2008 Ball State Cardinals football team

NCAATeamFootballSeason
Year=2008
Team=Ball State Cardinals


Conference=Mid-America Conference
Division=
ShortConference=MAC West
CoachRank=
APRank=25
Record=6–0
ConfRecord=3–0
HeadCoach=Brady Hoke
OffCoach=Stan Parrish
DefCoach=Mark Smith
OScheme=
DScheme=
StadiumArena=Scheumann Stadium
Champion=
BowlTourney=
BowlTourneyResult=

The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team will represent Ball State University in the Mid-America Conference during the 2008–2009 college football season. Brady Hoke, in his 6th season at Ball State, is the team's head coach. The Cardinals' home games are played at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.

Schedule

CFB Schedule Entry
date = 08/28/2008
time = 7:00 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = cfb link|year=2008|team=Northeastern Huskies|school=Northeastern University|title=Northeastern
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv =
score =48–14
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 09/05/2008
time = 7:00 p.m.
w/l =w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Navy
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv = ESPN
score =35–23
overtime = CFB Schedule Entry
date = 09/13/2008
time =1:00 p.m.
w/l =w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = cfb link|year=2008|team=Akron Zips football|school=University of Akron|title=Akron
opprank =
site_stadium = Rubber Bowl
site_cityst = Akron, OH
gamename =
tv =
score =41–24
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 09/20/2008
time =7:00 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Indiana
opprank =
site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
site_cityst = Bloomington, IN
gamename =
tv =Big Ten Network
score = 42–20
overtime = CFB Schedule Entry
date = 09/27/2008
time =12:00 p.m.
w/l =w
nonconf =
homecoming = yes
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Kent State
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv = ESPN Regional
score =41–20
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 10/04/2008
time = 7:00 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Toledo
opprank =
site_stadium = Glass Bowl
site_cityst = Toledo, OH
gamename =
tv =
score = 31-0
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 10/11/2008
time =6:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =yes
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Western Kentucky
opprank =
site_stadium = Houchens Industries - L. T. Smith Stadium
site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 10/25/2008
time =12:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Eastern Michigan
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime = CFB Schedule Entry
date = 11/05/2008
time = 8:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Northern Illinois
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv = ESPN2 or ESPNU
score =
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 11/11/2008
time = 7:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Miami University
opprank =
site_stadium = Yager Stadium
site_cityst = Oxford, OH
gamename =
tv = ESPN2
score =
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 11/19/2008
time = 7:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = cfb link|year=2008|team=Central Michigan Chippewas|school=Central Michigan University|title=Central Michigan
opprank =
site_stadium = Kelly/Shorts Stadium
site_cityst = Mount Pleasant, MI
gamename =
tv = ESPN2
score =
overtime =CFB Schedule Entry
date = 11/25/2008
time =6:00 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Western Michigan
opprank =
site_stadium = Scheumann Stadium
site_cityst = Muncie, IN
gamename =
tv = ESPN360
score =
overtime =

Game notes

Northeastern

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Huskies
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=7
Home=Cardinals
H1=7
H2=24
H3=7
H4=10

Nate Davis passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns as Ball State beat Northeastern 48–14 in the season opener for both teams. MiQuale Lewis had 11 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown as the Cardinals garnered 190 yards rushing. Ball State had 487 yards total offense. Davis’ two other touchdown passes were a 49 yard completion to Dante Love and an eight yard pass to Darius Hill in the first half. He completed 21 of 24 passes with no interceptions. The Huskies were down 28–0 with 50 seconds left in the first half when Greg Abelli scored on a 20 yard run. The Cardinals quickly responded with a 25 yard field goal by Ian McGarvey to make it 31–7 at halftime. Ball State lengthened its lead after the break to 48–7 with a 27 yard pass from Davis to Daniel Ifft, a Cory Sykes six yard run and another McGarvey field goal. Northeastern backup quarterback John Sperrazza, who completed six of seven passes for 82 yards, threw a pass to Conor Gilmartin-Donohue for a 10 yard touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game. Starter Anthony Orio completed 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards. [cite web
author =Associated Press
title =Ball St. beats Northeastern 48-14
publisher =Rivals.com from Yahoo! Sports
date =2008-08-28
url =http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-northeastern-ballst&prov=ap&type=lgns
accessdate =2008-08-29 ]

Navy

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Midshipmen
R1=6
R2=10
R3=7
R4=0
Home=Cardinals
H1=14
H2=7
H3=7
H4=7

Nate Davis passed for 326 yards and four touchdowns, but it was the Cardinals’ defense that repeatedly came up with the big plays in the second half of a 35–23 victory over the Midshipmen. Davis passed for 215 yards in the first half, including touchdowns of 61 yards to Dante Love on the second play of the game and 30 yards to Briggs Orsbon late in the second quarter. Love, who tied a school record with his eleventh game of at least 100 yards receiving, also rushed for a touchdown and caught a go-ahead 8 yard touchdown pass from Davis midway through the third quarter. After Love’s second touchdown catch put Ball State ahead 28–23, Navy threatened to take the lead again late in the third period. Shun White, who set a Navy rushing record with 348 yards and three touchdowns in the previous week, was stopped at the 3 yard line, and quarterback Jarod Bryant, who ran for Navy’s first two touchdowns, was held for no gain on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Cardinals. Ball State then put the game out of reach with a 97 yard drive, scoring the clinching touchdown on a 35 yard pass from Davis to Darius Hill early in the final period. [cite web
last =Herman
first =Steve
title =Davis leads Ball State over Navy, 35-23
publisher =Rivals.com from Yahoo! Sports
date =2008-09-05
url =http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/recap;_ylt=AtOfz7NPRnRcxJNRuYRzTRYcvrYF?gid=200809050048&prov=ap
accessdate =2008-09-06 ] The game was nationally televised on ESPN and earned a 1.2 Nielsen Rating, making it the best regular season national television rating for a Mid–American Conference home game since 2005. [cite web
title =Football Game vs. Navy Receives 1.2 Rating from ESPN
publisher =Ball State Athletics
date =2008-09-12
url =http://ballstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=67657&SPID=7633&DB_OEM_ID=14200&ATCLID=1580449
accessdate =2008-09-14 ]

Akron

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=7
R2=10
R3=14
R4=10
Home=Zips
H1=3
H2=7
H3=0
H4=14MiQuale Lewis rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Nate Davis passed for 300 yards and two more touchdowns to lead Ball State past Akron 41–24. Lewis carried 28 times and scored on runs of three and two yards. Davis completed 24 of 36 passes with one interception, throwing touchdown passes of 21 yards to Briggs Orsbon and 25 yards to Darius Hill. Chris Jacquemain completed 21 of 44 passes for 269 yards and a 13 yard touchdown pass to Andre Jones, but was also intercepted off four times, three of them by Sean Baker. With the score tied at 10 early in the second quarter, the Cardinals scored 21 points on Lewis’ two touchdown and Baker’s 33 yard return of a fumble. [cite web
author =Associated Press
title =Ball St. 41, Akron 24
publisher =Rivals.com from Yahoo! Sports
date =2008-09-13
url =http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200809130047
accessdate =2008-09-14 ] The victory marked the first time Ball State started the season 3–0 since 1988. [cite web
title =Football Team Improves to 3-0 with 41-24 win at Akron
publisher =Ball State Athletics
date =2008-09-13
url =http://ballstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=67657&SPID=7633&DB_OEM_ID=14200&ATCLID=1581470
accessdate =2008-09-14 ]

Indiana

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=14
R2=14
R3=0
R4=14
Home=Hoosiers
H1=6
H2=14
H3=0
H4=0MiQuale Lewis ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns, helping Ball State to a 42–20 victory over Indiana. It was the first time the Cardinals beat a BCS conference school. The victory also ended Indiana's 20 game winning streak against Mid–American Conference opponents, which dated to a September 24, 1977 loss against Miami of Ohio when Lee Corso was coaching the Hoosiers. The Cardinals gained 463 yards in offense, scored 28 points in the first half and put the game away with two touchdown runs from Lewis in the fourth quarter. Indiana was led by Kellen Lewis, who ran for 148 yards and one touchdown and threw for 159 yards but was intercepted twice. Nate Davis was 16 of 25 for 239 yards and threw one touchdown pass. Both teams combining for nearly 500 total yards and two defensive touchdowns in the first half.cite web
last =Marot
first =Michael
title =Ball St. overcomes injury to upset Indiana 42-20
publisher =Associated Press
date =2008-09-21
url =http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGYFrv1FkaOaOMHYq0k_sCLh2L0QD93AREF00
accessdate =2008-09-23 ]

Dante Love injury

With 10:45 left in the first half, Dante Love, who entered the game leading leading the nation at 144.3 yards per game, caught a short pass and started to turn up field when Indiana cornerback Chris Adkins jarred the ball loose with a big hit that led to an Indiana touchdown.cite web
last =Marot
first =Michael
title =Injured Ball State WR Love likely out of football
publisher =Associated Press
date =2008-09-22
url =http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j49-T4u1xc24LN4eM8ektapO80GAD93C0QI80
accessdate =2008-09-23 ] Love stayed on the ground for several minutes before doctors rolled him onto a backboard and carted him off the field. School officials later issued a statement saying Love felt numbness and tingling while on the field. He was taken to Bloomington Hospital before being transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation. Love underwent a five hour surgery for a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury and had movement in his arms and legs after the procedure. [cite web
title =Ball State WR Love suffers career-ending injury
publisher =The Sports Network
date =2008-09-22
url =http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot/news/news.aspx?id=4181260
accessdate =2008-09-23 ] On September 22, head coach Brady Hoke told reporters, "Due to the injury Dante sustained, his football career is expected to be over. He should have normal and healthy functions for the rest of his life. He touched a lot of lives, and he will continue to do so."

Kent State

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Flashes
R1= 0
R2= 7
R3= 7
R4= 6
Home=Cardinals
H1= 7
H2= 14
H3= 13
H4= 7

Before the game, Ball State players wore red T-shirts with Love’s jersey number 86 on the front during warmups, and had stickers with the number on the back of their helmets. A “We Love Dante” sign was draped over the fence just past the north end zone and Love also was named an honorary captain. MiQuale Lewis opened the scoring with a two yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Nate Davis thew a pass to Myles Trempe for a 31 yard touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 14–0 lead. Kent State responded late in the quarter when quarterback Julian Edelman scored on a 12 yard run to cut Ball State’s lead to 14–7. Lewis scored his second touchdown on a one yard run with 21 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 21–7 lead at halftime. Cory Sykes’ 10 yard touchdown run in the opening minutes of the third quarter made it 28–7, and the Cardinals led by at least 17 points the rest of the way. Lewis ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns and Davis passed for 265 yards and a touchdown. [cite web
last =Brunt
first =Cliff
title =Ball State beats Kent State without injured Love
publisher =Rivals.com from Yahoo! Sports
date =2008-09-27
url =http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200809270048
accessdate =2008-09-29 ]

Toledo

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=3
R2=0
R3=14
R4=14
Home=Rockets
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0

MiQuale Lewis rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Ball State broke away from a close game at halftime to beat Toledo 31–0. Lewis carried the ball 31 times and scored on runs of three and one yards for the Cardinals. After taking the second half kickoff, Nate Davis led a 10 play, 74 yard drive that he capped with a one yard touchdown run. Lewis then scored late in the quarter before the Cardinals added two more touchdowns in a two and a half minute span midway through the fourth quarter. Toledo lost its third straight home game for the first time in 15 years and was shut out by a Mid–American Conference opponent for the first time since 1985. The Rockets managed just 157 yards of total offense, rushing for 14 yards on 19 attempts. Davis completed 18 of 30 passes for 242 yards and Sykes added 90 yards on seven carries. [cite web
author =Associated Press
title =Ball St. 31, Toledo 0
publisher =Rivals.com from Yahoo! Sports
date =2008-10-04
url =http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200810040055&prov=ap
accessdate =2008-10-06 ] After the victory, The Cardinals received enough votes to move into the Associated Press poll for the first time in school history, ranking at #25. [cite web
last =Russo
first =Ralph D.
title =Ball St. makes 1st AP Top 25; Oklahoma still No. 1
publisher =Associated press
date =2008-10-05
url =http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jR46pPLXtPslhqRzHZVqLn9d7slgD93KJKB00
accessdate =2008-10-06 ]

Western Kentucky

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Hilltoppers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Eastern Michigan

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Eagles
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Cardinals
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Northern Illinois

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Huskies
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Cardinals
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Miami University

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=RedHawks
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Central Michigan

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cardinals
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Chippewas
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Western Michigan

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Broncos
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Cardinals
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

tatistics

Team

cores by quarter

Receiving

References

External links

[http://ballstatesports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14200&KEY=&SPID=7633&SPSID=67660 Ball State Football Schedule]