Football Team Suffers 31-17 Loss to Bowling Green

Saturday, October 17

Muncie, Ind.

Noon

Ball State University

0-7 , 0-3

Bowling Green

3-4 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Bowling Green

Ball State Cardinals

October 17, 2009 | Football

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

Written by Andrew Lentz, Ball State Athletics Media Relations

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State football team (0-7, 0-3) fell to Bowling Green (3-4, 2-1) Saturday, 31-17, at Scheumann Stadium, despite a season-high 273 rushing yards. The rushing attack was led by a season best 115 yards from senior running back MiQuale Lewis and a career best 88 from freshman running back Eric Williams.

"We ran the ball reasonably well, and we have a lot of guys improving," Ball State's first-year head coach Stan Parrish says. "We had to go in at the half and manufacture some things. I told our running backs we needed someone to rush for 100 yards today and MiQuale Lewis got that done."

Fifth-year senior quarterback Tanner Justice took over in the second quarter after redshirt freshman quarterback Kelly Page suffered an injury to his right thumb. Justice completed six passes for 92 yards in his first significant playing time in his Ball State career. Page will undergo an MRI to establish the extent of his injury.

The Falcons didn't hesitate to put the game's first points on the board, going 66 yards in 2:41 to fly out to a 7-0 lead behind a 21-yard touchdown catch by Freddie Barnes, who led the nation in receptions and receiving yards heading into Saturday's duel.

It appeared the Cardinals would respond after entering BG territory following a nine-yard run from Lewis and a 14-yard rush from Page, but the Ball State drive ended and the Cardinals were forced to punt.

BG started its second drive off with a 41-yard connection to Barnes but the BSU defense rose to the challenge, preventing the Falcons from doing any more damage. BSU struggled to capitalize, however, turning the ball over on a Page interception two plays later.

After the Falcons missed their first field goal attempt of the game, the Cardinals drove deep into BG territory and did the same, leaving the score at a 7-0 advantage for the road team at the end of the first quarter.

"Give Bowling Green credit, they deserved to win the game," Parrish says. "We were flat the first quarter and we did not expect that. If I knew why, I would correct it. We had a good week in practice."

Barnes continued to earn his credentials by capping BG's longest drive of the game -- nine plays for 80 yards --with his second touchdown catch of the game and extending the Falcon lead to 14-0 early in the second frame.

The Cardinals notched a series of successful plays driving to the opponent's 34 before being forced to punt, which set up another scoring drive for the Falcons resulting in a 44-yard field goal to make the score 17-0.

The two teams combined for 23 total yards on the next three drives of the game. Before halftime, however, Barnes was able to find the end zone for the third time in the first half to give the Falcons a halftime edge of 24-0.

Deferring in the first half, Ball State took advantage of the opportunity to strike first in the second half by scoring its first points of the game courtesy of Williams' first career rushing touchdown on a career long run of 30 yards.

Despite a strong BG drive into Ball State's side of the field, a sack from junior Robert Eddins brought the Falcons possession to a halt, giving the Cardinals an opportunity to build upon their momentum.

Ball State was held to three-and-out and forced to punt, opening up the opportunity for BG to extend its lead to 31-7 behind two plays of 20-plus yards and a Ball State penalty.

After falling behind 31-10, Ball State's defense came up with another stop. As the offense took over, Williams led the Cardinals down the field. He rushed for 41 of his career best 88 yards on the possession, including a two-yard push that gave him his second touchdown of the day and cut the BG lead to 31-17.

The Cardinals had a couple opportunities late in the game but struggled to score again as the Falcons escaped a final margin of 31-17.

"Our young kids are trying to fight through the disappointment," Parrish says. "We are very fragile right now and I have to keep them together. Our numbers are tipped toward youth, but we are fighting hard and have not given up. We have not solved our problem with pass coverage, but remember the pass defense begins with the rush and we are not getting enough pressure on the quarterbacks. If you blitz, you put our freshmen corners one on one with the receivers. We just have not stopped the pass."

Ball State will seek its first victory of the season when it returns to action Saturday in Ypsilanti, Mich. The Cardinals will face off versus Mid-American Conference rival Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. in Rynearson Stadium.