DeKALB — Mistakes and heavy rainfall washed away a halftime lead for the NIU football team, surrendering the Bronze Stalk trophy to the Ball State University Cardinals in a 27-20 loss Saturday at Huskie Stadium.
NIU held a 17-3 lead at halftime, but a pair of lost fumbles and three punts in the third quarter opened the door for the Cardinals to beat NIU for the first time since 2008.
Head Coach Thomas Hammock put the blame on himself for the loss, saying he needs to better prepare his players in order to compete in a complete game.