The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Stan Parrish, who coached the team during the GMAC Bowl and beyond. The Cardinals' home games were played at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.
With a 12–0 record during the regular season, the Cardinals completed their first perfect regular season since 1949 and their first undefeated season in Mid-American Conference play since 1978. The Cardinals earned their first Mid-American Conference West Championship in program history. The Cardinals chance at perfection ended after an upset loss to Buffalo in the 2008 MAC Championship Game. Ball State concluded the season with a 45–13 loss to Tulsa in the 2009 GMAC Bowl. The game marked the first time in school history Ball State has played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons.
Preseason Outlook The Cardinals ended the 2007 season with a 7–6 overall record, the Mid-American Conference West Division Co-Championship and the program's first bowl game in 11 seasons, losing to Rutgers 52–30 in the 2008 International Bowl. Ball State ranked in the top 35 nationally in 2007 in five different categories; turnover margin (4th), passing offense (22nd), passing efficiency (24th), net punting (29th) and total offense (31st). The quarterback of the Ball State offense was Nate Davis who threw for 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions in his 478 pass attempts. The Cardinals returned their starting receiving corps, which helped lead Ball State to be the #1 ranked passing offense in the Mid-American Conference. Wide receiver Dante Love produced nearly 1,400 receiving yards while adding 203 more rushing with eleven touchdowns in 2007. Love also led the Mid-American Conference in three categories; receptions per game (7.7), receiving yards per game (107.5) and all-purpose yards (207). Punter Chris Miller was third in the country in 2007 averaging 45.4 yards per punt last season and was considered to be an All-American candidate. The Cardinals also returned tight end Darius Hill. Considered to be the premier tight end in the Mid-American Conference, Hill averaged 71 yards per game and scored 11 touchdowns last season. Regarding the offensive line, Andre Ramsey, Dan Gerberry and Robert Brewster were each three-year starters that form a solid nucleus along the offensive line. Defensively, the Cardinals ranked just 106th in the nation in rush defense, and allowed 432 yards and 28.3 points per game. The Cardinals did, however, returned eight defensive starters, including six letterman. Returning for the 2008 season were cornerbacks B.J. Hill and Trey Lewis, who both recorded five interceptions in 2007. Defensive end Brandon Crawford had eight sacks in the previous season and linebacker Bryant Haines recorded 125 tackles.
At the Mid-American Conference Football Media Preview in Detroit, the Ball State Cardinals were picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division behind Central Michigan. Central Michigan grabbed 29 of the 36 first-place votes with Ball State receiving five first-place votes and Western Michigan receiving two. Central Michigan totaled 207 points in the preseason poll, while the Cardinals tallied 168.
Recruiting
Coaching staff CoachesPositionBrady Hoke Head coach; resigned on December 15 to become head coach at San Diego State.Stan Parrish Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach; succeeded Hoke as head coach.Mark Smith Defensive coordinator/linebackers coachPhil Burnett Defensive line coachEddie Faulkner Running backs coachSidney Powell Secondary coachDarrell Funk Offensive guards & centers coachJeff Hecklinski Wide receivers coach & recruiting coordinatorJohn Powers Offensive tackles & tight ends coachEd Stults Assistant head coach/special teams coordinatorRyan Aiello Graduate assistant coachBrad Wilson Graduate assistant coachBill Zenisek Graduate assistant coachJay Steilberg Director of football operationsAaron Wellman Director of strength and conditioning/footballD.J. Welte Video and technology coordinator
Schedule
Game summaries
Northeastern
Nate Davis passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns as Ball State beat Northeastern 48–14 in the season opener for both teams. MiQuale Lewis had 11 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown as the Cardinals garnered 190 yards rushing. Ball State had 487 yards total offense. Davis’ two other touchdown passes were a 49-yard completion to Dante Love and an eight-yard pass to Darius Hill in the first half. He completed 21 of 24 passes with no interceptions. The Huskies were down 28–0 with 50 seconds left in the first half when Greg Abelli scored on a 20-yard run. The Cardinals quickly responded with a 25-yard field goal by Ian McGarvey to make it 31–7 at halftime. Ball State lengthened its lead after the break to 48–7 with a 27-yard pass from Davis to Daniel Ifft, a Cory Sykes six-yard run and another McGarvey field goal. Northeastern backup quarterback John Sperrazza, who completed six of seven passes for 82 yards, threw a pass to Conor Gilmartin-Donohue for a 10-yard touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game. Starter Anthony Orio completed 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards.
Navy
Nate Davis passed for 326 yards and four touchdowns, but it was the Cardinals’ defense that repeatedly came up with the big plays in the second half of a 35–23 victory over the Midshipmen. Davis passed for 215 yards in the first half, including touchdowns of 61 yards to Dante Love on the second play of the game and 30 yards to Briggs Orsbon late in the second quarter. Love, who tied a school record with his eleventh game of at least 100 yards receiving, also rushed for a touchdown and caught a go-ahead 8 yard touchdown pass from Davis midway through the third quarter. After Love's second touchdown catch put Ball State ahead 28–23, Navy threatened to take the lead again late in the third period. Shun White, who set a Navy rushing record with 348 yards and three touchdowns in the previous week, was stopped at the 3 yard line, and quarterback Jarod Bryant, who ran for Navy's first two touchdowns, was held for no gain on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Cardinals. Ball State then put the game out of reach with a 97-yard drive, scoring the clinching touchdown on a 35-yard pass from Davis to Darius Hill early in the final period. The game was nationally televised on ESPN and earned a 1.2 Nielsen rating, making it the best regular season national television rating for a Mid-American Conference home game since 2005.
Akron
MiQuale Lewis rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Nate Davis passed for 300 yards and two more touchdowns to lead Ball State past Akron 41–24. Lewis carried 28 times and scored on runs of three and two yards. Davis completed 24 of 36 passes with one interception, throwing touchdown passes of 21 yards to Briggs Orsbon and 25 yards to Darius Hill. Chris Jacquemain completed 21 of 44 passes for 269 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Andre Jones, but was also intercepted off four times, three of them by Sean Baker. With the score tied at 10 early in the second quarter, the Cardinals scored 21 points on Lewis’ two touchdown and Baker's 33 yard return of a fumble. The victory marked the first time Ball State started the season 3–0 since 1988.
Indiana
MiQuale Lewis ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns, helping Ball State to a 42–20 victory over Indiana. It was the first time the Cardinals beat a BCS conference school. The victory also ended Indiana's 20 game winning streak against Mid-American Conference opponents, which dated to a September 24, 1977, loss against Miami (Ohio) when Lee Corso was coaching the Hoosiers. The Cardinals gained 463 yards in offense, scored 28 points in the first half and put the game away with two touchdown runs from Lewis in the fourth quarter. Indiana was led by Kellen Lewis, who ran for 148 yards and one touchdown and threw for 159 yards but was intercepted twice. Nate Davis was 16 of 25 for 239 yards and threw one touchdown pass. Both teams combining for nearly 500 total yards and two defensive touchdowns in the first half.
Dante Love injury With 10:45 left in the first half, Dante Love, who entered the game leading the nation at 144.3 yards per game, caught a short pass and started to turn upfield when Indiana cornerback Chris Adkins jarred the ball loose with a big hit that led to an Indiana touchdown. Love stayed on the ground for several minutes before doctors rolled him onto a backboard and carted him off the field. School officials later issued a statement saying Love felt numbness and tingling while on the field. He was taken to Bloomington Hospital before being transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation. Love underwent a five-hour surgery for a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury and had movement in his arms and legs after the procedure. On September 22, head coach Brady Hoke told reporters, "Due to the injury Dante sustained, his football career is expected to be over. He should have normal and healthy functions for the rest of his life. He touched a lot of lives, and he will continue to do so."
Kent State
Before the game, Ball State players wore red T-shirts with Love's jersey number 86 on the front during warmups, and had stickers with the number on the back of their helmets. A “We Love Dante” sign was draped over the fence just past the north end zone and Love also was named an honorary captain. MiQuale Lewis opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Nate Davis threw a pass to Myles Trempe for a 31-yard touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 14–0 lead. Kent State responded late in the quarter when quarterback Julian Edelman scored on a 12-yard run to cut Ball State's lead to 14–7. Lewis scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run with 21 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 21–7 lead at halftime. Cory Sykes’ 10 yard touchdown run in the opening minutes of the third quarter made it 28–7, and the Cardinals led by at least 17 points the rest of the way. Lewis ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns and Davis passed for 265 yards and a touchdown.
Toledo
MiQuale Lewis rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Ball State broke away from a close game at halftime to beat Toledo 31–0. Lewis carried the ball 31 times and scored on runs of three and one yards for the Cardinals. After taking the second half kickoff, Nate Davis led a 10 play, 74 yard drive that he capped with a one-yard touchdown run. Lewis then scored late in the quarter before the Cardinals added two more touchdowns in a two and a half minute span midway through the fourth quarter. Toledo lost its third straight home game for the first time in 15 years and was shut out by a Mid-American Conference opponent for the first time since 1985. The Rockets managed just 157 yards of total offense, rushing for 14 yards on 19 attempts. Davis completed 18 of 30 passes for 242 yards and Sykes added 90 yards on seven carries. After the victory, The Cardinals received enough votes to move into the Associated Press poll for the first time in school history, ranking at #25. It is also the first time the Cardinals started the season 6–0 since 1965.
Western Kentucky