Nate Davis Leads Ball State to 10-0 With Win Over Miami

What a season for the Ball State Cardinals. This is officially their first mention here at Midwest Sports Fans, but how could we possibly ignore them any longer?

With their 31-16 victory over Miami (Ohio) last night on ESPN, the Ball State Cardinals moved to 10-0 on the season with a huge showdown looming next week against Central Michigan.

(Editor’s note: To see a hilarious Top 10 Reasons Why Ball State Should be in the BCS, head over to The World of Isaac.  Funny stuff.  Any post that includes a pic of Ron Jeremy and the “Boom Goes the Dynamite” video is worth reading.)

As usual, the key for Ball State was quarterback Nate Davis. No, not that Nate Davis, this one:

This guy is really, really good and is not getting nearly enough attention around the country for his weekly exploits. For the season, Nate Davis has thrown 20 TD passes against 6 INTs and has a passer rating of 168.00. He has also run for 3 TDs and has only been sacked 8 times. I’m not to here to say that Nate Davis is anywhere near the level of Michael Crabtree, Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell, Tim Tebow, or even Mullet All-Star Albert Jergens; but Nate Davis is certainly having a season worthy of some national attention.

Ball State is also getting outstanding play from MiQuale Lewis, who has rushed for nearly 1,300 yards through ten games and has scored 17 TDs. It is hard to find a 1-2 offensive combination anywhere else in the country that has been as profilic as Davis-Lewis have been this season.

Currently, the Cardinals sit at #14 in the AP Poll and #16 in the Coaches Poll. They are #14 in the latest BCS Standings, behind two-loss heroes Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma State, and Missouri. Who knows what would happen if Ball State ended up playing against one of the big boys in a BCS game — but I’d definitely like to see it happen. The Cardinals were able to go on the road and win in the Big Ten earlier this year, beating Indiana 42-20. I realize it’s just Indiana, but it’s still a 22-point win on the road in the Big Ten. Nothing to sneeze at. (Never mind, it was Indiana, what am I saying?)

Next week, Ball State takes on Central Michigan in what has to be one of the 5-10 biggest games in the history of the MAC. Central Michigan also has a Big Ten road victory this season, taking out Indiana in Bloomington as well a few weeks ago. The Chippewas almost took down Purdue earlier in the season too. Led by quarterback Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan is currently undefeated in the MAC at 5-0 and 7-2 overall. They play 5-4 Northern Illinois tonight, and if the Chippewas can take care of business it will set up next week’s matchup for all the marbles in the MAC West, as both Central Michigan and Ball State will enter the game 6-0. That game will be played at Central Michigan.

As a fan of Midwest sports, I will be rooting for Ball State. I would love to see the Cardinals crack the BCS and get a shot to take down a major program. I remember how exciting the Boise State-Oklahoma game was a few years ago and Ball State has the kind of dynamic offensive talent that could make things difficult on a major program.

One thing is for sure: Ball State has an outstanding quarterback in Nate Davis to go along with a solid ground game. The Cardinals haven’t gotten too much national attention, but if they can beat Central Michigan next week and take care of business the rest of the way, America will have no choice but to pay attention to the team from Muncie, Indiana. And finally, people will something to say about Ball State other than the fact that it is David Letterman’s alma mater. (And that they have hats that say “Ball U” on them. I’ve considered becoming a fan for that reason alone.)

Congrats on a great season so far Ball State — now finish the job, and give Midwest sports fans like me who root for crappy teams (Indiana, Tennessee) someone to root for come January.

[tags]college football, ball state, central michigan, Mid-American Conference[/tags]

Tags: ball state, central michigan, MAC, nate davis

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