From Muncie's Viewpoint

[bullwark]

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110911/SPORTS/109110382/Ball-State-gets-bulled-over-by-South-Florida

TAMPA, Fla. -- Somewhere on Ball State coach Pete Lembo's game plan -- probably up extremely high -- a notation similar to this one likely existed: "Make them beat you."

The Cardinals didn't make South Florida do anything it didn't want to do Saturday night and suffered the consequences against one of the nation's best football teams.

Disaster struck Ball Sate on the first action of the game as kick returner Phil Dudley fumbled the ball on a hard hit at the 17-yard line. South Florida returned the ball for a touchdown to get rolling toward a 37-7 victory at Raymond James Stadium.

Dudley replaced Briggs Orsbon as the main kick returner after Orsbon handled duties a week earlier against Indiana. Dudley was hit hard by Mike Jeune, and the Bulls' Mark Joyce scooped the ball and ran it 17 yards for the score.

"That was about the worst possible thing that could happen," Cardinals quarterback Keith Wenning said. "But we have to overcome stuff like that. Things like that are going to happen."

Nothing went well for the Cardinals (1-1) after that as the defense struggled to contain USF quarterback B.J. Daniels and the offense was stuck in mud against the Bulls' defense.

South Florida used a 20-point second quarter to build a 30-0 halftime lead, and Ball State was never a threat to get in the game.

"We didn't help ourselves by making some mistakes," Lembo said. "I wouldn't say it was a lack of poise, but we had little margin for error, and we didn't bring our A game. We were going to need our A game."

Quarterback B.J. Daniels was the difference in the game as he orchestrated the Bulls' offense to near-perfection.

The junior from Tallahassee, Fla., completed 28-of-39 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown. His only significant flaw was an interception on a badly overthrown pass that Ball State's Jason Pinkston intercepted at the Ball State 9-yard line late in the first quarter.

The tempo with which Daniels directed the offense was much quicker than the Cardinals anticipated, Pinkston said

"On film, they didn't display that," Pinkston said. "Every time they had a positive play, they hurried up to the line. We didn't expect that."

Daniels directed the Bulls to 20 points (14 coming on two touchdowns) in the second quarter for a 30-0 halftime lead.

On the first TD in the second period, Daniels picked on backup Cardinal cornerbacks Armand Dehaney and Andre Dawson to get the ball down field in big chunks of yards. Regular corners Pinkston and Jeffrey Garrett were out of the game with minor injuries.

Though Pinkston and Garrett returned two series later, Daniels moved the Bulls 70 yards on four straight pass completions, ending the drive with a 20-yard touchdown throw to Victor Mark for the 30-0 halftime lead.

Daniels left the game for good after the first series in the third quarter produced an empty drive when Maikon Bonani missed a 41-yard field goal.

That was one of the few breakdowns for the No. 22 Bulls (2-0).

Ball State avoided the shutout when Jahwan Edwards scored a touchdown on a 13-yard run with 13:13 remaining in the fourth period. The TD was the first for the true freshman, who led the Cardinals with 41 yards on seven carries.

Little went right for Ball State in the opening half, when the game was decided. The Cardinals managed only 76 yards of offense (USF had 386) and four first downs in the first two quarters. Their only first down in the final 21 minutes of the half came courtesy of an unnecessary roughness penalty against South Florida.

"You have to credit their defense," Wenning said. "They were a lot faster than we're used to. They brought blitzes, and beat us up front a majority of the time. Their speed and strength up front is what got us."

[mikebeau]

I like opposing teams news people calling us One of the nations best teams

[TrujilloBull2013]

I like opposing teams news people calling us One of the nations best teams

they do that to make themselves feel better about getting their asses handed to them. jussayin.

[macphisto]

they do that to make themselves feel better about getting their asses handed to them. jussayin.

To a point, but they wouldn't be saying that if they got beaten by Kent State in the same manner, or Duke or some really low end BCS squad.

I think they fact that we're ranked by the AP right now makes it easy to say that we are one of the nation's best.  22 out of 120 or so is in the top 20% - and I definitely think we are in the top 20%.

[DELdaBull]

I love giving ass kickings.

[Bulls On Parade]

I love giving *** kickings.

then you will love this weeks game vs  famu

[SilverBull]

I like opposing teams news people calling us One of the nations best teams

they do that to make themselves feel better about getting their asses handed to them. jussayin.

Quite right.  On the BSU message board some are saying we are a top 10 team and comparing us to Oklahoma as to our team speed.   Oh, if only it is so.

[Rizman]

Here is why the Bulls could have a special reason.  Our coaches prepare our team will for each team.  Such as Notre Dame and now Ball State.  Look at the quote from the article posted.

The tempo with which Daniels directed the offense was much quicker than the Cardinals anticipated, Pinkston said

What does that say, it says our coaches are looking that the team and preparing our players to play football that makes it difficult on that team.

[Who'sYourData?]

Being a little nit picky, Daniels did come back in for the final touchdown drive in the third series of the third quarter.  You'd think the writer would have noticed...