BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Ball State University offense came out on fire, rolling up 494 yards of offense as the Cardinals pounded the University at Buffalo, 55-25.
Ball State [2-4, 2-1 Mid-American Conference] scored on its first six possessions, and Louis Johnson blocked a punt in the end zone for a touchdown as the Cardinals built a 45-3 lead.
"Obviously, we needed to win a football game," Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. "Our kids have worked extremely hard, and I felt we came out with a lot of competitiveness and a lot of energy."
The running attack, averaging 70 yards per game coming in, found some life as B.J. Hill and MiQuale Lewis accounted for most of the Cardinals' 232 rushing yards.
Hill, making his first start of the season, ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns while Lewis added 99 and a score, ruining the Bulls' homecoming. Hoke said the play of Larry Bostic and Lewis, along with an ankle injury, had put Hill in the background.
"B.J. is a guy we've always thought was a good back," Hoke said. "You get an opportunity to perform and execute, you got to take advantage of it and I think he did a good job today."
Bostic, who had started every game this season, did not make the trip because of a death in the family.
The Bulls came into the game with the second-to-last run defense in Division I-A, giving up more than 240 yards per game.
"Our offensive line did a good job of re-establishing the line of scrimmage," Hill said. "We were able to get it going today. It was nice."
The 55 points put up by the Cardinals is the fourth-most in school history, with the record being 66 points against Cal Poly Pomona in 1977.
Freshman quarterback Nate Davis, making his first career start on the road, only attempted 14 passes but completed 11 of them for 247 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense also played its best game of the year. Although Buffalo ended up with 406 yards, 238 of them came after Ball State had taken a 45-3 lead.
"It was all about attitude and keeping it going through the defense, from up front to the back end," cornerback Trey Buice said. "Play with a little attitude and compete."
The defensive line played a huge part in that improvement, recording seven sacks. Brandon Crawford led the way with two sacks. Cortlan Booker and Drew Duffin each had 1.5 sacks, and Bryant Haines and Buice added a sack apiece. Hoke said he challenged his front for more this week.
"You got to do a good job of being a smart football player and looking at tendencies and what people want to do and taking advantage of them," Hoke said. "And I think our kids did that better."
Ball State marched 65 yards on its first drive, capped off on a six-yard run by Lewis. The Cardinals got their second score after Terry Moss fell on the ball in the end zone following Johnson's blocked punt.
After a Brian Jackson 39-yard field goal gave the Cardinals a 17-0 lead, Davis found Darius Hill in the back of the end zone on the next possession for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
Following a James Starks fumble forced by Buice, B.J. Hill scored from three yards out to give Ball State a 31-3 lead.
With less than a minute remaining in the first half, B.J. Hill scored his second touchdown from two yards out following a Mike Dorulla interception. It was Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy's first interception of the year.
Darius Hill led Ball State receivers with 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Ball State is now 2-1 in the MAC. Hoke said this game wasn't a crossroads game, but it was one they needed to win.
"We got a lot [of games] to play," he said. "We just have to know what we can do and how we can do it. We needed to win. We needed to win mentally, as much as anything."
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