GAME NOTES: The 24th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers were embarrassed by the nation's top team last weekend, and they will attempt to bounce back against non-conference foe Ball State this week. Ball State opened the season with a Mid-American Conference loss to Miami-Ohio, but the Cardinals have rallied for back-to-back wins. After beating Eastern Michigan to even their league ledger, the Cardinals recorded a dramatic 34-31 overtime victory over Navy last weekend. Both of their wins have come on the road. Nebraska beat Nevada and Wake Forest in succession to open the season, setting up a much anticipated battle with top-ranked USC in Lincoln. The result of that game was a 49-31 loss, and the game wasn't as close as that final score suggests. The Huskers wrap up non-conference play on Saturday and will turn their attention to their Big 12 slate. This game marks the first-ever meeting between Ball State and Nebraska on the gridiron.

Quarterback Nate Davis was outstanding for Ball State in the win over Navy last weekend, tossing three touchdown passes and adding a rushing score. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 277 yards and was not sacked. Dante Love finished with six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, while fellow receiver Darius Hill made six grabs for 87 yards and a score. The ground attack was spearheaded by MiQuale Lewis, who ran for 161 yards on 27 rushing attempts. Ball State is averaging 28.3 ppg this season to go along with 445.3 total ypg, so it is obvious that the club has no trouble moving the ball. Lewis has rushed for 325 yards to date, but he has only reached the end zone twice. In fact, Ball State has just two rushing scores to its credit. Fortunately, Davis has thrown eight touchdown passes against only one interception. Love has been on the receiving end of four of those scoring strikes.

It is amazing that Ball State found a way to win last weekend's game, especially considering that the club surrendered 521 rushing yards to Navy. The Midshipmen ran the ball 65 times compared to only eight passes, and although the Cardinals knew they could expect a run on almost every play, they looked absolutely helpless on almost every snap. An obvious key to the victory was that Ball State came up with a pair of fumble recoveries. Still, it is tough to give any credit to the defense for the win, aside from the fact that the unit got a stop in overtime. Ball State is yielding 20.3 ppg and 381.0 total ypg this season, numbers that were more impressive before the poor showing against Navy.

Of the 31 points that Nebraska scored last weekend against USC, 21 came in the fourth quarter long after the final outcome had been decided. Sure, a quick look at the stats reveals that the Huskers were able to post 28 first downs and 389 passing yards, but stats don't always represent an accurate depiction of the game flow. The ground attack accounted for 31 yards on 28 rushing attempts, a poor showing to say the least. Sam Keller completed 36-of-54 passes for 389 yards, but he was intercepted twice and much of his yardage came in garbage time. Through three outings, Nebraska is scoring 34.3 ppg while racking up 472.7 total ypg. Marlon Lucky has rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns, but he was a non-factor against USC. As for Keller, he has connected on 61.7 percent of his passes for 840 yards and four touchdowns. On a down note, he has been intercepted five times.

The Nebraska defense was shredded by USC, a fact that is made clear by the final score of the contest. The Huskers simply could not stop the run, as the Trojans racked up 313 rushing yards on only 38 attempts. That average of 8.2 ypc is staggering, and USC scored five of its touchdowns on the ground. There are positives for Nebraska to draw from its defensive performance, so the best strategy would be to pretend the debacle never occurred. Larry Asante leads Nebraska through three games with 21 total tackles, while Steve Octavien has posted six TFLs. The Cornhuskers did own strong defensive stats through two outings, but they are now surrendering 25.3 ppg on average after the USC tilt.

Ball State is no pushover, but another road victory for the Cardinals is unlikely this weekend. Nebraska is undoubtedly eager to get back to action, and the Huskers need Keller to cut back on the turnovers. Expect him to do just that.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Nebraska 42, Ball State 14