Ball State-Ohio: Kelly Page steals the spotlight

Kelly Page was starting games for Ball State in 2009. He did not win any of those games. The emergence of Keith Wenning put him into the backup ranks, but after Wenning hurt his ankle in the first half, the forgotten senior was thrusted into the spotlight on Senior Night. Hey, Kelly, just beat Ohio. No big deal.

He had tons of help from his offensive line and running backs, but Page orchestrated the victory. No question about it, and I can't feel better for the guy. He didn't throw a tight spiral, nor was he fleet of foot, but his throws were accurate and handoff fakes were deceptive enough to achieve the "W."

They put up 588 total yards of offense, however, and only 75 of those were Page's. The real workhorses here the were two running backs: Jahwan Edwards gained 169 yards on 17 carries and Horactio Banks added 135 yards on 14 carries. Zane Fakes turned out to be Page's favorite target, and he caught seven balls for 58 yards an two touchdowns.

As for Ohio ... man, it seemed evident that the injuries started taking their toll. When Neal Huynh and Carl Jones were injured ON THE SAME PLAY, that wiped out half their defensive line. The defense sure played as if they were on one collective leg, and with Ball State pouring it on with long runs and uncharacteristic penalties, it was just sad to watch. In fact, 52 points is the first time a Frank Solich-coached Ohio allowed over 40, and the most in Bobcats history since 2002, when Bowling Green poured 72 points over their head.

Both teams now sit at 8-3, but the Cardinals look poised to get a great bowl game. The Bobcats ... I still think they'll get one, because 70 spots are all difficult to fill, but right now their goal is to get healthy and find some fresh bodies. This doesn't get easier as their regular season finale comes at Kent State. Meanwhile, Ball State will go for win No. 9 at Miami and pad their bowl resume.