Ball State’s football Cardinals won the Arizona Bowl in Tucson Thursday afternoon, by beating  San Jose State University, 34 to 13.  Ball State football fans probably think a month of Sundays hit the calendar.  After all, it’s been a long wait.  This is the first bowl victory in the school’s 102-year history.

The game was won early. The Cardinals bulldozed the Spartans, in the first quarter. Antonio Phillips notched a pick-six by intercepting a pass from Spartans’ quarterback Nick Starkel, and sprinting 53 yards for Ball State’s first score. Less than three minutes later, Ball State’s Will Jones rushed three yards for the second Cardinals touchdown. Then, with 5:15 left in the first stanza, Tye Evans waltzed into the end zone for the Cards, making the score 20 to zip. Cardinals quarterback Drew Plitt wrapped up Ball State’s first-quarter scoring tsunami, by running in the ball from a yard out, for a touchdown, with 1:04 left. At the end of one, it was Ball State 27, San Jose State zero.

The second quarter was a scoreless standoff. Then in the third quarter, Ball State’s Yo’Heinz Tyler’s textbook reception of a Drew Plitt pass went for 48 yards, and a touchdown. The Cards led 34-to-zero.

San Jose State then had its first score, seconds later, as the Spartan’s Charlie Bostic ran back the Ball State kickoff 99 yards to make the score 34 to 6. A two-point conversion failed. The Spartans added one more touchdown in the third quarter, to end the game’s scoring.  The Spartans were playing without six team members, including their Mountain West Conference player of the year Cade Hall, and both their offensive and defensive coordinators, according to the San Jose Mercury News.  No specific reasons were given by the school for those absences.

The Cards ended up with 217 yards through the air versus 278 for San Jose State; Ball State dominated the running game with 185 yards against the Spartans’ 69 yards. Ball State’s defense was primed, ready, and fearless.  The “D” picked off four passes, and was able to plow through the Spartans’ offensive line, not giving San Jose quarterback Nick Starkle time to create.  Ball State’s special teams unit blocked one punt. The Cards fumbled and lost the ball twice.

Ball State’s redshirt senior quarterback Drew Plitt was chosen the offensive player of the game, while the Cardinals’ Bryce Cosby was named the defensive player of the Arizona Bowl.

Observers say to look for Ball State to end its season in the Top 25 as this is the second, ranked, undefeated team the Cards have soundly defeated, in a row. Buffalo was the first such team to lose to BSU (38 to 28) when the Bulls were 6-and-0 and ranked 23^rd. That Ball State win came in the Mid-American Conference championship game.  San Jose State was 7-and-0, and champions of the Mountain West Conference, ranked 19^th, coming into the Arizona Bowl.

Thursday’s win was the seventh in a row for Ball State, this season.