Twice in the last two seasons, Ball State held a fourth quarter lead against Northern Illinois University.
Each time, the Huskies rallied in the fourth quarter to win.
With a game against No. 21 Northern Illinois on Wednesday that will decide the Mid-American Conference West Division title, finishing off games will be ever more important for Ball State.
“Whether it was a turnover or not stopping the ball or whatever, we’ve got to be ready in the fourth quarter,” senior quarterback Keith Wenning said. “We just have to finish games and do what we’ve done throughout the game.”
Ball State has hung with the two-time defending MAC champions the last two seasons with real chances at winning. Though the Cardinals haven’t beat the Huskies since 2008, the team has fared better during head coach Pete Lembo’s tenure than the two years prior.
In 2011, a roughing the passer penalty negated a Sean Baker’s pick-six on Chandler Harnish. The touchdown and PAT would have given Ball State a 10-point lead with less than seven minutes to play. Instead, Northern Illinois tied the game on a 23-yard field goal from Mathew Sims.
On the next series, the Huskies manufactured a two-minute drive to set up Sims with a 34-yard field goal to win 41-38.
In 2012, Ball State clung to a 23-21 lead entering the fourth quarter before quarterback Jordan Lynch threw a 54-yard touchdown pass and ran for a 71-yard touchdown in less than two minutes. Northern Illinois went onto win 35-23.
But those fourth quarter leads is what’s giving Ball State confidence against Northern Illinois in the road.
“We had a lot of turnovers, and we were still up,” sophomore wide receiver Jordan Williams said. “It’s an emphasis on how we gave them the game. We look at the film now, and we’re like, ‘Wow, we played a terrible game.’”
Ball State’s offense stalled in the fourth quarter the last two games against Northern Illinois. The Cardinals scored a combined 61 points against the Huskies in those two meetings, but seven points came in the fourth quarter. The Huskies have scored 27 fourth quarter points in that same stretch.
But the offense has developed into even more of a threat this season with the growth of Wenning and the emergence of Williams as a viable receiving option behind junior Willie Snead.
“We have a lot of guys back that have matured and seen a lot of football,” Wenning said. “They’ve been in a lot of tough situations. When it comes down to making a play, they’re able to do it.”
Wednesday night’s winner will represent the West Division in the MAC Championship game in Detroit on Dec. 6. A trip to the conference title game will be the first for Ball State since 2008.
With the division title at stake, the focus has been not letting the team get caught up in what’s on the line.
Rich Skrosky, offensive coordinator, said not getting distracted is the hardest thing in sports to do.
“It’s hard for the greatest athletes in the world to do,” Skrosky said. “But that’s the great thing about sports, you get put in those situations that no one else can experience.”
Northern Illinois will put its 22-conference game win streak on the line Wednesday night at Huskie Stadium, including four straight wins over Ball State. But the Cardinals are ready to snap the Huskies’ streak and win the MAC West.
“We’re ready to beat them,” Wenning said. “We weren’t happy about not finishing. It’s about time for us to put a whole game in and come out on top.”
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