Having a quarterback making only his fourth career start could be a disadvantage for an offense. For Ball State, specifically its defense, having Tyler Van Tubbergen start for Western Michigan could be a big advantage Saturday.
Ball State football may avoid having to prepare for one of the better quarterbacks in the Mid-American Conference.
A group of college-aged guys played cards, watched playoff baseball games and had a typical night for collegiate youth.
The fact he dropped back in the pocket and tossed that many is remarkable and honestly, very surprising.
So far in 2012, Ball State (9-10) has faced a perfect storm of bad luck.
After what many thought was a step forward in a 3-2 win against Indiana, the Ball State field hockey team took a hit after suffering through a 0-2 weekend at Ohio and Ohio State.
For coach Craig Roberts, winning means more now that Ball State is among the Mid-American Conference's elite teams.
Ball State's cross country team beat out Marian and Indianapolis University on Friday, finishing with a time of 18:49.08, a season best for the team.Country
Despite losing its second straight game, Ball State's defense showed some of its most promising play of the season against Northern Illinois on Saturday.
For the second consecutive season, Ball State is 3-3 after starting the season 3-1. Four of its next six games are on the road, including a non-conference game on Oct. 27 at Army.
With the biennial Ryder Cup concluding last week in a historic collapse from the United States team, it was thought there would be at least some gloating time for European players.
When a defense holds an opponent to 2-for-12 on third down conversions, it usually results in a win.
After forcing a punt on Northern Illinois' first drive of the game, Ball State's offense started at its own 4-yard line.
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Three thoughts from Ball State vs. Northern Illinois
Every time Ball State finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel, a frustrating performance forces a setback.
Ball State started the third quarter by quickly driving deep into Northern Illinois territory and eventually would end up at the goal line.
Starting the quarter at Ball State's 12-yard line, Northern Illinois quickly added to its lead.
With sloppy conditions causing every ball to skip, dip or bounce unexpectedly, it wouldn't take a special strike to get a goal in Friday's game.
Ball State has struggled in close matches all season long, and Central Michigan was guaranteed to be a nail-biter.
