On the surface, Ball State's 24-19 loss at No. 17 Northwestern seems like a win. The Wildcats were a clear favorite in the game, and many people probably picked the Cardinals to get blown out.
Coming into Ball State's road contest with No. 17 Northwestern, it looked as if the Cardinals' offense would be in for a long night. Ball State controlled most of the first half, however, and the offense gained 359 yards — 181 on the ground — against the nation's No. 10-ranked defense in a 24-19 loss.
Ball State moved the ball on offense against No. 17 Northwestern's nationally-ranked defense, but missed opportunities cost the Cardinals in a 24-19 loss on the road.
The Cardinals elected to receive the ball to open the game against Northwestern.
The Ball State football team will face a stiff test on the road against Northwestern, as it will battle with the No. 10 defense in the country in Evanston, Ill. Through three games, Northwestern has allowed just 16 points and is allowing 235 yards per game during a 3-0 start. The Wildcats held Stanford to six points and Duke to 10 points last week.
After two subpar showings against Virginia Military Institute and Texas A&M, the Ball State defense improved significantly in its week three win.
Ball State alum and rookie cornerback Eric Patterson played in his first NFL game for the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 21. The 2014 graduate began his professional career by earning a spot on the Colts’ practice squad. He was promoted to the 53-man roster after rookie cornerback D’Joun Smith was placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list on Sept. 18.
A second week of NFL play brought a second big milestone for a former Ball State football player. Former receiver Willie Snead caught his first NFL touchdown for the Saints, while cornerback Eric Patterson was promoted to the Colts' active roster.
In a situation similar to last year, Ball State's backup quarterback has provided a needed spark to the offense. Trailing 17-0 to Eastern Michigan, freshman Riley Neal entered the game for Jack Milas. Neal finished the game 24-28 for 194 yards and a touchdown and added 93 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Freshman Riley Neal got the Ball State offense going, and the Cardinals used a run-heavy attack to earn a come-from-behind 28-17 victory Sept. 19 at Eastern Michigan.
Gilbert managed to punch it in for the Cardinals from 5 yards out bringing an end to the 20 play, 85 yard 9:49 second drive.
Ball State will travel to Eastern Michigan Sept. 19 to kick off the first game of conference play. Eastern Michigan is coming off a dominating 48-29 win over Wyoming while Ball State is trying to move past its lopsided loss against Texas A&M. During Eastern Michigan's game against Wyoming, starting quarterback Brogan Roback went down with an injury. Back-up Reginald Bell immediately stepped up in a big way throwing 12-18 for 117 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Head coach Pete Lembo is impressed with what he saw and thinks it will be a difficult match, nonetheless. “I think [Bell] did a great job running their offense last week,” Lembo said.
Coming into the season, the Ball State football team had its quarterback position secured by redshirt sophomore Jack Milas.
In the midst of a 1-1 start to the season, one glaring issue has stood out for the Ball State football team. It hasn't been able to stop the pass.
Ball State and Indiana haven't laced it up against each other on a football field since 2012. Beginning next season, the Cardinals and Hoosiers will meet four times over the next five years. Ball State will travel to Bloomington in 2018 and 2020, and the teams will meet at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2019.
Indiana University has finalized its non-conference football schedule through 2023, and that will include three meetings with Ball State.
What's better than catching your first pass in the NFL from Drew Brees? Having that catch and run go for 63 yards. In Willie Snead's first game as a pro for the New Orleans Saints, Brees found Snead over the middle on the first play of the second half.
Ball State outscored Texas A&M 20-7 in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the Aggies opened the newly-renovated Kyle Field in style with a 56-23 win over the Cardinals. Ball State coach Pete Lembo acknowledged that it was a lopsided loss. He believes his team can use it as a learning experience, however.
To begin the game, the Cardinals attempted to catch the Aggies off guard by opening with an onside kickoff attempt. Texas A&M recovered, and went 62 yards in eight plays capped off by a one-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
In preparation for a road matchup with No. 16 Texas A&M, the Ball State football coaches have been blasting crowd noise at practice all week. In a 2014 survey among 99 FBS coaches, the Aggies' Kyle Field finished second behind LSU as the toughest place in the country to play.
