IRISH HOLD OFF PESKY BALL STATE
ND holds off stubborn Cardinals, who were big underdogs
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jalen Elliott had two interceptions that No. 8 Notre Dame turned into touchdowns, and the Fighting Irish held off stubborn Ball State 24-16 on Saturday.
The Irish (2-0), coming off an emotional 24-17 victory against Michigan, looked lackluster against the Mid-American Conference foe whose campus in Muncie is a 2½hour drive. The Cardinals (1-1) also played nothing like the 34½-point underdogs they were labeled in the schools’ first meeting in football.
“It was really good to see Jalen have a great game,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. “Ball State did a great job coming into this game and doing what it needed to do. Their preparation was great; their coaching was better.”
After going the entire 2017 season and last week without an interception by a safety, Elliott picked off two Riley Neal passes that the offense converted into 31-yard and one-yard touchdown runs by junior Tony Jones Jr. for a 21-6 advantage in the third quarter.
“We have to come together,” Elliott said. “Coach Kelly said it best. We play nameless and faceless opponents week to week. Everyone’s going to bring their best game, so we have to respect our opponents to the fullest.”
After a 46-yard field goal by Justin Yoon that gave the Irish a 24-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, Nolan Givan caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Neal, who threw for 180 yards but completed only 23 of 50 passes. A 49-yard field goal by Ball State’s Morgan Hagee, his third of the game, closed out the scoring.
“Hats off to Ball State; they came in here and competed,” Notre Dame linebacker Drue Tranquill said.
The Cardinals’ 3-4 defense frustrated Irish senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who threw for 297 yards but finished with minus-7 yards rushing as Ball State had four sacks and picked off three of his passes. The Cardinals had 10 tackles for loss.
Wimbush couldn’t get things going with his feet as the Cardinals closed his running lanes. His longest gain rushing was nine yards.
“I think we lacked attention to detail and focus, especially in the second half,” Wimbush said.
Junior James Gilbert rushed for 72 yards for Ball State, which outgained Notre Dame on the ground 169-117.
Sophomore Jafar Armstrong led the Irish with 66 yards, including a 42-yard scamper up the middle in the first quarter that he followed with a one-yard touchdown run two plays later. Jones finished with 61 yards.
The Cardinals left the field at halftime trailing only 14-6 thanks to drives of 19 and 13 plays that ended in 25- and 23-yard field goals by Hagee.
Ball State which has only nine seniors on the roster, showed that it could be a factor in the MAC race after injuries to Neal and Gilbert last year factored into a nine-game losing streak.
The Irish, who rose from No. 12 to No. 8 after the victory over Michigan, could lose some ground but should remain in the top 10.
Ball State visits Indiana next Saturday. The Irish host Vanderbilt in their third consecutive home game.