Football Team Shuts Out Toledo, Improves to 6-0

TOLEDO, Ohio ? The Ball State University football team shutout Toledo at the Glass Bowl 31-0 Saturday night improving its record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference.

The Cardinals 6-0 start marks the best for a Ball State football season since the 1965 campaign when the Cardinals won their first nine games of the season.

"Every win is a good win," Ball State head coach Brady Hoke says. "The defense did a nice job of playing together with good effort. The shutout is satisfying for the defense, but every time a defense helps win a football game it is satisfying. We played hard and started executing offensively in the second half. We ran the ball better in the second half."

The 31-0 victory was the first shutout for a Ball State team since Nov. 11, 2000 vs. Connecticut when the Cardinals tallied a 29-0 win.

Ball State's defense held Toledo just 14 yards rushing the entire game and zero points. While the offense put three points on the scoreboard in the first half and gave Ball State a 3-0 lead, the Cardinals scored on their first drive of the second half. Junior quarterback Nate Davis managed a one-yard run for the touchdown.

Junior H-Back MiQuale Lewis scored back-to-back touchdowns to put the Cardinals up 24-0 with 7:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Freshman Cory Sykes sealed Ball State's victory with a 57-yard touchdown run with 5:23 left in the game. Sykes touchdown was his third of the season.

Other Cardinals of note senior corner back Trey Lewis had his first interception of the season and the ninth of his career in the second quarter.

Ball State football returns to non-conference action when it travels to Western Kentucky Saturday for a 6 p.m. (CT) kickoff.

1^st quarter

Ball State 8:22- Ivan McGarvey 22-yard field goal (10 plays, 74 yards, 5:19)

Ball State 3, Toledo 0

3rd quarter

Ball State 11:35 ? Nate Davis 1-yd run (Ian McGarvey kick good) (7 plays, 69 yards, 3:20)

Ball State 10, Toledo 0

Ball State 3:41 ? MiQuale Lewis 3-yd run (Ian McGarvey kick good) (9 plays, 80 yards, 4:27)

Ball State 17, Toledo 0

4th quarter

Ball State 7:51 ? MiQuale Lewis 1-yd run (Ian McGarvey kick good) (11 plays, 71 yards, 5:36)

Ball State 24, Toledo 0

Ball State 5:23 ? Cory Sykes 57-yd run (Ian McGarvey kick good) (1 play, 57, :08)

Ball State 31, Toledo 0

Players Mentioned

Nate Davis

MiQuale Lewis

Trey Lewis