Playing host to its first national audience in team history on the night 10 Ball State University seniors played their final game at Scheumann Stadium, the Cardinals earned a monumental victory for their program.
With a 41-20 win against the University of Toledo, Ball State became bowl eligible for the first time in 11 years and locked up its highest single-season win total since 2002, when the program finished with a 6-6 record. The Cardinals are attempting to earn their first bowl invitation and winning record since 1996. Even though Ball State had six wins in 2002, seven victories were required to be bowl eligible.
Cardinals coach Brady Hoke said Tuesday's victory was a perfect way for his team to celebrate Senior Night.
"It was really important for us as a team to win for our seniors," Hoke said. "You've got guys who have ground it out for four or five years, and you want to step up for those guys. Then we also wanted to get ourselves in position to play 13 games this season."
Trailing 34-20 early in the fourth quarter, Toledo looked to be mounting a comeback. However, after the Rockets had driven the ball inside the red zone, Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt injured his ankle and was forced to leave the game.
The first pass Rockets' backup quarterback D.J. Lenehan threw was intercepted by defensive end Brandon Crawford, a 31-year-old former Marine.
"It was a dream come true," Crawford said of his game-clinching interception. "You watch those plays a lot. When you're sitting back and seeing everybody making those plays on ESPN, you think, 'Wow, if I could ever get a chance to do that.' I'm just happy I got that opportunity."
Most fans anticipated a shoot out from two of the more prolific offenses in the Mid-American Conference. The game certainly began that way, with both Ball State and Toledo scoring touchdowns on its first drive of the game. The Rockets scored 17 points in their first three possessions, taking a 10-point lead with 1:47 left in the first quarter.
From that point, Ball State outscored Toledo 34-3 to close the game, pulling away with 21 unanswered second-half points.
"We thought it would be a fourth-quarter game," Hoke said. "When you play two teams that are evenly matched, there's some critical plays in the game that need to be made. I thought there were some critical plays in the game today on both sides of the ball, and I was excited with how our kids kept fighting and stayed together."
Toledo running back Jalen Parmele, who entered Tuesday's game 10th in the nation in rushing yards, record 97 yards on 16 carries in the first half. However, Ball State held the senior to 26 yards on eight carries in the second half. Hoke said he thought Parmele wasn't playing 100 percent healthy in the final 30 minutes.
"One of our guys in the box said he was kind of gimping around a little bit," Hoke said. "I think it was his shoulder. But I think more of [him not producing in the second half] was because our offense kept scoring points and made [Toledo] be one dimensional having to throw the football." Ball State will attempt to wrap up its first winning record since 1996 when the Cardinals play their last regular-season game of the year Nov. 24 at Northern Illinois University.
As thrilling as Ball State's Senior Night victory was to the players and coaches, Hoke was already encouraging his team to focus on its final game of the season immediately after Tuesday's win.
"I told the [seniors] in the locker room, it's always nice to win your first home game," Hoke said. "But there's nothing like winning your last game that you ever get a chance to play. That will be a big emphasis ... because we've got a lot to do to get better."
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