MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) -- Nate
Davis threw four touchdown passes, and No. 14 Ball State survived
a scare from Central Michigan on
Wednesday night in a 31-24 victory that gave the Cardinals a school-record for
wins in a season.
The victory also clinched a share of the West Division of the Mid-American
Conference for Ball
State (11-0, 7-0), which
has never played in the league title game. The Cardinals can win the division
outright with a win over Western Michigan on
Nov. 25.
Davis hit Briggs Orsbon in the corner of the end zone from 11
yards out with 7:29 left to give Ball State a 31-24 lead. Central
Michigan had a chance to tie it in the closing minutes, but Dan
LeFevour was intercepted by Sean Baker at the Ball State 15 with 35 seconds
left.
Ball State's MiQuale Lewis rushed for 177 yards on 28 carries, his ninth
100-yard game this season. In the Cardinals' go-ahead drive, Lewis carried six
times for 63 yards.
Central Michigan (8-3, 6-1) can still reach the conference
championship game if Ball State stumbles, Western Michigan defeats Eastern Michigan and a number of other tiebreakers come
through.
LeFevour finished 30-of-44 for 345 yards and two touchdowns, but
his only interception came on the Chippewas' final offensive play. After a
29-yard pass to Joe Bockheim advanced the ball to the Ball State 36, Baker
intercepted a pass intended for Kito Poblah to seal the win.
LeFevour also led Central Michigan
in rushing with 75 yards on 24 carries.
Antonio Brown caught eight passes for 61 yards for the Chippewas,
and Poblah caught five passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. His 38-yard
scoring reception in the first minute of the fourth quarter gave Central Michigan a 24-17 lead.
Davis answered with TD passes to Robinson and Orsbon.
After Ball State struck first on Johnson's touchdown catch with
1:56 left in the first quarter, Central Michigan
answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass from LeFevour to Bockheim and a 31-yard
field by Andrew Aguila on consecutive possessions in the second quarter.
A 21-yard field goal by Ball
State's Ian McGarvey with
59 seconds left in the second quarter tied it at 10. The halftime deadlock was
the first time all season that Ball
State had not led at the
break.
