As the ball nestled into tight end Ben Thayer's arms at the back of the end zone the celebration began for Eastern Michigan. The players, all 65 on the travel roster, sprinted to their teammate, barely even hesitating to check the official's signal.
Ball State made its move almost as quickly. The Cardinals quickly exited the field after losing 41-38 in overtime, their first overtime game since 2007.
Saturday's victory snapped Eastern Michigan's 18-game losing streak, the nations' second longest. It also snapped a five-game skid against Ball State dating back to 2004.
Stan Parrish expected a close game, but it never should have transpired. The Cardinals led by 21 points twice, but failed to put the Eagles away.
"We let that thing get away way before the overtime," Parrish said. "We could have salvaged it in overtime. But it never should have gotten to that point."
Ball State did have the lead in overtime after a 44-yard field goal by Ian McGarvey, but again was unable to hold the lead.
Getting to overtime was somewhat of a struggle itself. Eastern Michigan took the lead with less than five minutes to play, but Keith Wenning directed Ball State on an eight-play, 68-yard drive to tie the game. The drive culminated with a nine-yard pass to wide receiver Briggs Orsbon, who dove for the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line. The play survived a review and McGarvey tied the game with an extra point.
Orsbon said he didn't doubt he scored his first touchdown of the season during the review.
"I knew I was in the whole time," he said.
In the first half, overtime was unthinkable. But late in the second quarter, the game turned when tight end Garrett Hoskins, Thayer's backup, hauled in a difficult catch over linebacker Travis Freeman and rumbled into the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown catch. Any momentum Ball State had just gained on a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Eric Williams, its first since 2007, was gone.
Parrish said for Freeman to even make as much of a play on the ball as he did was impressive.
"When you ask a [middle] linebacker to take a tight end 40 yards down the field, he better be Dick Butkus or Mike Singletary," Parrish said.
The touchdown began a run of 28 unanswered points by Eastern Michigan. Ball State's already suspect tackling was shredded by quarterback Alex Gillett. The sophomore spun and twisted out of tackle after tackle, amassing 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Gillett added 225 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Once again, the Cardinals were befuddled by a running quarterback.
"He made a lot of plays for them," safety Sean Baker said. "Scrambling quarterbacks are tough to handle."
On a day the Cardinals found plays tough to come by on defense, Baker made one of the few big ones. The junior intercepted the 14th pass of his career, tying Ball State's record.
But it was far from enough. Parrish said the Eagles offensive game plan only had about three plays in it, none of which the Cardinals did a good job of stopping.
In attempting to explain Ball State's fifth loss of the season, Parrish could only muster a lack of plays made by his team.
"It only takes one guy," he said. "It's just like in overtime. Somebody gets a sack; you've got a chance to win the game."
Helped out by a few breaks, the Cardinals made all the plays in the first 28 minutes of the game. The Eagles missed two field goals in the first quarter, failing to capitalize on good field position.
Ball State made the visitors pay, scoring the first 21 points of the game. From there, the Cardinals' inexperience and injuries began to catch up with them.
Facing a team that was giving up an average of 250 rushing yards per game, Ball State rushed for just 98 yards. Parrish wasn't surprised by the ineffectiveness running the ball because of injuries along the offensive line, most notably to center Kreg Hunter.
But the Cardinals could have overcome those struggles if they had just put the Eagles away when they had the chance.
"When you let them hang around, that's what happens," Parrish said. "We got what we deserved."
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