 "Photo: Chris VanKat")
Ball State scored five touchdowns and two field goals on Saturday.
Sophomore quarterback Nate Davis passed for 422 yards.
The Cardinals forced No. 24 Nebraska to come back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
But despite BSU's inspiring effort, the Cornhuskers rallied to a 41-40 victory at Memorial Stadium. It may have been by just one point, but the loss left Ball State Coach Brady Hoke and his 60-some players in utter disappointment.
"There are no moral victories," Hoke said. "We work too hard, and our kids work too hard 12 months a year, the coaches and their families and the kids and their work ethic, so there are no moral victories.
"You go to win, and if you don't go to win, you might as well not play or coach."
Led by Davis, the Cardinals compiled 610 yards of offense in the afternoon contest. Davis completed passes to eight players - including one to himself on a batted pass.
BSU junior receiver Dante Love was a major beneficiary, notching 214 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches. Love's longest reception was a 58-yard touchdown pass with 54 seconds left in the third quarter to put Ball State ahead 31-28.
Davis followed the touchdown with a 21-yard toss to sophomore Madaris Grant in the end zone to widen the scoring margin to 37-28 early in the fourth quarter.
But then Davis made his one mistake.
On a second-and-13 play from the Ball State 23-yard line, Davis' pass was intercepted by Husker linebacker Bo Ruud. Ruud ran back 34 yards for a touchdown that brought Nebraska back in the game.
"It was a dumb decision on my part," Davis said of the interception. "It changed the game. I should have thrown it away, but you have to learn from your mistakes."
What had kept the Cardinals going throughout the game was their ability to not only get open but to make catches while surrounded by Nebraska's secondary.
Unfortunately for Ball State, Davis wasn't able to connect with Love or junior Darius Hill during the last drive of the game. Both players dropped passes that likely would have clinched perhaps the biggest victory in school history.
Following the loss, Hoke said he didn't have much to say to Davis, who was obviously upset.
"He's disappointed, you know," Hoke said. "He played his heart out just like the other 62 guys who came on this trip. So, you know, you don't say 'good job' necessarily until you see it and you study it and you make some decisions on what you did right and what you did wrong."
With the loss, Ball State moves to 2-2 in non-conference play.
If not for that one point, it could have been a lot different - but it's not.
"You can go back and forth on what you need to do and how you're going to take the game," Hoke said. "I can just tell you right now those guys are hurting in our locker room, and they should be - we all are. We came to win, not just to play and not just to look good."
katelynkerkhove@dailynebraskan.com
