YPSILANTI, Mich. - If nothing else, the Ball State University football team has a flair for dramatic wins.
Its most recent came with 12 seconds remaining at Eastern Michigan when quarterback Joey Lynch capped a 22-point comeback - the second-largest in Ball State history - with a touchdown pass to Dante Love. Lynch lofted the pass to the right corner of the end zone above Love's head, the ball dropping softly in the freshman's hands before he ran out of bounds.
"I just ran a corner, and I didn't see the ball in the air," Love said. "Then when I looked, I thought it was going to be incomplete - it was so far, so I just had to speed up. When I looked back again, it was right in my hands."
Ball State's largest comeback win came in 1993 when the Cardinals came from 30 points back to defeat Toledo, 31-30.
"I've seen it," Lynch said. "I've never been in a comeback situation like that. Last year, we came back to tie it up against Northern Illinois, but we ended up losing, so it's totally a different feeling when you score the go-ahead to win the game."
Before Love's touchdown, the Cardinals had two other chances to take the lead.
Love caught what was originally ruled a touchdown two plays earlier but the call was reversed upon review.
"I thought they were cheating us," Love said. "I thought I caught the ball, but when I hit the ground, it kind of bounced."
Coach Brady Hoke said even after Love's first touchdown was reversed, he had no doubts Ball State would win.
"I just believe in these kids," Hoke said. "I believe what they're doing; I believe in how hard they're working."
Dan Dunford also dropped a pass in the end zone the following play, setting up third and 10 and Love's touchdown.
Seconds earlier, Ball State almost didn't give itself those three opportunities to take the lead.
Lynch threw three consecutive incomplete passes to set up fourth and 10 with 37 seconds left. His fourth down pass to Louis Johnson fell incomplete, but the Eagles were called for pass interference giving Ball State the ball back half the distance to the goal to the 15-yard line.
Earlier in the season, Ball State survived a thrilling 60-57, five-overtime win over Western Michigan. Four weeks later, the defense saved the Cardinals by preventing Akron from taking the lead with 1:32 remaining with a goal-line stand.
Eastern Michigan held a 19-point lead at halftime and expanded it to 22 before Ball State's David Gater returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown.
"I told the team at halftime that we were going to win the game," Hoke said. "I just felt that we were playing too good of football on defense."
Ball State's Terry Moss cut the lead to 11 with a quick 17-yard touchdown catch halfway through the fourth quarter.
Now down 25-14, Ball State got the ball back with less than five minutes remaining and scored in 14 seconds and two plays. Darius Hill caught a 14-yard touchdown to put Ball State behind by five but the Cardinals' two-point conversion attempt failed.
The Cardinals' special teams came up big when Larry Bostic blocked the Eagles' punt with 55 seconds remaining to give Ball State ideal field position at the 30-yard line. Bostic's block set up Ball State's final drive.
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