2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
| 2008 Ball State Cardinals football | |
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MAC West Division champion
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MAC Championship Game, L 24–42 vs. Buffalo
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| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| West | |
| 2008 record | 12–2 (8–0 MAC West) |
| Head coach | Brady Hoke/Stan Parrish |
| Offensive coordinator | Stan Parrish |
| Defensive coordinator | Mark Smith |
| Home stadium |
Scheumann Stadium (Capacity: 22,500) |
| 2008 Mid-American Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffalo x$ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Akron | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ball State x | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Michigan | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Michigan | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Buffalo 42, Ball State 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Stan Parrish, who coached the team during the GMAC Bowl and beyond. The Cardinals' home games were played at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.
With a 12–0 record during the regular season, the Cardinals completed their first perfect regular season since 1949 and their first undefeated season in Mid-American Conference play since 1978. The Cardinals earned their first Mid-American Conference West Championship in program history. The Cardinals chance at perfection ended after an upset loss to Buffalo in the 2008 MAC Championship Game. Ball State concluded the season with a 45–13 loss to Tulsa in the 2009 GMAC Bowl. The game marked the first time in school history Ball State has played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons.
The Cardinals ended the 2007 season with a 7–6 overall record, the Mid-American Conference West Division Co-Championship and the program’s first bowl game in 11 seasons, losing to Rutgers 52–30 in the 2008 International Bowl. Ball State ranked in the top 35 nationally in 2007 in five different categories; turnover margin (4th), passing offense (22nd), passing efficiency (24th), net punting (29th) and total offense (31st). The quarterback of the Ball State offense was Nate Davis who threw for 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions in his 478 pass attempts. The Cardinals returned their starting receiving corps, which helped lead Ball State to be the #1 ranked passing offense in the Mid-American Conference. Wide receiver Dante Love produced nearly 1,400 receiving yards while adding 203 more rushing with eleven touchdowns in 2007. Love also led the Mid-American Conference in three categories; receptions per game (7.7), receiving yards per game (107.5) and all-purpose yards (207). Punter Chris Miller was third in the country in 2007 averaging 45.4 yards per punt last season and was considered to be an All-American candidate. The Cardinals also returned tight end Darius Hill. Considered to be the premier tight end in the Mid-American Conference, Hill averaged 71 yards per game and scored 11 touchdowns last season. Regarding the offensive line, Andre Ramsey, Dan Gerberry and Robert Brewster were each three-year starters that form a solid nucleus along the offensive line. Defensively, the Cardinals ranked just 106th in the nation in rush defense, and allowed 432 yards and 28.3 points per game. The Cardinals did, however, returned eight defensive starters, including six letterman. Returning for the 2008 season were cornerbacks B.J. Hill and Trey Lewis, who both recorded five interceptions in 2007. Defensive end Brandon Crawford had eight sacks in the previous season and linebacker Bryant Haines recorded 125 tackles.
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