IU’s players knew Ball State was starting to climb its way back.
The Hoosiers were faltering, and as their once 30-point lead began to dwindle, the memory of one 2015 game brought some players extra motivation on the sideline.
“Don’t take your foot off the gas,” junior quarterback Richard Lagow said, referencing what some IU players were discussing. “We know what happened last year, Rutgers.”
IU blew a 25-point lead in that loss, but this time did enough to hold on.
The Hoosiers defeated the Cardinals 30-20, using three first-half takeaways and big offensive plays early to put enough of a gap between them and Ball State that even 20 unanswered points weren’t enough to change the outcome.
Freshman Marcelino Ball nabbed an interception for IU (2-0), and sophomore safety Jonathan Crawford recovered two fumbles, caused separately by junior linebackers Tegray Scales and Marcus Oliver.
Oliver’s forced fumble and Ball’s interception both led to field goals, while Scales’ saved the team from allowing a Ball State (1-1) touchdown. The success validated a mindset Oliver said had been a part of this 2016 squad from the beginning.
“It’s just the standard that we set around here,” Oliver said. “Every practice, every day, we’re practicing and preaching it. That’s the culture we’ve built and will continue to build here.”
As the Hoosier defense stifled Ball State drive-in and drive-out, Lagow and a trio of running backs cut up the Cardinal defense. The JUCO transfer threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, 133 of those yards and two of those touchdowns to sophomore wide receiver Nick Westbrook.
Westbrook once again stepped up in the place of junior wide receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr., who injured his ankle on IU’s first offensive play and will likely require surgery, Wilson said. Senior offensive lineman Dan Feeney was also knocked out of the game early due to a concussion.
Westbrook only had three receptions, but his 79-yard touchdown reception was critical to IU’s strong start to the second half.
That strong start didn’t last.
Junior running back Devine Redding recorded his fifth straight 100-yard game, and sophomore Mike Majette and freshman Devonte Williams both answered the call, but their successes were mostly found early in the game.
Majette broke out a 48-yard run, and Redding a 28, but Redding acknowledged a late drop-off and an inability to find the rhythm they had early. Still, that doesn’t mean there were obvious ways that could have been avoided.
“It’s really hard to tell, they had a great defense, loading the box,” Redding said. “Anything we did we tried to get more than what was blocked for us.”
IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the team got a little out of whack toward the end and needs to improve in scoring situations and on third down. The Hoosiers finished the game 2-of-13 on third down conversions and had to settle for field goals on drives that initially seemed destined for the end zone.
The Hoosiers also had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but the first-half performance and solid start to the third quarter were enough.
“It’d been great to be a little crisper at the end but that was good football and a good team win,” Wilson said. “I got a lot of respect for Ball State. I thought they were going to come in and play well and they did.”
