Buffalo batters Ball St.

DETROIT – Ball State fumbled away its perfect season.

The 12th-ranked Cardinals coughed it up four times and Buffalo scored off each, routing previously unbeaten Ball State 42-24 Friday night to win the Mid-American Conference championship.

Ball State (12-1) finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1949, but entered the game with little shot to bust into the Bowl Championship Series because it trailed Utah in the standings.

The Bulls returned fumbles 92 and 74 yards on consecutive drives late in the third quarter to take a 28-17 lead.

Buffalo (8-5) won its first MAC title, capping the program’s first bowl-eligible season since joining college football’s top tier of teams in 1999.

NFL scouts at Ford Field saw Ball State quarterback Nate Davis struggle to hold onto the ball. He was involved in each fumble.

The most critical came when he tried to dive toward the goal line, but had the ball knocked loose for Mike Newton to scoop up and take 92 yards for a go-ahead score.

Davis completed 31 of 48 passes for 351 yards with a touchdown and an interception on his final attempt when the game was out of reach.

Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy, meanwhile, played mistake-free football. He was 19 of 28 for 206 yards with three TDs to Naaman Roosevelt, didn’t throw an interception and was sacked only once.

Roosevelt had 116 yards receiving and James Starks ran for 82 yards and a score, though he fumbled twice.

Ball State’s MiQuale Lewis ran for 138 yards and two TDs. Briggs Orsbon set a MAC title game record with 13 receptions. They went for 141 yards.