BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Defensive shutouts for Ball State University's football team seem as rare as a David Letterman trip to Muncie.
It does not happen often, which makes it important to the players to cash in when given the chance.
Through 59 minutes of Saturday's 24-7 win against Western Kentucky University, the No. 24 Cardinals were poised to post back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1978. Then Western Kentucky's Jake Gaebler caught a 20-yard touchdown pass against Ball State's third-string defense, ending a shutout streak of more than 122 minutes.
"We would've loved to have the shutout, to be honest with you," Hoke said in the first 10 seconds of his post-game interview. "I know the defensive kids were playing hard to get that."
Hoke had to balance the significance of posting a second-straight shutout with the importance of allowing younger players to gain experience. He substituted the Cardinals third-string defense into the game during Western Kentucky's final possession, and the Hilltoppers drove 72 yards in eight plays.
Looking at the big picture, Hoke said, he made the right decision.
"We wanted to play some young players, and that's what we did," Hoke said. "We wanted to give them reps and take the older guys who've played a lot of football and keep them healthy. They wanted the shutout. I wanted it because they wanted it, but I think we got some guys good work in there."
Hoke said Ball State's defense didn't play to the level it did in a 31-0 win against Toledo the previous week.
"I don't think we actually tackled as well in this football game as we did a week ago," Hoke said. "I want to give [Western Kentucky] some credit because I think Dexter Taylor and [Bobby] Rainey are two tremendous football players. I thought they were hard to bring down, but at the same time I think we've got to do a better job [finishing] tackles and stepping on guys' toes."
Taylor and Rainey led a Western Kentucky running attack that finished with 183 rushing yards on 34 carries, averaging more than five yards per carry. Trailing the entire second half, the Hilltoppers were forced to throw the ball more instead of pound its running game.
Ball State allowed 38 rushing yards in the second half, but linebacker Davyd Jones said he was disappointed in the defense's effort to begin the game.
"The defense came out flat with not enough effort and toughness to the football," Jones said. "Our whole mind-set was coming back and shutting [the running game] out in the second half. There's no excuses coming out flat."
Jones said the Cardinals' former philosophy of "bend but don't break" doesn't meet the new standards it has set for itself. With further improvement, he said, shutouts may become a more frequent occurrence.
"The thing is, I don't really think we've played our best football yet," Jones said. "It just proves that there's more great things to come in the future."
Defensive historyThe Cardinals 24-7 win Saturday marked the third fewest amount of points it has allowed in a game since Brady Hoke became the coach in 2002.2008: Toledo, W 31-02006: Kent State, W 30-62008: Western Kentucky, W 24-72003: Indiana State, W 31-7 2007: Western Kentucky, W 35-12
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