2008 Ball
State Cardinals
Jan. 6
2009 GMAC Bowl
Tulsa 45 … Ball State 13
In a rain storm, the Tulsa offense had no problems, racking up 632 yards with
Tarrion Adams leading the way with touchdown runs of one, 56, and 11 yards. Ball
State managed to keep it close early on a 17-yard Nate Davis scoring run, but
the offense failed to get into the end zone over the final 49 minutes. The
Cardinals only managed two Ian McGarvey field goals the rest of the way, while
Tulsa dominated the second half with 21 unanswered points on two David Johnson
touchdown passes and Adams’ final scoring dash.
Player of the Game:
Tulsa RB Tarrion Adams ran 19 times for 207 yards and
three touchdowns, and WR Damaris Johnson caught six passes for 135 yards and a
touchdown, ran three times for 76 yards, and retuned three kickoffs for 63
yards.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 9-29, 145
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 16-35. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon, 3-46
Tulsa - Passing: David Johnson, 15-25, 193 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 19-207, 3 TD.
Receiving: Damaris Johnson, 6-135, 1 TD
Inside The Box Score ... 5
Thoughts on the GMAC Bowl
… Total offense:
Tulsa 632 – BSU 223 … Rushing yards: Tulsa 439 – BSU 78 … Third down
conversions: Tulsa 9-of-18 – BSU 2-of-15 … 2nd half time of
possession: Tulsa 21:24 – BSU 8:36 … Average yards per punt return: BSU 38 –
Tulsa 4.3 … First downs: Tulsa 30 – BSU 9 … Ball State’s Alex Knipp made 13
tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack.
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2008 BSU Preview
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2007 BSU Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record:
12-2
Aug. 28
Northeastern W 48-14
Sept. 5 Navy W 35-23
Sept. 13 at Akron W 41-24
Sept. 20 at Indiana W 42-20
Sept. 27 Kent State W
41-20
Oct. 4 at Toledo W 31-0
Oct. 11 at West Kent. W
24-7
Oct. 18 OPEN DATE
Oct. 25 Eastern Mich W
38-16
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 5 Northern Illinois
W 45-14
Nov. 11 at Miami Univ. W 31-16
Nov. 19 at Central Mich W 31-24
Nov. 25 Western Mich W 45-22
Dec. 5 MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo L 42-24
GMAC Bowl
Jan. 6 Tulsa L 45-13 |
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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 |
Dec. 5
2008 MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo 42 ... Ball State 24
Ball State rolled up 503 yards of total offense, but five turnovers with major
fumbling problems, helped Buffalo pull away to a stunning blowout. Up 17-14 and
driving for an almost certain third quarter touchdown, Ball State suffered utter
disaster as Nate Davis had the ball knocked out of his hands, Mike Newton picked
it up and returned it 92 yards for a UB touchdown and the lead. Just over three
minutes later, Sherrod Lott picked up a Ball State fumbled snap and took it 74
yards for a score. The Cardinals tried to mount a late comeback with a 22-yard
Louis Johnson touchdown catch, but UB recovered the onside kick and took it 25
yards in four plays with James Starks running for a one-yard score to put the
game on ice. Naaman Roosevelt caught touchdown passes from two, 39 and eight
yards out for the Bulls to keep pace early before the defense took over with the
takeaways. MiQuale Lewis ran for 131 yards with two short touchdown runs.
Player of the game:
Buffalo WR Naaman Roosevelt caught ten passes for 116
yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 19-28, 206 yds,
3 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 19-82, 1 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt,
10-116, 3 TD
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 31-48, 351 yds, 1 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 30-131, 2 TD. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon,
13-141
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Everything worked on offense
against Buffalo ... except for the center exchange. Nate Davis got the attack
moving and MiQuale Lewis cranked out yards in bunches, but the five turnovers
turned out to ruin the dream season. Yeah, unfortunately, falling short in the
MAC title game does all but ruin all the great things that have happened until
now because this was the goal; going unbeaten was just a stunningly nice by
product. Now the team needs to use this as motivation to come out roaring for
the bowl game, and now it's not time to be too proud to go to Boise if the offer
is still possibly on the table. Now is the time to take on anyone and show that
this was a fluke.
Nov. 25
Ball State 45 …
Western Michigan 22
Ball State came out roaring with an early 14-0 lead on the first of MiQuale
Lewis’s three touchdown runs and a 40-yard touchdown catch from Louis Johnson.
WMU rallied back to tie it on a nine-yard Jan Nunez scoring grab, but the
Cardinals ended it with a 24-point run on short touchdown runs from Nate Davis
and Lewis along with a 35-yard interception return for a score from Trey Lewis.
Lewis put the game away with a one-yard touchdown run with just under five
minutes to play.
Player of the game:
Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 32 times for 120 yards
and three touchdowns, and he caught four passes for 30 yards.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 17-25, 273
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 32-120, 3 TD. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon,
5-63
Western Michigan - Passing: Tim Hiller, 15-32, 145 yds, 1
TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Aaron Winchester, 14-77. Receiving: Jamarko Simmons, 6-84
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball State did it,
going unbeaten with the best season in school history. While the BCS isn’t even
in the discussion, now the real work begins to make a great season special. 12-0
doesn’t mean much if the Cardinals can’t beat Buffalo for the MAC title. Win
that, and then the bowl possibilities become interesting. It’ll be interesting
to see who the team MVP turns out to be. Against Western Michigan, MiQuale Lewis
once again showed how he has made this team great, but it’s still Nate Davis who
makes the engine run. He was flawless against the Broncos.
Nov. 19
Ball State 31 … Central
Michigan 24
Ball State scored the final 14 points of the game as Nate Davis connected with
Louis Johnson, who spun out of a tackle, for a 45-yard touchdown, and with
Briggs Orsbon for an 11-yard score. Central Michigan had one final shot, which
was turned into two as an interception was ruled incomplete, giving Dan LeFevour
and the Chippewas new life. But after driving the team deep into BSU territory,
LeFevour was picked off by Sean Baker to preserve the win for the Cardinals.
LeFevour threw two touchdown passes, while Davis threw for four scores in the
excellent, see-saw battle.
Player of the game:
Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 28 times for 177 yards
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
30-44, 345 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 24-75. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 8-61
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 12-22, 175 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 28-177. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon, 4-30, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball State was
pushed in a terrific game against Central Michigan, but in the end, Dan LeFevour
blinked and Nate Davis didn't. Davis didn't have his best game, but he threw
darts when he had to and he got his team into the end zone in crunch time.
Actually, MiQuale Lewis was able to run to get the team into positions to score,
and Davis closed the deal. The defensive front seven had a nightmare of a time
with LeFevour, but it got just enough pressure when needed late in the game. Now
it's on to another showdown with Western Michigan on tap. However, unlike the
Central Michigan game, Ball State is now tested. It knows it can be pushed and
then still come through.
Nov. 11
Ball State 31 … Miami
University 16
Miami hung tough in a wild second quarter as Chris Givens caught a 49-yard
touchdown pass to pull within 14-13, and then it was all Ball State as MiQuale
Lewis ran for 165 yards and two one-yard touchdowns and Nate Davis ran for a
one-yard score and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Darius Hill. The Cardinals
had a hard time closing out, MU kept pushing and just missed on what looked
would’ve been a sure touchdown catch late in the game, but Ball State held on
allowing just three points in the second half.
Player of the game:
Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 26 times for 165 yards
and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 51 yards
Stat Leaders: Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh,
25-42, 254 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 18-65. Receiving: Jamal Rogers, 5-61
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 17-24, 289 yds, 1 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 26-165, 2 TD. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon,
7-97
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... MiQuale Lewis was
running it, Nate Davis was passing it, and Ball State is on its way to the
showdown against Central Michigan. There was no need to spread the ball around
too much against Miami University, Davis and Lewis were on from the start, while
the defense held up tough in the second half when needed. There were two
turnovers, but no penalties as the Cardinals didn’t do much of anything wrong.
MU came out fired up and hitting, and Ball State kept
the dream season alive.
Nov. 5
Ball State 45 …
Northern Illinois 14
Ball State held a 21-0 first half lead on two of Nate Davis’s four touchdown
passes, including the first of two scoring grabs from Darius Hill and a 25-yard
catch from Daniel Ifft. The NIU offense turned it over twice and struggled to
get going, failing to get into the end zone until the final 1:34 on a 40-yard
Ricky Crider run. Ball State outgained NIU 529 yards to 275.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis completed 18-of-22 passes for
300 yards and four touchdowns, and he ran for 10 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Northern Illinois - Passing: Chandler Harnish,
14-22, 115 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Chandler Harnish, 12-59, 1 TD. Receiving: Connor Flahive,
4-24
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 18-22, 300 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 19-119, 1 TD. Receiving: Louis Johnson,
6-165, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Beating NIU,
especially the way Ball State did it in dominant fashion, was far better than it
might appear on the surface. Nate Davis was flawless and the ground game
provided a near-perfect balance. Just as important was the play of the defense
that forced the NIU offense off the field time and again on three-and-outs. Now
comes the key two-game road trip with the tune-up against Miami University
before the showdown against Central Michigan. At the moment, BSU appears to be
in perfect form as is.
Oct. 25
Ball State 38 … Eastern
Michigan 16
Ball State jumped out to a 24-0 lead on two Nate Davis touchdown passes and a
wide open four-yard scoring grab on a receiver pass from Briggs Orsbon. Eastern
Michigan fought to get back in it with two short Andy Schmitt touchdown throws,
but a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown from Trey Buice ended any
comeback hopes.
Player of the game:
Ball State SS Sean Baker made 12 tackles with 1.5
tackles for loss and two broken up passes
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt,
28-49, 309 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Terrence Blevins, 13-33. Receiving: Tyler Jones, 11-120,
1 TD
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 17-31, 241 yds, 2 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 10-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Madaris Grant,
5-92
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball State’s
offense is getting all the respect, mainly because Nate Davis has been fantastic
and MiQuale Lewis continues to run the ball effectively, but the defense and
special teams are coming up big, too. Against Eastern Michigan, the defense gave
up a few yards, but didn’t start to break until the outcome was basically in
doubt. Punter Chris Miller continues to kick at an
All-America level averaging 54 yards a shot this week. He kept EMU pinned deep
on the rare occasions the Cardinals had to kick.
Oct. 11
Ball State 24 …
Western Kentucky 7
Ball State wasn’t its normally explosive self, but it got by Western Kentucky
with two Nate Davis touchdown passes and a one yard MiQuale Lewis scoring run on
the way to a 24-0 lead. The Cardinal defense kept the Hilltoppers off the board
until the final minute with Jake Gaebler caught a 20-yard touchdown pass. BSU
forced three turnovers, but only outgained WKU by three yards.
Player of the game:
Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 18 times for 112 yards
and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing: David Wolke,
17-29, 161 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bobby Rainey, 8-59. Receiving: Jake Gaebler, 10-100, 1 TD
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 14-22, 155 yds, 2 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 18-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Louis Johnson,
4-56, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ball State might
have been a bit sloppy against Western Kentucky, and there might not be the big
numbers from the passing game that the team might like, but the running game and
defense continue to pick up the slack. The Cardinals have won their last two
games by a combined score of 55-7 and have won every game by double-digits. With
a home date against Eastern Michigan up next, the trend should continue.
Oct. 4
Ball
State 31 … Toledo 0
Ball State kept the unbeaten season rolling as Nate Davis ran for a one-yard
score and MiQuale Lewis ran for two short scores in the easy win. Cory Sykes
added a bit of flash with a 57-yard run in the fourth quarter to top things off.
Toledo didn’t have anything offensively with just 157 yards and 14 on the
ground. Ball State had a near-perfect balance with 242 passing yards and 240 on
the ground.
Player of the game: Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 31 times for 157
yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 18-30, 242
yds
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 31-157, 2 TD. Receiving: Birggs Orsbon, 6-76
Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 21-31, 143, 1 INT
Rushing: Morgan Williams, 10-12. Receiving: Stephen Williams, 7-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
How good is MiQuale Lewis? Nate Davis didn’t even through a touchdown
pass and Ball State blew away a bad Toledo team with ease thanks to Lewis and
the running game. Talk about humming on all cylinders, the run defense was
swarming, the offensive line was pounding away, and Davis was solid, if not
spectacular. Everything is clicking, and now comes an apparent pair of layups
against Western Kentucky and Northern Illinois. If the team keeps playing this
well, there shouldn’t be any shot at a loss until the road trip to Central
Michigan in mid-November. There’s no excuse to not be 10-0.
Sept. 27
Ball
State 41 … Kent State 20
Inspired by the loss of Dante Love to a spinal injury the week before, Ball
State rolled up 423 yards of total offense with MiQuale Lewis running for three
short scores and Nate Davis throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Myles Trempe on
the way to an easy win. Kent State got two Julian Edelman touchdown runs, the
first a 12-yard dash in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough to stop a
Cardinal attack that got up 31-7 in the third quarter.
Player of the game: Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis rushed 23 times for 116
yards and three touchdowns, while catching three passes for 39 yards.
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman,
13-24, 177 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Julian Edelman, 18-70, 2 TDs. Receiving: Shawn Bayes, 3-96,
1 TD
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 23-35, 265 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 23-116, 3 TDs. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon,
10-112
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Ball State isn’t going to
replace Nate Davis. He wasn’t just an elite receiver, but he was the
heart-and-soul. Credit Briggs Orsbon for stepping into a tough situation and
producing with ten catches for 112 yards in Love’s place. MiQuale Lewis has
added another dimension to the attack, running for 116 yards and three scores
against Kent State, but this is still Nate Davis’s offense. He’s in total
command. A 5-0 start should only get better if Toledo, next week’s opponent,
plays like it did against FIU.
Sept. 20
Ball
State 42 … Indiana 20
It was a see-saw battle for a half with Kellen Lewis bringing the Hoosiers
within one on a one-yard touchdown run to make it 21-20, and then it was all
Ball State as Sean Baker took a Lewis interception 40 yards for a touchdown with
just over a minute to go in the first half. MiQuale Lewis ran for two short
scores in the fourth quarter as Ball State pulled off the surprising blowout.
Lewis finished with 166 yards and four touchdown runs, while Nate Davis
connected with Myles Trempe for a 45-yard score. Indiana got a 31-yard fumble
return for a touchdown from Nick Polk and two Austin Starr field goals, but the
offense sputtered in the second half. The only bad thing that happened for Ball
State was the loss of star receiver Dante Love to an injury. He had to be carted
off the field and taken to the hospital after experiencing tingling and numbness
following a big hit.
Player of the game: Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 29 times for 166
yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 16-25, 239 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 29-166, 4 TD. Receiving: Darius Hill,
5-69
Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 11-25, 159 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kellen Lewis, 25-148, 1 TD. Receiving: Andrew Means,
4-103
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now Ball State is for real.
Fine, so beating Indiana isn’t going to make Cardinal fans start booking a trip
to Miami, but this was a real win over a Big Ten school that’s good enough to go
to a bowl game. Ball State didn’t just beat the Hoosiers, it beat them up with
the running game while the defensive front did a great job of keeping the IU
running game in check. Now the pressure is really on. Ball State should be
favored in every game the rest of the way, including the road trip to Central
Michigan.
Sept. 13
Ball
State 41 … Akron 24
Ball State broke open a 10-10 tie with 21 straight points and a 28-7 run with a
33-yard Sean Baker fumble return for a touchdown, two short scoring runs from
MiQuale Lewis, and a 25-yard touchdown catch from Darius Hill. Nate Davis threw
two touchdown passes for the Cardinals. Akron got touchdown runs from Alex Allen
and Andrew Johnson, but four Chris Jacquemain interceptions, with three picked
off by Sean Baker, proved to be too costly.
Player of the game: Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis rushed 28 times for 154
yards and two touchdowns, catching four passes for 35 yards, & Sean Baker made
nine tackles, three interceptions and recovered a fumble.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 24-36, 300 yds,
2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 28-154, 2 TDs. Receiving: Dante Love,
7-97
Akron - Passing: Chris Jacquemain, 21-44, 269 yds, 1 TD, 4
INTs
Rushing: Andrew Johnson, 7-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Deryn Bowser,
8-117
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ...
Nate Davis got his 300 yards
against Akron, and the passing game was more than efficient, but this win was
about the running game and the defense. MiQuale Lewis kept the Zip defense on
its heels, while Sean Baker and the Cardinal defense kept forcing mistakes. The
Akron offense wasn’t on the field. BSU held on to the ball for 35:45.
Sept. 5
Ball
State 35 ... Navy 23
Nate Davis and Dante Love hooked up for three touchdown passes from 61, 6, and 8
yards out, and Darius Hill caught a 35-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass, as
Ball State threw its way past Navy. The Midshipmen got three first half field
goals from Matt Harmon before Jarod Bryan ran for two touchdowns, but the
Cardinal defense pitched a shutout over the final 28 minutes. Navy ran for 346
yards and Ball State threw for 326.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis completed 21 of 28 passes for
326 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Navy - Passing: Jarod Bryant, 6-11, 67 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: Shun White, 13-128. Receiving: Tyree Barnes, 3-27
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 21-28, 326 yds, 4 TD, 2
INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 21-114. Receiving: Dante Love, 9-165,
2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Nate Davis is a
major playmaker. Ball State took some big shots from Navy and its running game,
but Davis got time, Dante Love did whatever he wanted to do against the
Midshipman secondary, and the team looked like the MAC title contender that it
is. While Davis will get all the hype, the running game worked, too, thanks to a
nice day from MiQuale Lewis. The more balanced the attack can be going into
Indiana next week, the better.
Aug.
28
Ball
State 48 ... Northeastern 14
Nate Davis was in midseason form throwing for three first half touchdown passes
including a 49-yarder to Dante Love. Love also ran for a two-yard score, while
MiQuale Lewis and Cory Sykes ran for short scores. Northeastern was never in the
game getting a 20-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter and a ten-yard
touchdown catch with 38 seconds to play.
Player of the game:
Ball State QB Nate Davis completed 21 of 24 passes for
290 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Northeastern - Passing: Anthony Orio, 14-30,
149 yds
Rushing: Alex Broomfield, 18-62. Receiving: Chris Plum, 6-89
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 21-24, 290 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 11-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Dante Love, 9-171,
1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The offense was humming on all
cylinders against Northeastern. Nate Davis got time and he picked apart the
Husky defense, while RB MiQuale Lewis appeared fine on his formerly injured
knee. Dante Love was unstoppable and gave future opponents something to think
about by running three times for 22 yards and a score. The Cardinals might try
to get him the ball even more. Northeastern got down early and had to start
throwing, but give credit to the BSU run defense for stuffing the ground game
from the start.
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
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.
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