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Ball State quarterback Keith Wenning (10) hands off to running back Horactio Banks (4) against Indiana during an NCAA college football game in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Herald-Times, Chris Howell) (September 16, 2012) |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Keith Wenning had Ball State in perfect position to upset Indiana.
Steven Schott made good on it.
In one of the wildest finishes in Memorial Stadium history, Schott made a 42-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Cardinals a 41-39 victory and their third straight win over the bigger, better-known Hoosiers.
It wasn't the final play that had Hoosiers fans grumbling -- it was Willie Snead's incredible 18-yard diving catch near the sideline. He slid out of bounds with 1 second to go, a play that came just moments after officials had added a second to the clock after Ball State called its final timeout. The catch was reviewed and, to the dismay of Indiana fans and delight of Ball State fans, the call on the field was upheld.
"We had to either complete it and get out of bounds or throw it incomplete and stop the clock," Wenning said. "With 7 seconds, it's risky, but we were too far out. We needed a field goal, so we just took a chance there."
The Cardinals (2-1) made the gamble pay off.
Schott, whose 51-yarder in the first half barely dropped over the crossbar, made this one without any problem. The kick sent Ball State's players sprinting onto the field, jumping and down. Some ran right past Indiana coach Kevin Wilson as they raced to the opposite end of the field where Ball State's students were seated.
The Cardinals are now 3-49 all-time against BCS conference schools. All three wins have come over the Hoosiers (2-1) in the past four years, two of those in Bloomington. The other was at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"It's a huge win. It's a huge win for Ball State, a huge win for our season," Schott said. "Hopefully, it propels us forward into the middle of the season here."
Without Wenning, it may not have happened.
The junior quarterback was 26 of 44 for 222 yards with three touchdowns. He ran six times for 40 yards. He caught his first college pass, a 12-yard TD reception from receiver Jamill Smith, to put Ball State back in front in the third quarter, and he closed it out by moving the Cardinals 44 yards in the final 49 seconds.
But it was Wenning's composure that really proved the difference.
He didn't allow the Cardinals to get rattled during the first-half shootout, didn't get overly concerned when the Hoosiers scored on a 2-point conversion run with 5 seconds left in the first half to take a 25-24 lead and didn't fret when the Hoosiers rallied from a 38-25 deficit to retake a 39-38 lead with two touchdowns in the final four minutes.
Instead, Wenning went back to work, completing passes of 14 and 12 yards before Snead's incredible grab and Schott's decisive kick.
"I was rushing the quarterback, the play happened, they reviewed it, it was a catch," Hoosiers defensive tackle Adam Replogle said. "So, they reviewed it, there's nothing you can do about it. The catch was a catch, we just had to come out the next play and get the field goal."
For the Hoosiers, it was a frustrating night.
A week after losing starting quarterback Tre Roberson for the season with a broken left leg, they went with junior college transfer Cameron Coffman, who was terrific in the first half. He rallied the Hoosiers from a 14-3 first-half deficit to that halftime lead.
Indiana couldn't do anything in the third quarter and after going 24 of 35 for 251 yards with two TDs in his first college start, Coffman left the game with a hip-pointer.
Wilson sent in Nate Sudfeld, the only other scholarship quarterback on his roster.
Trailing 38-25, Sudfeld hooked up with Cody Latimer on a 70-yard TD pass to make it 38-32 with 4:07 to play. And with the help of three pass-interference calls, Sudfeld marched the Hoosiers 77 yards in 53 seconds, throwing a 2-yard TD pass to Shane Winn with 49 seconds left. Mitch Ewald's extra point gave Indiana a seemingly safe 39-38 lead.
"I got a lot of respect for Ball State, but I got a lot of respect for this young football team. This is a good team, and a lot better than most of you think with your little smirks out there, OK?" Wilson said. "This is a good team that's going to get a heck of a lot better every day, every second."
Wenning and Schott had the answer for that, too.
They just stayed calm, made plays and had the calls go their way.
"The kids are obviously excited and it's just a very humbling experience right now. This is a great place, Indiana is much improved and it was a great college football game tonight," Cardinals coach Pete Lembo said. "They're better and I'd like to think we're a little better, too."
