The Ball State Daily News Online

Section: SPORTS
Originally published: 9/27/07 at 11:49 PM EST
Last update: 9/27/07 at 11:54 PM EST

Each Sunday, the Ball State University football team meets at the John W. and Janice B. Fisher Football Training Complex to give out its weekly awards and put a close to the week that came before it.

After a 41-40 loss last week at the University of Nebraska, Cardinals' coach Brady Hoke said it was even more important for his team to focus on its next opponent.

"It's ridiculous to let Nebraska beat you twice," Hoke said. "You didn't like it the first time, so why would you like it the second time. I think our kids are mature enough to move forward. I think in years past we haven't been able to do that, but I think they're mature enough that they know we've got to move forward."

Ball State plays host to its third Mid-American Conference opponent of the year, the University at Buffalo, Saturday at noon. Though the Bulls are 1-3 overall, they're 1-0 in the MAC after beating Temple University 42-7. It's the first time the Bulls have been 1-0 to begin conference play since 2000.

Two of Buffalo's three losses have came at Rutgers University and at Penn State University, where the Bulls scored 24 points on the Nittany Lions' defense. Both programs are ranked in the Associated Press top 25 in the nation.

"We buried Nebraska on Saturday, because that's what we have to do to go on with our season and accomplish the goals we want to accomplish in the MAC," senior Cortlan Booker said Monday. "I haven't watched film of Buffalo yet - that's what I'm about to do - but they're undefeated in the MAC and they're a team we can't overlook."

Hoke said it's his responsibility to instill game-by-game approach. The analogy he said he uses with his team is, you don't drive a car looking through the rear-view mirror because you'll have an accident ahead of you.

"[Sunday] night I went home and went to bed around 12:30 a.m. and I woke up at 1:30 a.m. because I was thinking about Buffalo," Hoke said.

"I was awake at 2:15 a.m., 4 a.m., because I was thinking about Buffalo. There's nothing I can do about Nebraska or last week. I can't let myself think about last week because if I let that happen then I'm going to cheat 105 kids [on my team]. And I am not going to cheat the guys who represent this school."

Though the team has been able to stop thinking about a close loss to the Cornhuskers, Ball State tight end Darius Hill said he still thinks about how close his team is to being 4-0. The Cardinals have lost their two games by a combined two points. One more play here or there and Hill said he believes his team could possibly be ranked in the top 25.

"The other day, me, Nate [Davis] and my other roommate Trey Lewis were talking about how we should be 4-0 and maybe even ranked," Hill said.

"If we beat Miami and Nebraska, we might even by top 25 right now."

Hill said knowing how good the Cardinals can be this year is what fuels him and his teammates. After two close losses, Hill said he wants to do everything in his power to achieve the success the program is capable of, starting with Buffalo.

"It motivates us to do better every time we go out," Hill said. "We know in close games we've got to finish them off. Losing two games by one point apiece is tough. We want to make sure we don't have that feeling of losing a close game again this season."

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