Chips extend losing streak to six with home loss

Jerry Hoffman

This was the one that got away.
Ball State (4-4 overall, 4-1 in Mid-American Conference) kept its winning
streak alive while increasing Central’s losing streak to six games.
Not even a change in uniforms could help the Chippewas (1-7 overall, 1-4
in MAC). CMU Head Coach Mike DeBord decided to go with the road maroon
pants instead of the gold ones.
“I was trying everything,” DeBord said. “I wanted to get us on a roll.”
In the opening quarter it looked like the change was going to work for
the better when the Chippewas opened up a 7-0 lead.
On Central’s second possession of the game it tried a little trickery
when Ira Gooch executed a perfect reverse for 58-yards. The play brought
the Chips down to the Cardinal four-yard line.
Two plays later tailback Vince Webber knocked the ball in from one yard
out to put make the score 7-0 after an Adam Clyne kick.
The second quarter brought more of the same when Ball State running back
Marcus Merriweather fumbled on the Central 36-yard line and Ed Hillery
recovered the ball.
Central’s ensuing drive belonged to Webber once again. His two runs of
seven yards each and a reception of 33-yards from quarterback Derrick
Vickers.
A couple plays latter Vickers hooked up with his favorite target tight
end Eric Salani for a 10-yard touchdown strike putting Central up 14-0.
Ball State wasted little time answering back when Merriweather went on
a personal 18-0 run on his team’s next three possessions. Merriweather
scored on runs of 2, 13 and 1 to make the score 18-14 after all the extra
point attempts failed.
“We didn’t jump on them from the start and had to play from behind,” Merriweather
said. “We didn’t panic and kept fighting.”
Central didn’t panic either with 3:03 left in the half the Chippewas pulled
a few more tricks out of the bag. After a 13-yard pass from Vickers to
Webber brought the ball to the Ball State 21 yard line.
The trickery came when Gooch looked like he was going to run another reverse
only to throw across the field to a wide open Vickers. Vickers brought
the ball down to the 1-yard line setting up first and goal.
“They executed the trick plays very well,” Ball State Head Coach Bill
Lynch said.
Four plays latter Webber pounded the ball in for his second touchdown
of the game making the score 21-18 heading into halftime.
However, the second half proved to be disastrous as the Chippewas offense
could get nothing going.
Although the offense couldn’t get anything going the defense kept them
in the game.
On Ball State’s second possession Merriweather fumbled. It would cost
his team again when defensive tackle Marvin Smith recovered the ball and
returned it 20 yards for the score. The Clyne kick was no good making
the score 27-18.
If the first half belonged to Merriweather the second belonged to wide
out David Westbrook.
On the ensuing possession Talmadge Hill connected with Westbrook for a
39-yard touchdown making the score 27-25 after the point after.
In the fourth quarter the Chippewas defense again answered the call when
Rodrico Epps intercept a Hill pass and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown
putting Central up 34-25 with 9:41 left to play.
The Cardinal’s relied on Westbrook on their next possession when he caught
an 18-yard touchdown pass from Hill with just 5:24 left to cut the Chippewas
lead to two, 34-32.
“After the interception there was no nervousness in the huddle,” Lynch
said. “We are playing with tremendous confidence right now and it showed.”

After the Central offense was held to a three and out Ball State was given
one last shot to win the ball game.
With 2:02 left it looked like the Central defense came through again when
Wayne Dudley intercepted a Hill pass. However, there was defensive holding
on the play and the pick was taken away.
Hill and the Cardinal offense took full advantage of the call and with
57 seconds left Hill called his own number for a five-yard touchdown run
making to the score 38-34.
Pete Shepherd came in and threw four incomplete passes to end the game
for the Chippewas.
“It was a tale of two halves for us,” DeBord said. “In the first half
we executed well offensively. In the second half we didn’t do anything
offensively and it pretty much killed us.”
The second half Central was only able to muster one first down and only
had eight for the game compared to Ball State’s 34.
Vince Webber led the Chips in rushing with 84 yards on 23 carries and
had two touchdowns.
“We fell flat on our face in the second half,” Webber said.
Ball State racked up 609 total yards of offense with Merriweather who
had 257 yards on 42 rushes while Hill had 101 yards on the ground and
another 228 through the air.
“They did a good job keeping us off balance,” DeBord said.