KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The five-overtime marathon between Ball State University and Western Michigan University was the longest Mid-American Conference game in conference history.
"It feels like it," Ball State head coach Brady Hoke said about the length of the game. "We'll get home a lot later."
Hoke and company could have gone home a lot earlier had it not been for some missed opportunities and big plays by both teams in regulation.
The Cards had a chance to blow the game wide open early. Late in the first quarter with Ball State leading 21-7, Bronco quarterback Robbie Haas' pass out to the flats was deflected by linebacker Martin Dunbar. The ball landed 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage and was picked up by Dunbar who returned it for a touchdown. However, instant replay overturned the play from a fumble to an incomplete pass. Instead of trailing 27-7, Western Michigan would continue the drive and cap it off with a touchdown to make it 21-14.
After a Larry Bostic run put the Cards up 27-14, Brian Jackson's point after attempted was blocked and returned by the Broncos for a two-point safety. Instead of a 28-14 lead, the Cards led 27-16. Had Ball State made the extra point, and the game went the way it did, the score after regulation would have been 38 to 35 in favor of Ball State.
The Cardinals also could have scored in the third quarter when they drove to Western Michigan's 9-yard line. Instead, Bostic was tackled for a 2-yard loss and two passes from Lynch fell incomplete. Ball State settled for a 30-yard field goal by Jackson to tie the game, 30-30.
With 58 seconds left in regulation and both teams tied at 37, the Broncos marched down to the Ball State 31-yard line. On second and 9, Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller rolled to his right, did not find a receiver open, and tried to keep it for himself. Hiller had plenty of running room ahead of him and could have gotten the ball to near the BSU 20-yard line. However, linebacker Wendell Brown came over and made the open field tackle to prevent Hiller from getting a big gain and more importantly, keeping the Broncos from a comfortable field goal attempt.
On the following play, the Broncos ran the ball to the middle of the field and ran the clock down to five seconds. Placekicker Nate Meyer had a chance to win it for the Broncos, but his 49-yard field goal attempt went wide left.
"We were fortunate there because it could have gone either way," Hoke said.
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