Many people coming into Saturday's game between Ball State University and Central Michigan University viewed the game as a battle of quarterbacks - Dan LeFevour versus Nate Davis round two.
Round one took place last year in Central Michigan. The Chippewas won 18-7, on the legs of their quarterback. LeFevour had 75 rushing yards in the 2006 match up, including two touchdowns on the ground.
It was the same story in this year's match up. Central Michigan won 58-38, and LeFevour had 146 rushing yards.
"That's not something you plan for," LeFevour said. "It's more something that you react to because you don't want to be thinking when you're dropping back, 'I'm going to run the ball if they drop into coverage.' You have to go through your reads."
By consistently scrambling for big gains, LeFevour negated good coverage by the Cardinals' secondary. When the Cardinals had Central Michigan wide receivers covered down field, LeFevour tucked and ran for the first downs. Starting Ball State cornerback B. J. Hill said LeFevour's scrambling was aggravating.
"It's definitely frustrating when you got good coverage on the back end and he starts taking off running," Hill said. "It gets to the point where you know he's going to get the first down but you got to get to him and get the tackle and play the next down."
The difference between round one and round two is the passing of LeFevour. In 2006 LeFevour completed 18-of-30 passes, for fewer than 200 yards, one interception and zero touchdowns. On Saturday, while he had one interception off a tipped pass, he completed 30-of-38 passes for 360 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
"I'm sure if I look at the film I'll be able to see things that Dan needs to improve on," Central Michigan coach Butch Jones said. "I thought the guys around him played extremely well, like he said. Dan brought his A game."
Coming into the game LeFevour had six touchdown passes in the first five games of the season and was averaging 230 passing yards per game.
Ball State coach Brady Hoke said his defense gave LeFevour the chance to have his first big game of the 2007 season.
"We helped that breakout," Hoke said. "He's a good quarterback, but I also think Nate Davis is a good quarterback. He had two big runs and then we didn't persuade them from running their quarterback."
Davis completed a season-worst 16-of-35 passes. Davis did avoid throwing a pick and had a touchdown pass to Darius Hill to begin the fourth quarter.
Davis' inaccuracies could be explained by a glove. The quarterback has worn a special kind of glove that gives him better grip on the football ever since he arrived at Ball State. However, due to the heat, Davis' hand started sweating underneath the glove Davis said the glove was slipping off so he removed it.
Despite all the people who viewed the game as Davis versus LeFevour, Davis said it wasn't a battle of quarterbacks.
"It wasn't just between two quarterbacks; I believe it was between both teams," Davis said.
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