MUNCIE, Ind. — They came so close to finally getting over the hump, but the Ball State Cardinals, the program looking to take the next step and get a signature win, was stymied once again by the class of the Mid-American Conference.
The Cardinals fell just short on Saturday afternoon, losing to Northern Illinois 24-16 in a game that was there for the taking but ultimately showed Ball State simply is not on that level yet. The Cardinals settled for field goals, and Northern Illinois punched their drives in for touchdowns. It goes down as a tough loss, yet another in a decade full of them in this rivalry series.