Defensive end Robert Eddins called it the greatest feeling after a win. Stan Parrish called it the beauty of sports. Offensive line coach Jason Eck tweeted it was the best turnaround he's been a part of in 12 years of coaching.
No matter what description of Ball State's 31-17 victory at Central Michigan is used, it was a shocking upset. A week earlier, Ball State lost 45-0 to No. 15, University of Iowa, its worst loss since 2005.
After Saturday's win, the Cardinals attributed their turnaround to a good week of practice. They opened Monday's practice with even more determination, which allowed Ball State to rebound from the disappointment in Iowa, to win its Mid-American Conference opener.
"I was telling the defense before the Central Michigan game that we have to treat every game like it's a playoff game," middle linebacker Travis Freeman said. "Just think if we were to lose this game, our season would be over. That's kind of the extra motivation that everybody used in the game because nobody wanted to go home."
The idea of playing as if the Cardinals were in the playoffs may have helped the team come together as a group.
Parrish said Ball State could have fallen apart after Iowa. But last week in practice, the Cardinals began putting team goals first over personal ones, leading to more success. Parrish noted MiQuale Lewis and Kelly Page, two players who were expected to be key contributors at the season's outset and have been relegated to backup status, cheered their teammates from the sideline at Central Michigan.
When running back Eric Williams caught a 56-yard touchdown pass, Parrish said Lewis ran 30 yards down the sideline with him. Lewis was so excited, he was on the field when the play ended. Page helped coach quarterback Keith Wenning through the game's final five minutes, telling at him to milk the clock, Parrish said.
"When guys do that, you've got a shot," he said. "They have every reason to be really disappointed."
Parrish said he listened to the players more throughout the week, something he conceded he's not very good at. But the Cardinals wanted to be more aggressive on offense, so Parrish dug into his bag of tricks and produced a few gadget plays. Ball State ran a few, but because of the windy conditions Parrish held some back.
Of all the changes, the most important may have been the players taking more ownership in the team.
"A lot of them said ‘you guys shouldn't be the ones getting us fired up. We should be getting us fired up,'" Parrish said. "They kept everybody out of the locker room before the game, all the coaches. When they take ownership and it works, camaraderie builds on your team."
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