The game turned when Ball State scored three touchdowns in the final 5:55 of the first half to take a 35-21 lead. That year, the Bulls knocked off an undefeated and nationally ranked Ball State team for the championship. “I made sure our guys knew that we were underdogs," Ball State coach Mike Neu said. That left Buffalo trailing for the first time all season, and Ball State wasn't done. Their running game wasn't consistently explosive, and it took too long for their defense to slow down Ball State.