Ball State won its first bowl game in program history on New Year’s Eve, defeating No. 19 San Jose State 34-13 in the Offerpad Arizona Bowl.
When senior safety Bryce Cosby takes the field for the Cardinals Dec. 31 in Tucson, Arizona, he’ll have the same mentality he had when he first stepped on the gridiron this season in Oxford, Ohio.
This wasn’t a vacation to celebrate turning a half-century old. This was the reward of coaching Ball State Football to its first bowl game since the 2013 season.
Brent Baldwin, 1996 Ball State graduate and former Cardinal quarterback, knows a thing or two about playing for high stakes.
The Cardinals now have an opportunity to make more history and potentially win their first bowl game in school history, as they will play San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl Dec. 31.
The Cardinals have accepted an invitation to participate in the Arizona Bowl, taking place Dec. 31 in Tucson, Arizona. Ball State will face the No. 25 San Jose State Spartans (7-0 MWC) in their 10th all-time bowl appearance and first since their 23-20 loss to Arkansas State in the 2014 GoDaddy Bowl.
Playing in an empty Ford Field, Ball State (6-1 MAC) accomplished its ultimate goal Friday night, capping off a season the MAC initially postponed last August. The Cardinals defeated No. 23 Buffalo (5-1 MAC) 38-28 and are Mid-American Conference Champions for the first time since 1996.
Twenty-seven years following his senior season, Neu is guiding the Cardinals from the sideline and has a chance to win another championship — this time as head coach. In this season's MAC Championship game, Ball State (5-1 MAC) faces the No. 23 Bulls (5-0 MAC) Dec. 18 at Ford Field in Detroit for a rematch of the 2008 title game.
Playing in a de facto MAC West Championship game, the Cardinals defeated the Broncos 30-27. For the first time since George W. Bush was in the White House, Ball State won the MAC West division and will play in the MAC Championship Dec. 18 against Buffalo in Detroit.
Fast forward to 2020. Kevin’s older brother, Joey Lynch, left Ball State after 2019 to accept the offensive coordinator position at Colorado State. This meant the Cardinals had a hole to fill at offensive coordinator themselves.
Tyler has played a critical role in the Cardinals’ success this season. Through Ball State’s first five games, he is second on the team with 391 receiving yards and has five touchdowns to his name.
Ball State’s second drive of the day was a sign of things to come during Saturday’s contest with Central Michigan. The Cardinals rode that momentum and continued their bend-don’t-break mentality on offense to pull away with a 45-20 victory.
An all-around performance and second-half momentum gave Ball State a 45-20 victory over Central Michigan, securing the Cardinals their first season over .500 and first four-game winning streak since 2013.
Next season, Ball State will welcome another Muncie-based product.
The Cardinals hung on and defeated the Rockets, 27-24, securing their first win at the Glass Bowl since 2012.
While the chilly, windy conditions Wednesday night in Muncie were similar to that of the Cardinals’ loss three years ago, Cosby’s presence played a key role in giving Ball State (2-1 MAC) the edge over Northern Illinois (0-3 MAC), defeating the Huskies 31-25.
Brandon Martin saw his mom tirelessly dedicate her time toward helping others, which inspired him to do the same.
Tied at 31, the Cardinals had nothing to lose heading into their final drive of the second half. They just had to simply find the scoresheet once more to avoid a repeat of their season-opening loss to Miami (Ohio) Nov. 4.
The Cardinals welcome Eastern Michigan (0-1 MAC) to Scheumann Stadium for their home opener, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network).
Following weeks of preparation, optimism and confidence, it all came down to the final 45 seconds in Wednesday night's season opener for the Cardinals in Oxford, Ohio.
