy 31 OT
After two big Navy mistakes, Jake Hogue nailed a 24-yard field
goal attempt to give Ball State the thrilling win. Brandon Crawford,
a 31-year-old Marine, blocked a 32-yard Navy field goal attempt to
force the game into overtime, and on Navy's possession, Jarod Bryant
lost a fumble on its first play. The two teams traded scores all
game long, with Nate Davis throwing three touchdown passes and
running for a fourth, while Navy's running game went wild. Helped by
an 80-yard touchdown dash from
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who also added a one-yard scoring run, and
a 71-yard run from Eric Kettani, Navy tore off 537 rushing yards.
Ball State's MiQuale Lewis ran for 161 yards and helped
tie the game with a 12-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth.
Player of the
game:
Ball State QB
Nate Davis completed 19 of 33 passes for 277 yards and three
touchdowns with an interception, and ran three times for 22 yards
and a score
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis,
19-33, 277 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 27-161. Receiving: Dante Love,
6-91, 1 TD
Navy - Passing: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, 3-7,
51 yds
Rushing: Eric Kettani, 9-126, 2 TD. Receiving: Shun
White, 2-45
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball
State's defense and special teams came though against Navy when they
absolutely needed to. The run defense didn't have a prayer against
the Midshipman attack, but the BSU offensive balance kept the game
even all game long, with Nate Davis and MiQuale Lewis putting on a
fantastic show. This was a road win over a team that'll end up going
to a bowl, and it was the type of win that showed why Ball State is
now going to be more of a player in the MAC race.
Sept. 8
Ball State 38 ... Eastern Michigan 16
Ball State got four Nate Davis touchdown passes with three
going to Dante Love on the way to an easy win. EMU had several
chances to get into the game, but 24-pound run ended any hopes. The
Eagles got a 67-yard touchdown catch from DeAnthony White and a
90-yard kickoff return for a score in the fourth quarter following a
27-yard Love scoring grab.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns on
19-of-38 passing.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis,
19-38, 306 yds, 4 TDs
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 21-73, 1 TD. Receiving:
Dante Love, 7-114, 2 TDs
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt, 16-24,
155 yds, 1 TDs
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 15-65. Receiving:
DeAnthony White, 7-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Cardinals did a great job of never letting Eastern Michigan in the
game. Nate Davis seemingly hit every third down conversion (with the
Cardinal converting 11 of 20), but the big key was the offense's
ability to hold on to the ball late. When you control the clock for
13:16 in the fourth quarter, and 22:04 in the second half, you're
going to win a lot of games. Not turning the ball over was a big
plus; BSU never gave EMU the big break.
Aug. 30
Miami University 14 ... Ball State 13
Miami won on Brandon Murphy's six-yard run with 17 seconds to
play to pull out a tough game. Murphy got the RedHawks first score
in the second quarter on a 21-yard run, but Ball State took the lead
in the second half on a 22-yard field goal and a 23-yard Dante Love
catch. Eugene Harris set up the game winning score on a 56-yard punt
return, and finished with 100 yards on three returns for the game.
Player of the game: Miami RB Brandon Murphy ran 19
times for 123 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for 17
yards
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Mike
Kokal, 14-24, 118 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Brandon Murphy, 19-123-2 TD. Receiving:
Dustin Woods, 5-46
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 19-36,
198 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 25-91. Receiving: Dante
Love, 8-80, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball
State has to quickly get over the crushing loss to Miami with three
straight road trips ahead. Nate Davis was fine, but he wasn't
fantastic and didn't do enough to keep the offense moving in the
second half. MiQuale Lewis provided some balance with a decent day
on the ground, but he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Chris
Miller had a fantastic day punting the ball averaging 44.4 yards per
kick while putting three inside the 20.
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