This is exactly what this university needed.
A bold statement by its football program on opening night.
The motto "Rise Up" is no fluke, and Ball State's 37-26 triumph of Eastern Michigan under the lights of Scheumann Stadium was proof.
The first half was closer than I expected. All 12,725 fans held their breath as both the Cardinals and Eagles traded scores before heading into the locker room tied at 13-13.
But once sophomore running back Jahwan Edwards got the ball in the second half, the game was over.
With five guys creating holes big enough for tractor-trailers to drive through in front of him, Edwards pounded the Eagles' defense into oblivion.
Furthermore, Edwards made the Eagles' defense, which allowed the second fewest yards per game in the Mid-American Conference last season, look like a bunch of tackling dummies.
"Sometimes it's (about) pounding a rock with a sledgehammer," coach Pete Lembo said of his team's running game.
Edwards' 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the third quarter looked like it was taken straight out of the Madden video game.
"It was kind of easy tonight," Edwards said.
Edwards carried the ball 20 times and amassed 200 yards while scoring three touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Keith Wenning and sophomore wide receiver Jamill Smith got in on the fun too.
Wenning looked confident in the pocket and fired lasers to his receivers. Though his accuracy was suspect at times, Wenning threw for 267 yards.
Meanwhile, Smith was running laps around the Eagles' secondary, which could've double or triple teamed him, but wouldn't have made a difference. Smith always found a way to get open at the most opportune times.
The Cardinals rose up to the occasion, and bullied the Eagles, but let's hold off on the bowl projections for a few more weeks.
There's still 11 games left in the season.
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