Ball State University Athletics
Football Team vs. UCF Knights in Bowl Game Friday
December 21, 2012 | Football
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg
Ball State Cardinals (9-3; MAC 6-2)
Head Coach: Pete Lembo
Career Record: 94-45/12th year
At Ball State: 15-9/2nd year
vs.
UCF Knights (9-4; Conference USA 7-1)
Head Coach: George O'Leary
Career Record: 111-88/16th year
At UCF: 59-54/9th year
GameDay Information
Fri., Dec. 21, 2012
Tropicana Field (Capacity: 28,453)
Field Turf -- St. Petersburg, Fla.
Television
ESPN
Announcers TBA
Radio
Ball State Radio Network
Flagship Station - WLBC FM 104.1
Joel Godett, play-by-play
Mark O'Connell, color analyst
Jeff Weller, host
WCRD-Radio (Ball State Student Station)
91.3 FM
Pat Boylan, play-by-play
Timmy Fogarty, color analyst
ESPN Radio
Live Stats
www.ballstatesports.com
Tickets
www.ballstatesports.com/tickets
Follow the Cardinals:
Twitter: @bsuathletics
Twitter: @BSUCardsFB
Twitter: @Pete_Lembo
Facebook: BallStateFootball
Follow the Bowl:
Website: www.BeefOBradysBowl.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Beefobradysbowl
Twitter: @beefobradysbowl
Bowl Activities
Wed., Dec. 19 Beach Bash (Open to Public) -- 3-6 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 20 Kickoff Luncheon -- Noon
Battle of the Bands -- 2-5 p.m.
Bowl Block Party -- 5 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 21 Fan Tailgate Extravaganza -- 1:30 p.m.
GAME -- 7:30 p.m.
• Ball State Football Quick Hits . . . . . .
* Ball State finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Mid-American Conference action.
* The nine wins ties for the third most victories in a single season in school history and marks the most wins since 12 in 2008 and 10 in 1978 . . . Ball State football teams also compiled nine wins in 1965, 1975 and 1977.
* Ball State has won six straight games, marking its first six game winning streak since 2008. The Cardinals ended the regular season with wins in their final five Mid-American Conference games and their final four road games.
* The Cardinals' six Mid-American Conference wins in a single season are the most since their 8-0 campaign in 2008 . . . It marks only the second time since 1996 the Cardinals have won at least six league games.
* Ball State tallied a 52-27 victory over Ohio Nov. 14, 2012, and the 52 points were the most in a game since the 2006 season when Ball State defeated Buffalo 55-25 . . . The 25 point margin of victory was the largest for the Cardinals since a 45-14 win over Northern Illinois in 2008 . . . In the win, Ball State managed 588 total yards, which is the fifth highest single-game total in school history.
* The Cardinals rushed for over 220 yards in a game seven times in 2012 and four times in their final five contests . . . Ball State rushed for 357 yards vs. Ohio and 329 yards vs. Eastern Michigan to post two games with 300 or more yards rushing in 2012.
* Ball State's defense tallied a season high four sacks in its win over Ohio and in its win at Indiana in 2012.
* The Cardinals win over nationally ranked Toledo (Nov. 6) was the Cardinals first win over one of the country's top-25 teams since 2001 when Ball State defeated the Rockets.
* Ball State is bowl eligible for a second straight season . . . The Cardinals were last bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons in 2007 and 2008 and Ball State played in the International Bowl after the 2007 campaign and the GMAC Bowl after the 2008 season.
* The Cardinals have beaten two teams from the Bowl Championship Series Automatic Qualifying Conferences in the same year for the first time in school history . . . Ball State defeated Indiana from the Big Ten Conference 41-39 Sept. 15, and tallied a 31-27 win over South Florida from the Big East Conference Sept. 22 . . . The win over Indiana marked the third straight meeting between the two teams the Cardinals have won.
* Ball State has won four games this season with a game-winning score in the final two minutes or overtime . . . The Cardinals have won three games on their final possession . . . Ball State won on a field goal as time expired at Indiana (Sept. 15) and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:02 left in its victory at home over South Florida (Sept. 22) . . . Ball State tallied a 30-24 overtime win over Western Michigan (Oct. 13) on a 15-yard TD run on the final play of the OT . . . The Cardinals defeated nationally ranked Toledo (Nov. 6) on a 15-yard TD run with 1:43 to play.
Scouting UCF: The UCF Knights completed the regular season with a 9-4 overall record and a 7-1 Conference USA mark . . . The Knights won the Conference USA East Division Championship and suffered a 33-27 overtime loss to Tulsa in the league championship contest . . . The Knights are averaging 178.7 rushing and 222.0 passing yards per game, while allowing 162.4 rushing and 217.8 passing yards a contest.
Series vs. UCF: Ball State and UCF have met three times -- the last meeting when the Knights were a member of the Mid-American Conference . . . Ball State won the first meeting -- 31-10 at Ball State in 1996 . . . UCF tallied a 37-14 win at UCF in 1998 . . . The Cardinals won the last meeting by a 21-17 margin Nov. 13, 2004 in Muncie, Ind.
