Entering the final week of the regular season, many incentives ride on Ball State University's game Saturday at Northern Illinois University, including the possibility of the Cardinals' first bowl appearance since 1996.
Don't mention that to the team, though. Players and coaches alike, no one is talking about anything other than a 2-9 Huskies club that lost to Toledo 70-21 a couple weeks ago.
"We've got unfinished business in this schedule," coach Brady Hoke said. "Northern Illinois, we are 1-3 against since I've been [at Ball State], and they beat us badly last year. I'm not even going to address [bowl eligibility]. I'm going to address Northern Illinois."
Though the Huskies beat Ball State 40-28 last year at Scheumann Stadium, the Cardinals will see a significantly different Northern Illinois team Saturday. Former running back Garrett Wolfe rushed for a Northern Illinois-record 353 yards and three touchdowns in last year's contest. Wolfe was drafted by the Chicago Bears, however, in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and the Huskies also lost last year's starting quarterback, Phil Horvath, to graduation.
Without those key pieces, many fans are expecting an easy victory, but Ball State sophomore defensive end Brandon Crawford said his team isn't taking anything for granted.
"Regardless of what everybody else thinks, we're not going to take anything lightly," Crawford said. "They made us look horrible last year, and half of those highlights are on ESPN in the wrong way. That's something I remember."
Hoke's message to his players to focus on the smaller picture instead of thinking about postseason ramifications has apparently been successful. Crawford said he and his teammates are only thinking about their 12th game of the year.
"All year our coach has talked to us and preached to us about looking at one game," Crawford said. "When you go into our team meeting room, one game is shown - the game that we're going to play. Everything is covered up and you just see one game, and you just focus on that game. After that game is done we reveal the next game, the next challenge. We can't control anything beyond that one game, so that's how we go about it."
Ball State is in the opposite position as it was a year ago, when the Cardinals defeated Kent State University in the last game of the season, keeping the Golden Flashes from earning a bowl bid. This season, though, Ball State is trying to earn a bowl bid against a team that is looking for its third win of the year.
Junior cornerback B.J. Hill said that final game of the last regular season taught his team and him a valuable lesson.
"You have to prepare for each team like they can beat you," Hill said. "And if you don't, that's when they'll beat you. That's the way this game is. Any given team can beat you on any given night, and you always have to be aware of that."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
