UB-Ball State: The stars come out to play
Bulls' big three of Drew Willy, James Starks and Naaman Roosevelt takes on undefeated Cardinals, powered by quarterback Nate Davis and running back MiQuale Lewis
DETROIT – Clearly, this is not the Super Bowl nor the Bowl Championship Series national championship game. No Roman numerals, no computer rankings.
What tonight’s Mid-American Conference Championship Game does have, though, is every chance to be meaningful and unforgettable.
What game could ask for more? By the end of the night, the University at Buffalo, once a national punch line to a joke that wasn’t very funny, could have the program’s first league championship. Or 12th-ranked Ball State, a football power built in the heart of basketball country, could be a step closer to perfection.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Ford Field. Walk down either path and you can’t go wrong.
Walk one way and there is UB (7-5). What the Bulls have accomplished under Turner Gill in three short seasons is nothing short of a coaching miracle. Few programs over the last 10 seasons have risen from the ashes to the cusp of a conference championship.
“We had to come in and change the culture and to get each one of these young men to believe in their ability,” Gill said. “They had ability, it was just just a matter of putting it all together and turning it around.”
Walk the other way and there is Ball State (12-0). It has been 12 years since its last MAC championship, a dry spell that has turned into Hoosier humiliation. Now the Cardinals are the best team in the state of Indiana, Notre Dame included, and two wins away from a perfect season.
“I never thought we could go undefeated, but maybe the players had that in their mind,” said Ball State coach Brady Hoke. “Our goal is to always win the championship.”
Walk one way there is UB’s James Starks, the MAC’s second- leading rusher, Naaman Roosevelt, ranked No. 1 in the MAC in receiving yards, and Davonte Shannon, a two-time first-team All-MAC selection. And there’s Drew Willy, probably the best quarterback not to make an all-conference team.
Walk the other way and there is Nate Davis, the Next Great MAC Quarterback who can now be mentioned in the same breath as Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich and Ben Roethlisberger. Davis is protected by three All-MAC offensive linemen — Dan Gerberry, Robert Brewster and Andre Ramsey — and has weapons in tight end Darius Hill and tailback MiQuale Lewis.
The two coaches, Gill and Hoke, are young, hot and could be working the sidelines at BCS schools by next fall. Ball State has the No. 1 rated scoring offense in the MAC. UB is No. 3. Ball State is fourth in passing and UB is fifth. UB is No. 1 in turnover margin and Ball State is No. 2.
If you’re looking for stars, they’re shining tonight at Ford Field.
“This game,” said defensive end Brandon Crawford, Ball State’s 32-year-old former Marine, “is the best of the best.”
Walk one way and UB believes it can win. Never mind that Ball State outscored the Bulls in their last two meetings, 104-39.
“Different team,” Willy said, “different season.”
Winning five of their last six games is proof. So are the three overtime wins in four games and the Hail Mary win over Temple that laid the groundwork for a 5-3 finish in the MAC.
“We have to show the world that we’re a great team,” Starks said. “To beat a great team on television, that just helps us out even more.”
Walk another way and everyone is bumper-to-bumper hyping Ball State, watching the 12-game winning streak, waiting to see if there is a fall. The Cardinals are utterly content to carry the burden.
“We just go out and take it week by week and just go out and listen to what the coaches say,” Gerberry said. “Our goal is to win the MAC and you can be 12-0, but it’s not going to help us win [tonight]. If we don’t win [tonight] it’s not going to be a success.”
Walk one way and the Bulls don’t dwell on the odds, which list them as 14z-point underdogs. Walk another way and Ball State doesn’t dwell on perfection or being frozen out of the BCS.
Walk down either path and you’ll find a magical matchup between two teams with one common objective: Winning the MAC championship.
“There’s nothing more to say,” Starks said. “I’m ready to play.”
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