Ball State 41, Indiana 39 Sept. 15, 2012 (Bloomington, Ind.)
Ball State was seeking its third straight win over Indiana and was in control for much of the second half, but it looked like things might be slipping away late.
The Hoosiers scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes to rally from a 13-point deficit and grab a 39-38 lead with only 49 seconds left.
But the Cardinals weren't finished yet. Jamill Smith returned the ensuing kickoff past the 30-yard line. Keith Wenning hit Jack Tomlinson and Willie Snead for first downs to move the ball past midfield. Then Wenning and Snead connected one more time on a beautiful 18-yard throw-and-catch down the sideline. Snead caught it going out of bounds with 1 second left.
Steven Schott came on for a 42-yard field goal from the left hash mark on the final play and knocked it right down the middle. His teammates lifted him into the air as the Cardinals celebrated at Memorial Stadium.
Gallery: (9-17-2020) 2012 at Indiana
Wenning threw three touchdown passes on the day, two of them to tight end Zane Fakes, and also caught one from Smith on a gadget play in the third quarter.
It was the second straight year the Cardinals defeated the Hoosiers, having won the previous season's matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the third straight win in the series dating back to 2008.
The victory provided an early boost in a season that saw Ball State finish the regular season 9-3 (6-2 MAC) and return to the bowl scene with a trip to the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg.
Ball State 34, Navy 31 (OT) Sept. 15, 2007 (Annapolis, Md.)
On a night that featured more than 1,100 combined yards of total offense, it was the Ball State defense and special teams that made the decisive plays.
Neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point in the game. Nate Davis' 12 yard touchdown pass to MiQuale Lewis -- the QB's third scoring toss to go along with a TD run -- tied the game at 31-all with 3:53 to play in regulation. It was BSU's first touchdown of the second half, but the biggest fireworks were yet to come.
Navy's triple-option attack, which accounted for 521 rushing yards in the night, maneuvered its way into field goal range on its final drive. Matt Harmon came on to attempt a potential game-winner from 32 yards on the last play of regulation. But BSU defensive end Brandon Crawford, a 31-year-old former Marine, blocked the kick to send the game to overtime at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Cornerback Trey Lewis makes a tackle in the 2007 win at Navy.
Then the defense did its work on Navy's first snap in the first extra period. Chris Allen forced a fumble from Navy's Jarod Bryant, and Bryant Haines recovered, giving the Cardinals a chance to win it on their possession.
Ball State picked up one first down and then sent freshman kicker Jake Hogue on for a 24-yard field goal. It was true, and the Cardinals had a high quality win early in a key season.
Navy was on its way to an 8-4 regular season and a fifth straight bowl appearance in its final year under head coach Paul Johnson who then left to take over the program at Georgia Tech.
Ball State eventually finished the regular season 7-5 overall, the overtime win at Navy proving crucial to a winning season, and tied for first in the MAC West Division at 5-2. The Cardinals reached the International Bowl for their first bowl appearance in 11 years, setting the stage for an historic season in 2008.
Ball State 21, Evansville 21 Oct. 1, 1966 (Evansville, Ind.)
Ball State, riding a 12-game unbeaten streak into this Indiana Collegiate Conference matchup, needed more than a little magic to keep it alive. As a matter of fact, the Cardinals trailed even as time expired.
Evansville led the 10th-ranked team in the UPI small college rankings, 21-13, with nine seconds left. On top of that, the Cardinals still and 53 yards to go. Cue Dick Lester to the rescue.
Lester took a screen pass from quarterback Frank Houk and weaved his way all across the field, scampering past Evansville defenders to the end zone as the final seconds ticked away. Head coach Ray Louthen, halfback Amos VanPelt and offensive tackle Chuck Streetman of the 1966 team
But one thing still remained. The Cardinals needed a two-point conversion to eke out a tie. Houk took care of that, finding tight end Jim Bergman to push the unbeaten streak to 13.
Lester had also run for a touchdown earlier in the game, while future All-American Amos VanPelt led the Cardinals on the ground with 114 yards on 24 carries.
The streak ultimately came to an end one week later against Northern Illinois, but that was the Cardinals' only loss of the season. Coach Ray Louthen's 1966 team is somewhat overshadowed in the history books by the Grantland Rice Bowl teams that surrounded it in 1965 and 1967. But the '66 team finished 7-1-1 and won the Indiana Collegiate Conference championship.
Ball Teachers College 9, Central Normal 6 Nov. 7, 1924 (Muncie, Ind.)
The team then known as the Ball Teachers College Hoosieroons earned the first win in program history in its first season of competition and its first home game.
Coach Paul (Billy) Williams led his squad to a 9-6 victory over in-state opponent Central Normal. The Orient, the school yearbook, credited Harold Pettijohn, Ralph Connelley, Harry Justus, Leslie Reeves and Roy Chase with outstanding performances.
Williams, the father of Ball State intercollegiate athletics, served as athletic director from 1921-58. He spent the bulk of that time as head baseball coach while also coaching football, basketball and cross country at various points. The 1924 team, the school's first football squad
