Neal shines in relief of Milas, leads Cardinals to win

Trailing 17-0 to Eastern Michigan, freshman Riley Neal led the Cardinals to 28 unanswered points in relief of starter Jack Milas. Neal finished the game 24-28 for 194 yards and a touchdown and added 93 yards and a touchdown on the ground in the 28-17 win.

“I felt pretty good,” Neal said. “Our offensive line blocked amazing all game, so that makes it pretty easy when they're doing that."

Milas started the game for the Cardinals, going 0-5 before head coach Pete Lembo pulled him. It was the second straight poor outing for Milas, as he finished 1-8 with an interception against Texas A&M last week.

There have been some dropped passes on the receiving end of Milas passes, but the production tells the story.

Last season, Ozzie Mann began the season as Ball State's starting quarterback.

After a slow start to the season, Milas took the starting job and never looked back. Neal's play over the last two games has allowed the Cardinals to move down the field efficiently and score points.

Lembo didn't name a starter until late last week, but both quarterbacks seem to be focused on winning football games.

“[Neal] is a good player, too,” Milas said prior to the game against Eastern Michigan. “I'm going to keep competing and keep going no matter what happens.”

In addition to his efficiency throwing the ball, Neal has carved up defenses with his feet.

Many running quarterbacks slide or head out of bounds to protect themselves, but Neal puts his head down and tries to get more yardage. His size allows him to power through defenders.

He showed off his moves on a 41-yard scramble for a touchdown against Eastern Michigan when he broke several tackles. He likes to run, but Neal said he looks to throw first.

“I always try to keep my eyes down field because I'm a passer first, always have been and always will be," Neal said. "But I'm looking [to run] if I can for sure.”

Neal's ability to carry the ball caught Lembo's eye early on.

“He had good ball security,” Lembo said. “That was one thing I noticed early on ... that he was making a great effort to keep the ball high and tight.”

After two straight strong performances from Neal, there's good reason to believe that he will be the Cardinals' starting quarterback moving forward.

Lembo and his staff will have a week to prepare their quarterbacks for a road matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats, the No. 17 team in the country.

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