0
0
When looking on paper, Ball State who went 2-10 last season heading up north to South Bend to play #8 Notre Dame would be a recipe for a disaster. Try telling that to the Ball State players or fan base. Ball State had an impressive showing today even with a 24-16 loss to the Irish. The Cardinals came into the game 34.5 point underdogs and covered the spread easily for those including myself!
Being a Ball State alum, I was proud of the performance of this team and QB Riley Neal played really well against one of the best teams in the nation. Neal finished 23-50 180 yds 1 TD 2 INT. Yes, it doesn’t look like a good stat line but Neal was very confident in the backfield and only had a few mistakes. Running Back James Gilbert was a work-horse out there today churning up 72 yards on 19 carries.
Not to be outshined, the Cardinals defense forced 3 Irish turnovers from QB Brandon Wimbush. The Cardinals defense had Wimbush running all over the field and made several key 3rd down stops along the way. Ball State gained 24 1st downs and 349 total yards compared to Notre Dame’s 416. Ball State outrushed the Irish 169 yards to 119 yards.
I am proud to be a Ball State alum and they showed on national television that they are getting better and can hang with powerhouse teams. The bright lights of Notre Dame Stadium were not too big for this Cardinals team and even though it was a loss….they are still winners in my book and the Cardinals fan base. Well done guys!! #ChirpChirp
Ball State travels to Bloomington to take on another in-state rival Indiana next Saturday! Ball State has won against IU before and expect the Cardinals to give them their best next week.
