A headline in the Los Angeles Daily News summed it up well. “Notre Dame gets all it can handle from Ball State.”  Mike Neu’s Cardinals lost to the Fighting Irish 24-to-16, Saturday, but left Notre Dame stadium with a list of accomplishments.

The Cards ran 97 plays – the fourth-most in school history, and one of the highest number of plays ever run against Notre Dame.  The Irish ran 72 plays.  Ball State outgained Notre Dame on the ground 169 to 117, had 24 first downs to the Irish’s 20, and controlled time of possession 34:22 to 25:38.  Still, it was the final score that always matters – the Cards losing 24 to 16 to the nation’s 8^th-ranked team. Cardinals Head Coach Mike Neu said after the game his players left everything they had, on the field. Ball State is 1-and-1 on the season.

Next up, Ball State travels to Bloomington to take on Indiana.  The Cardinals have won three of the last four games with the Hoosiers.  You can see the game on the Big Ten Network, starting at noon.

BSU vs. ND POINTS BY QUARTERS:  1st = ND 7, BSU 3;  2nd = ND 7 BSU 3; 3rd = ND 10, BSU 0; 4th = ND 0, BSU 10.