The Ball State women's volleyball team took control of the Mid-American Conference West Division on Oct. 2, but failed to take advantage of it with a bad loss to Western Michigan on Oct. 3.
Late in the first quarter, Ball State was gifted with great field position after Toledo’s punt was partially blocked. At the time, both teams were scoreless, but after this turnover Toledo went on to take over the game. Here’s the anatomy of Neal’s fumble that gave Toledo the momentum.
Week four in the NFL brought even more success for former Ball State football players. Former receiver Willie Snead and former linebacker Jonathan Newsome both found more action on their respected teams, while Eric Patterson found a new home.
Junior defender, Leah Mattingly, has been awarded with the Mid-American Conference co-defensive player of the week award. This is the fourth time a Cardinal has been honored by the MAC for a weekly award. Mattingly assisted the Cardinals defense by limiting opponents to six shots on goal throughout the week. She has played this entire season on the defensive end and only one team has managed to score more than one goal against the Cardinals this year. Ball State remains the only undefeated team in the MAC at 4-0.
Practice has begun for the Ball State men's basketball team, and it's clear there is one part of the game it is focused on improving. Last season, the Cardinals ranked 244th in the country on total team defense, allowing 69 points per game and a 46 percent shooting percentage. Head coach James Whitford is looking to drastically improve that number toward the top of the Mid-American Conference.
Ball State's strong-suit this year on offense has been the running game, but in the Oct. 3 Homecoming matchup, it was quite the opposite. The Cardinals were averaging 232 rushing yards per game prior to Toledo. The Rockets held them to 26 net yards on the ground while they ran for 280 yards of their own.
Five games, four missed field goals. Kicking issues have plagued the Cardinals this season, including this weekend's Homecoming loss against Toledo.
The Ball State football team dropped its Homecoming game to the visiting Toledo Rockets 24-10 on Saturday. Despite the two-score game, the Rockets controlled the game for the most part.
Heading into this week's Homecoming game, the Daily News is debuting a new weekly piece in which we speak to the opposing team's beat writer. Toledo, a team right outside the top 25 in the polls (No. 26), looks to come into Muncie to spoil Ball State's Homecoming.
Ball State women's volleyball played strong in its first home game since mid-September, defeating Mid-American Conference rival Northern Illinois in three straight sets.
In its first four games, the Ball State football team took on some tough teams, including nationally-ranked Texas A&M and Northwestern. It won't get any easier when the Cardinals host the Toledo Rockets in a Mid-American Conference tilt at Scheumann Stadium for Ball State's Homecoming weekend. The Rockets are just outside the nation's top-25 after a 3-0 start and wins over Arkansas and Iowa State.
This season, the Ball State offense has been steadily improving with freshman Riley Neal as the starting quarterback. But one thing is hampering the Cardinals from their full potential: missed opportunities and poor conversion rates on third down.
After seeing her play in club volleyball, Ball State head volleyball coach Steve Shondell knew Emily Holland wouldn't have a problem playing on a collegiate level.
Proctor committed to Illinois as a sophomore at Pendleton Heights High School. He did not see any action for the Fighting Illini during his freshman season, however, as they spent much of the season as the No. 1 team in the country and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Ball State rushing attack vs. Toledo run defense Ball State: Ball State's ground game is averaging over 230 yards per game and have 10 touchdowns. These numbers look even more impressive with big games against Texas A&M and a top defense in Northwestern. Running back Darian Green has had no trouble running behind Ball State's veteran offensive line.
The Ball State men's golf team finished third of 12 teams at the Badger Invitational, marking its best finish of the fall season so far. The Cardinals entered the final round in third place as well. They finished behind Kansas, who won the title, and Miami University who finished second.
The Ball State running game has excelled this season, averaging over 230 yards per game through four games. Running the ball takes a team effort, but the Cardinals' attack has been ignited by two players. Head coach Pete Lembo does not "talk in absolutes or extremes," but said it all starts with two players.
The Ball State baseball team is set to get back in action with a matchup with the Ontario Blue Jays to kick off Homecoming weekend.
After the Ball State football team missed several opportunities on offense throughout the first half, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson gave Ball State another chance with a fumble right before halftime.
Both of the Ball State tennis teams were in action over the weekend, continuing to participate in tournaments to prepare for the spring season.
