Ball State University football fans should probably get used to hearing Nate Davis and Dante Love's names intertwined.
The duo connected for three touchdowns as the White team cruised to a 28-0 victory over the Cardinal team in the annual spring game Saturday.
"You got two very good football players there," coach Brady Hoke said. "Two guys who have a great passion to be the best they can be and they're competitive. That's a great combination for us."
Love, who caught four touchdown passes in the 2006 season, scored on a 10-yard pass from Davis on the first series. The touchdown was set-up by MiQuale Lewis, who had a 60-yard run on the second play of the game.
A couple possessions later, Cardinal quarterback Emmanuel Lewis was intercepted by Mike Dorulla on a tipped ball. On the very next play, Davis ran a play-action fake and found Love open deep down the middle for a 43-yard score.
"I think you want to be able to be a ball-control offense," Hoke said. "But if it's ball control and sudden change situations, going deep the first play - we like that philosophy."
Lewis then scored on a one-yard run to pad White's lead to 21-0.
On the last play of the first half, Davis found Love again in the back corner of the end zone to produce the final margin.
"I trust him with the ball," Davis said. "He's a playmaker."
All four touchdowns came in the first half of the game.
This spring, Davis spent a majority of time getting his footwork down and plays down. Davis said he has complete command of the playbook now, something he didn't have last fall.
"Last year, I was out there trying to have fun," Davis said. "I had no clue what I was doing. It was just like playing in the backyard. I really got the offense down and it helps out a lot."
Love said him and the tight ends - Darius Hill and Madaris Grant - were not on the same page with Davis last season. Davis didn't know the offense, had trouble calling the plays and wasn't reading defenses, but that's all in the past, Love said.
"It starts with Nate," he said. "If he's having a good game, we're all having a good game. He's just a good player and we follow him. When he's ready, we just got to go out there and play and back him up."
Rules for the gameLimited blitzing by the defenseQB's cannot be hit Ball placed on 32-yard line after TD/FGWinning team eats steakLosing team eats hot dogs
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