Ball State University quarterback Nate Davis threw for three touchdowns and 288 yards in the Cardinals' 35-12 victory against Western Kentucky University Saturday. Nearly 60 percent, 164 of the 288, of those yards were collected by either Darius Hill or Dante Love.
Davis completed 21 of 31 passes against the Hilltoppers. Hill and Love snatched six catches a piece, giving them more than half of Davis' completions.
"When you talk about Darius and Dante they are both so much different, and at the same time they are a lot a like," coach Brady Hoke said. "I don't what you call that but that's what it is."
Both players are high on the receiving yard and touchdowns lists for their positions. Love, through seven games, is 14th in the nation in receiving yards, and ninth with seven receiving touchdowns. In addition, Love is sixth in all-purpose yards per game with 196.43.
Meanwhile Hill ranks fourth with 35 catches, second with 517 yards, and is tied for first with six touchdowns among the tight ends on the preseason John Mackey Award watch list.
"It's great to have a six [foot] seven [inch] tight end, because you know the defense isn't going to be that big," Davis said.
Love, 643, and Hill, 517, have been on the receiving end for 1,160 of Davis' 1,928 passing yards this year and 13 of Davis' tied for the single season record 18 touchdowns. After Hill, the next highest amount of receiving yards for a Ball State player is MiQuale Lewis at 154, and the next highest person in receiving touchdowns is Louis Johnson with two.
"Of course I have a lot of trust in those guys," Davis said. "I have a lot of trust in the whole offense. You have to depend on them. I'm not the only one making plays out there. They are helping me."
Davis demonstrated the trust he has in Love towards the end of the first quarter. On first down and 10 from the Western Kentucky 40-yard line, Davis locked in on Love streaming down the sideline. Davis threw the ball just over the defender's hands and hit Love in stride near the corner of the end zone. Davis released the ball when Love was still even with the defender, had he waited any longer Love would have run out of room in the end zone to make the catch.
"You just have confidence in him," Davis said. "Have confidence he's going to get pass the guy and I did and I just let it go."
One thing that most of the top receiver-quarterback combos have in common is a close relationship between both players. Love said Davis and him have a relationship similar to that.
"Me and Nate are really close," Love said. "We're always talking and watching film together. It's important for us to stay on the same page so we are really close."
Hill is the tall, go over the middle receiver, and Love is the small speedy guy who can just outrun people. Hoke explained the challenges both receivers create for opposing defenses.
"Darius because he creates so many mismatches because he's so tall and he can run ... and Dante is kind of a special guy in the way that we use him on reverses and throw backs, things that he has the athletic ability to do," Hoke said.
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