Brandon Crawford sat in his home locker room with the gut-wrenching feeling that only accompanies players after a devastating defeat.
His team had been blown out on their own field to rival Central Michigan University. His defense had just surrendered a season-high 58 points in arguably the biggest game of the year.
The starting defensive end knew that gnawing feeling would linger.
"That's been a motivation since the day we walked off that field," Crawford said. "We let ourselves down, we let our team down, our university, our fans, everyone who was watching. There was no excuse for what happened. We knew we were a better team than what we showed. That was just something that always stuck with us. We just wanted to get another chance to get out there and show them that we're better than what we showed on that day."
No. 17 Ball State University will get that chance Wednesday when the Cardinals play at Central Michigan in perhaps the biggest game in the program's 84-year history. Both teams are undefeated in the Mid-American Conference and ranked in the top 30 in the Associated Press Poll. Ball State's 10-0 record hangs in the balance.
This year's defensive captain, Crawford, said his goal is to prove last year's 58-point performance was a fluke.
"Our focus has been on that defensive side of the ball," Crawford said, "to be very competitive and to keep teams off the scoreboard. When Wednesday comes around, I think we'll have a better showing."
Ball State's players, along with coach Brady Hoke, say they were unprepared for last year's game.
Hoke said he spent the week before the game instituting new defensive schemes to try to stop Chippewas quarterback Dan LeFevour. The result was confused players and a coaching staff that struggled sending plays onto the field. LeFevour finished with 506 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.
"I was disappointed in us as coaches," Hoke said. "I don't think I prepared the team very well. I just think we had too many things we wanted to try to do defensively. Those little things added up to big things in the course of the game."
Ball State fans won't see an overcomplicated defensive set Wednesday. Hoke said he's learned from last year's lesson and won't repeat the mistake.
"Keep it simple so the kids can go out and play," Hoke said of his game plan. "We're going to run what we run."
Crawford and his teammates have had an offseason to think about last year's game against Central Michigan. The gut-wrenching feeling never went away. It pushed them through spring camp, past offseason conditioning and into this season.
Crawford said his team is better prepared to compete this year, but he knows his words are empty if the Cardinals fail to deliver Wednesday night.
"You can talk about things a lot. You can say this and say that," Crawford said. "But at the end of the day, you've got to be able to get out on that field and do it."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
