SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ball State didn’t shock the world. But it did make 70,000-plus fans in Notre Dame Stadium – and many more watching on NBC – very, very nervous.
The Cardinals, 34.5-point underdogs, lost to No. 8 Notre Dame 24-16 on Saturday afternoon. But in never allowing Notre Dame to pull away, it reinforced that this will be a much different season in Muncie than the two-win campaign in 2017. And the Cardinals made Notre Dame fans question their College Football Playoff aspirations – and maybe quarterback Brandon Wimbush.
Ball State got off to a disastrous start in allowing a touchdown in the first two minutes, but its defense settled in.