NCAA Game Summary - Ball State at Central Michigan

Mount Pleasant, MI (Sports Network) - Nate Davis threw four touchdown passes and MiQuale Lewis rushed for 177 yards as the 14th-ranked Ball State Cardinals stayed perfect on the season with a 31-24 decision over Central Michigan in an exciting Mid-American Conference bout.

Davis notched just 175 passing yards on 12-of-22 efficiency in cold, windy conditions that saw the occasional snowfall, but it was enough for Ball State (11-0, 7-0 MAC) to improve the best start in program history while clinching a share of the MAC West Division title and recording a school record for wins in a season.

Both of Louis Johnson's catches went for touchdowns, while Briggs Orsbon and Daniel Ifft brought down the other scores for the Cardinals, who play Western Michigan in their regular-season finale next Tuesday to try and lock up a spot in the conference title game.

"We haven't proven anything yet," said Ball State coach Brady Hoke. "We still have to play a good Western Michigan team next week to win the division. Central is a good football team, they won the possession battle against us and did a lot of good things tonight. Ultimately, our defense made some key stops at the end of the game."

Dan LeFevour did all he could in an effort to clinch the Chippewas' (8-3, 6-1) third straight MAC West Division title, passing for 345 yards and two touchdowns on 30-of-44 attempts while rushing for a team-high 75 yards on 24 carries. But his interception in the closing seconds proved costly in snapping CMU's six-game winning streak.

"Ball State is obviously a very good football team and I thought our kids played hard but we made too many mistakes to beat a football team of that caliber," said Central Michigan coach Butch Jones. "They made fewer mistakes than us and that was the difference in the game."

Kito Poblah caught five balls for 110 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Andrew Aguila missed 2-of-3 field goal attempts in the loss.

Central Michigan bounced back from Aguila's second missed kick as Poblah made a nice adjustment on an under-thrown LeFevour toss for a 38-yard score and a 24-17 lead 39 seconds in the final stanza.

Ball State had an answer on the fourth play of the next possession when Johnson caught a pass down the right sideline, broke a tackle and raced into the end zone for a 45-yard TD.

CMU was forced to punt on the next drive and Lewis went to work with six rushes for 63 yards on the ensuing possession. Facing 3rd-and-8 at the Chippewas 11-yard line, Davis fired a perfect pass to a covered Orsbon, who caught the out route in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:29 remaining.

The Chippewas moved into Ball State territory on the next drive, but two incompletions and a sack on third down left the ball at the Cardinals 40 with just over four minutes to play. A fake punt on 4th-and-18 stood no chance, but CMU managed to get the ball back with just under a minute remaining.

After instant replay nullified an interception, three completions put the ball on the Ball State 36. Attempting a pass into the red zone, LeFevour was picked off by Sean Baker and the Cardinals' hope for an appearance in a BCS game stayed afloat.

The offensive explosion expected from both clubs didn't come to fruition in the first half. After Aguila's missed 40-yard field goal attempt, Ball State marched to paydirt, culminating in Johnson's 20-yard grab with less than two minutes to play in the opening quarter.

CMU answered with a touchdown drive of its own. Two plays after LeFevour rushed for a first down on 4th-and-1 at the Ball State 25, he found Joe Bockheim down the middle, as the receiver took a big hit at the two, stayed on his feet and reached the ball into the end zone early in the second quarter.

Aguila's 31-yard kick gave CMU a brief 10-7 lead, and Ian McGarvey's 21-yarder knotted it just before intermission.

The programs came out of the break and exchanged blows. The Chippewas went first and scored on a six-play, 63-yard drive when Ontario Sneed penetrated the goal line on an eight-yard scamper.

The Cardinals curiously went for it on 4th-and-1 on their own 37 on the next drive and Lewis rushed for the first by the nose of the ball. Davis' 18-yard hookup with Ifft at the midway point of the third tied the game, 17-17.