Ball State football comes up short, still finds positives in loss
By Jake Dickman / October 17, 2023After dropping three games in a row, Ball State Football faces Toledo for their MAC home opener.
After dropping three games in a row, Ball State Football faces Toledo for their MAC home opener.
Even after the tragic hardships they endured, the Bledsoe family was determined that wouldn’t be the end of Daryll’s run. So, they organized a memorial co-ed softball tournament in his honor, Dingers for Daryll.
This draw brings Ball State's overall record to 7-5-3 and their Mid-American Conference (MAC) record to 5-0-3. They still remain undefeated in MAC play with three games left in the season.
One shot from senior midfielder Emma Hilton to pull off an upset over Indiana University in a 3-2 shootout. Ball State (6-8, 2-3 MAC) remains at home for a prime conference matchup against Appalachian State (10-4, 4-1 MAC) for Senior Day Oct. 20 at 1 p.m.
Ball State men's swim and dive participated in its first meet of the season Saturday, coming out on top over the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) winning 187-113 overall and taking first place in 12 of 16 races. The Cardinals continue their season next week at Purdue University for the Indiana Intercollegiates meet. In West Lafayette, the Ball State women's team will join the men and start their own campaign for the MAC championship.
While the Cardinals (1-6, 0-3 MAC) lost 13-6 to Toledo (6-1, 3-0 MAC), redshirt sophomore Kiael Kelly rushed for a career-high 98 yards in his first-ever start at quarterback. The Cardinals next have Central Michigan (4-3, 2-1 MAC) Oct. 21 at 3:30 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.
The Cardinals donned the bright colors in honor of the program’s annual “Dig Pink” night, an event that honors those who are currently fighting or have previously battled breast cancer.
Although today’s meet had a lot of competitors, head coach Adrian Wheatley said he saw good effort and great mindsets today and that the team has made major improvements since the season’s opener.
The worst-case scenario for the Cardinals came to be as Bellarmine capitalized on self-inflicted errors by Ball State, sealing a 3-2 comeback win in overtime. Ball State (5-8, 2-3 MAC) remains at home for a non-conference matchup against Indiana (5-8, 0-4 Big Ten Conference) Oct. 15 at noon.
The Sectional trophy is coming back to the lady tigers soccer team for the first time since 2020.
Borrow is just one of many Ball State student-athletes who have tirelessly served in the local area as difference-makers in the community. Many Cardinals athletic programs have already completed service projects early in the 2023-2024 school year, extending a long legacy of student-athlete volunteer contributions.
This is the Cardinals’ third win in a row and improves their overall record to 7-5-2, changing their Mid-American Conference (MAC) record to 5-0-2.
Sitting at 1-5 at the midseason mark, Ball State football has to be nearly perfect in the second half in order to be bowl eligible. Up next, the Cardinals face the 5-1 Toledo Rockets at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m.
"We have that 'bend don’t break' mentality," Rife said.
