It seemed fitting that wide receiver Seth White caught Kelly Page's first career touchdown pass.
After all that was the way it was ordained in spring, when Ball State University got its first look at both freshmen. Neither had played a game in a Cardinals jersey before, but with the connection Nate Davis and Dante Love displayed for three seasons fresh in fans' minds, Page and White seemed like the next dynamic duo. Coach Stan Parrish even called White the best receiver in the Spring Game.
But the Cardinals' offense sputtered out of the gate and the first passing touchdown didn't come until week two. It was worth the wait for White.
"It was a great feeling," he said. "It would have been better with a win."
Both White and Page are freshmen, though this isn't their first semester on campus. Page redshirted last year and White graduated from Bexley (Ohio) High School early so he could enroll at Ball State in January.
"It helped establish a good relationship, especially as a young offense," White said. "It paid off to come here early."
Page said he doesn't have a special connection with White after the opening game against the University of North Texas, that he just targeted who was open.
White's 85 receiving yards lead Ball State after two games. He has seven receptions, which leads all wide receivers.
Because of White's success in spring, it surprised some that he was not listed as a starting wide receiver on the first depth chart released by Parrish before North Texas.
"Seth went through what I like to call the freshman entitlement period," Parrish said. "I keep thinking he's an older player, but he's only been here since January. Seth's got a lot of skills."
The lack of a starting job hasn't stunted his playing time, as the Cardinals routinely field more than two wide receivers at a time.
None of Ball State's wide receivers have much more experience than White. Of the receivers with a reception this year, only junior Dan Ifft is an upperclassman. But White said the receivers still have a responsibility to help out their quarterback.
"There are a lot of things we can do," White said. "We really have to step up and make big plays for him."
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