1997 Ball State Cardinals football team

The 1997 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third season under head coach Bill Lynch, the team compiled a 5–6 record (4–4 against conference opponents) and finished in third place out of six teams in the MAC West.[1][2] The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.

1997 Ball State Cardinals football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record5–6 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumBall State Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Marshall x$   7 1     10 3  
Miami (OH)   6 2     8 3  
Ohio   6 2     8 3  
Bowling Green   3 5     3 8  
Kent State   3 5     3 8  
Akron   2 7     2 9  
West Division
Toledo x   7 1     9 3  
Western Michigan   6 2     8 3  
Ball State   4 4     5 6  
Eastern Michigan   4 5     4 7  
Central Michigan   1 7     2 9  
Northern Illinois   0 8     0 11  
Championship: Marshall 34, Toledo 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

The team's statistical leaders included Jake Josetti with 1,569 passing yards, LeAndre Moore with 884 rushing yards, Adrian Reese with 526 receiving yards, and Brent Lockliear with 55 points scored.[3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
August 30at Miami (OH)L 10–27
September 6James Madison*W 24–616,647[4]
September 13at Indiana*L 6–3338,006
September 20at Purdue*L 14–2845,947
September 27Marshall
  • Ball State Stadium
  • Muncie, IN
L 16–4220,415
October 4at Western MichiganL 13–21
October 11at Eastern MichiganL 32–38
October 18Central Michigan
  • Ball State Stadium
  • Muncie, IN
W 37–34 OT
October 25at Northern IllinoisW 21–1410,031
November 1Akron
  • Ball State Stadium
  • Muncie, IN
W 31–14
November 8 No. 18 Toledo
  • Ball State Stadium
  • Muncie, IN
W 35–3
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

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  1. ^ "2007 Ball State Football Media Guide". Ball State University. 2007. p. 99. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  2. ^ "1997 Ball State Cardinals Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ "1997 Ball State Cardinals Statistics". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  4. ^ "Big-play Cardinals rip JMU". The Star Press. September 7, 1997. Retrieved October 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.