Through the first five games of the 2007 season, it appeared the Ball State University football team was headed toward its most successful season in more than a decade.
After a 58-38 loss to the Mid-American Conference West Division defending champions Central Michigan University on Saturday - a defeat that left the Cardinals with a 3-3 record through the first half of the year - it's unclear where the program is headed. Following the game, Ball State coach Brady Hoke said he took full responsibility for the loss.
"I feel very discouraged, and that's my fault," Hoke said. "I've got to do a better job, as the head coach of this program, in making sure the team is better prepared. I don't think we played with aggression, and they did. We've got to execute better when we get the opportunities."
Though Hoke was critical of all aspects of the team, he said he was most concerned about the play of the defense.
"[Thirty-eight points] should be enough to win," Hoke said.
The Chippewas' 58 points were the most ever scored against Ball State at Scheumann Stadium, eclipsing the previous mark of 49 points allowed to Miami University in 2003. Central Michigan also had 659 offensive yards, the most yards Ball State has ever allowed an opponent at home.
Hoke, who calls the majority of the defensive plays, said it was time for the defense to get back to the basics.
"We've got to get back to work with some fundamentals," Hoke said.
Hoke said the most concerning aspect of his team's play was the mental mistakes it continually made. The Cardinals' defense was called for an illegal substitution penalty, a roughing the passer penalty on a third-down incompletion and a personal foul for a late hit out of bounds.
Most troubling for Hoke was the constant confusion in the defensive secondary. Multiple times the defensive backs were late getting into their coverage, resulting in big plays for the Chippewas' offense.
The most blatant breakdown came on Central Michigan's first touchdown of the third quarter, when no one lined up against Chippewas' receiver Bryan Anderson. Anderson ran down the left sidelines uncovered and caught a 39-yard touchdown pass.
"On that play we were all looking to the sideline trying to get our defense in," cornerback B.J. Hill said. "They just caught us not ready, and they got a touchdown on it."
Ball State had cut its deficit to 28-17 with Jake Hogue's field goal at the end of the first half. However, Anderson's touchdown gave the Chippewas a 34-17 lead early in the second half, and the Cardinals never pulled within 17 points the rest of the game.
"That first touchdown in the third quarter, that was my fault," Hoke said. "I was too late getting the call in. You try to be too perfect, and I'm experienced enough and I know enough to know you can't be perfect. Sometimes you just have to line the players up and let them play."
The Cardinals entered Saturday's game with aspirations of its first MAC Championship since 1996. However, the loss moves Ball State to 1-1 in the MAC West Division, behind Central Michigan, which is 3-0 in the division.
After the game, Hoke was reluctant to say a MAC Championship was out of reach for his team.
"I think those aspirations are still there," Hoke said. "There's a lot of things that are going to happen in this league for the rest of the year."
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