Ball State’s goal coming into the week was to get to 1-0 by the end of Saturday. The Cardinals did just that as they defeated Northern Illinois in comeback fashion, 27-20. Here’s a look at some key aspects from the game.
Facing a 17-3 deficit at halftime, Ball State Football entered the locker room after 30 minutes of play Saturday not feeling disappointed, but rather motivated. The motivation seemed to pay off as Neu’s Cardinals rallied for 24 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 27-20 comeback win over defending Mid-American Conference Champion Northern Illinois.
Five weeks into the 2019 football season, and Ball State (1-3, 0-0 MAC) is back to square one. The schedule shows nothing but Mid-American Conference opponents, and the record is 0-0.
For Ball State Football redshirt junior quarterback Drew Plitt and Ball State Women’s Volleyball freshman middle blocker Marie Plitt, their sibling relationship has been everything but a rivalry.
After 18 months, the consensus is he’s the hardest worker in the Ball State Football program. But he doesn’t touch the field on game day. In fact, he doesn’t have much of a role during practices either. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy, and he likes it that way.
Fireworks filled the sky continuously in celebration of the scoring show Delta put on in its homecoming win, but things weren’t so bright for New Castle. The Eagles reached the end zone six times throughout the contest en route to a 42-0 victory.
On a crisp fall night where Monroe Central football (4-2) celebrated the school’s homecoming, the team, and more specifically Sam Feola, had plenty to celebrate. Feola’s four touchdowns propelled the Golden Bears to a 41-12 victory over Wes-Del (1-5) Friday.
Saturday’s game was Ball State’s first true road test while facing a large crowd and an aggressive defense. Although Ball State (1-3, 0-0 MAC) ended up losing 34-23 to NC State (3-1, 0-0 ACC), there were positives to take away from the Cardinals’ performance.
In a game where Ball State (1-3, 0-0 MAC) had more total yardage and first downs than NC State (3-1, 0-0 ACC), it was the Wolfpack that took a 34-23 victory in front of a sold-out crowd in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Despite being helped by several penalties and turnovers throughout the game, Muncie Central (0-5) couldn’t stop big plays in the second half as Arsenal Tech (4-1) rolled to a 48-14 victory Friday on the Bearcats’ Homecoming night.
As Blackford (3-2) football players circled up in the corner of the end zone after a 40-35 loss to Alexandria-Monroe (4-1) Friday, eyes were aimed at the ground. By the time head coach Randy Sehy was done addressing the team, everyone had their head down. Before he broke the huddle, Sehy had one last thing to say: “Heads up.”
Forty-six football fields. Then another five steps, depending on how long your legs are. That’s what Ball State Football received from Edinboro, Pennsylvania, this fall.
When Jordan Williams woke up Saturday, he didn’t expect to have a game he’d never forget. He was just excited to play football.
Ball State was down 17 with less than five minutes to play. It had to go for it on fourth-and-6. The Cardinals (1-2, 0-0 MAC) didn’t make it and turned the ball over to Florida Atlantic (1-2, 0-0 CUSA). It was the Cardinals’ fifth turnover of the day. Three drives and four minutes later, the Owls locked up a 41-31 victory.
One shot. That’s all Cody Rudy has ever needed throughout his life.
Kick-off is underway and from the entertainment side, fans should be excited about the start the 2019-20 NFL season got off to.
Not only did Plitt register a career-high 439 passing yards, but tied Ball State Football’s record in touchdown passes, recording six on the day.
After a three-and-out and an interception in Ball State’s first two possessions, it didn’t look like the Cardinals were going to have a repeat of last year’s 42-6 opener at Scheumann Stadium. Already trailing 7-0, momentum did not look to be on Ball State’s side.
By the time Aug. 31, 2019, came around, it had been 365 days since sophomore receiver Yo’Heinz Tyler’s last touchdown — a whole year without reaching the end zone. It had been too long.
There was a sense of disappointment after the loss, but not everything felt by the team was negative.
