|
 "If Jordan isn't in the conversation for the Heisman I don't know
what people are watching, they were asleep," Carey said. "In my
estimation that trophy goes to the best player in the nation and
with the performance he had tonight, he dang sure should be in that
conversation."
Playing in front of a national television audience, Lynch threw two
touchdown passes and ran for two scores to help No. 20 Northern
Illinois beat Ball State 48-27 on Wednesday night.
"I feel like I'm improving every week," Lynch said. "I still think
the best is yet to come."
Lynch threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Da'Ron Brown to break a tie
with 5:49 left, and the Huskies (10-0, 6-0 Mid-American) ran the
nation's longest active home winning streak to 25 and their
conference run to 23. The 10-0 mark is their best since the 1963
team finished 10-0.
Lynch added a 16-yard touchdown run with 1:26 to go, and defensive
end Joe Windsor scored on a 49-yard interception return with 46
seconds left.
Lynch was 26 of 32 for 345 yards and ran for 123 yards on 20
carries. Brown had 12 receptions for 209 yards, also catching a
58-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
"He's a very good player," Ball State coach Pete Lembo said. "He's
fast, he's built like a linebacker, but he's got tailback speed.
He's got a lot of savvy."
The victory preserved Northern Illinois' hopes for a second straight
Bowl Championship Series appearance They played in the Orange Bowl
last season and are 15th in the BCS rankings. They need to stay
undefeated and pass Fresno State in the BCS to have a shot.
Keith Wenning was 35 of 49 for 324 yards for Ball State (9-2, 6-1).
Willie Snead had 12 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, and
Jahwan Edwards ran for 156 yards and a score.
The loss ended the Cardinals' seven-game winning streak and 11-game
MAC run.
[to top of second column] |
The teams combined for three scores in the final
1:28 of the first half.
Edwards' 2-yard touchdown run — his school record 38th — gave
Ball State a 21-13 lead, but Lynch and Brown combined on the
58-yard touchdown strike with 1:13 left to make it 21-20.
Scott Secor lined a successful 43-yard field goal into the wind
with 30 seconds to go, and Sims missed a 52-yard try with a
second left, leaving the Cardinals up 24-20.
Ball State had the ball to start the second half, but stalled at
midfield and was forced to punt for only the second time.
Northern Illinois' subsequent drive included a key third-down
10-yard pickup by Lynch as he escaped two defenders, a
fourth-down keeper for a first down at the Cardinals 47 and a
fourth-and-goal touchdown run from the 1 by tailback Cameron
Stingily for a 27-24 lead.
Northern Illinois stopped Ball State at the 1, forcing the
Cardinals to settle for a 19-yard field goal that tied it at 27
with 3:07 to go in the third.
Ball State was held to three second-half points.
"We just couldn't keep the drives going," Lembo said. "We'd move
the ball, have long drives and get on their side of the field
and then the drives would just kind of stall. I think that was
the different from the first half to the second half."
Lynch combined with Brown on a 54-yard pass to the Cardinals 10
early in the fourth quarter, but Brown fumbled and Ball State
safety Brian Jones recovered at the 13.
Lynch and Brown teamed again for the go-ahead score with 5:49
left.
The Huskies resume play next Wednesday night at Toledo.
[Associated
Press; JACK McCARTHY]
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