Nebraska needed to make a statement coming off it's 49-31 loss to top-ranked USC, and had a good chance hosting a team from the MAC for just the fourth time in school history.

Marlon Lucky made his statement early. Number five's 28-yard touchdown run at 10:17 set the tone for a first quarter dominated by the Huskers.

On the ensuing Ball State possession, the Blackshirts' Zach Potter forced a Cardinal fumble that was recovered by Ndamukong Suh, but the Huskers offense went 3-and-out before a Dan Titchener punt.

The teams would trade possessions before the end of the first quarter. After 15 minutes of play, the Huskers led 7-nothing.

In the second quarter, Ball State regained possession and put together a 10-play drive, sparked by two critical third down conversions. The cardinals capitalized just minutes later - when Nate Davis hit Darius Hill for a 20-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 7-7.

The Nebraska offense sputtered on it's next possession going 3-and-out for the second time in four chances. Ball State took over on it's own 24-yard line but would engineer another long drive and take a 10-7 lead on a Jake Hogue 45-yard field goal.

The Huskers answered with a business-like drive of their own that covered 73-yards on 9-plays. Quarterback Sam Keller hit four different receivers en route to a Quentin Castille 2-yard touchdown run, and the Huskers took a 14-10 lead into the half.

It was a short-lived lead, however, as the Cardinals came out and scored less than four minutes into the second half. After a Castille fumble, Nate Davis converted a 14-yard quarterback keeper to give the visitors a 17-14 lead.

But walk-on Sean Hill scored his second touchdown of the year when Keller hit him in the open field. The 73-yard touchdown reception was the longest play for Nebraska this season and gave the Big Red a 21-17 lead.

But the Cardinals wouldn't go away, MiQuale Lewis got loose and scored from 43-yards out to recapture the lead, as Ball State went up 24-21. The 5-play, 80-yard drive took just 1:44.

Can you say shootout? The gun-slinger Sam Keller led the Huskers to the team's fourth touchdown with 2:09 to play in the third quarter. Nate Swift's first touchdown of the season re-took the lead for Nebraska, 28-24.

But Davis and the birds went back to the air, Dante Love was on the receiving end of the 58-yard bomb. Love beat double-coverage and Ball State went back up 31-28 after the extra point. Things got worse when Keller threw his sixth interception of the season inside Ball State territory. Five plays later Davis hit Madaris Grant for the 21-yard score. The extra point was no good, but the Huskers still trailed by nine with under 13 minutes to play.

After a Keller fumble, Ball State had Nebraska on the ropes but Bo Ruud stepped in front of a Davis pass and took it all the way into the Cardinal endzone to pull the Huskers within two, 37-35.

With 7:05 to play in regulation Ball State settled for a field goal (thanks in part to defensive pressure from Zach Potter on 3rd and goal), and the Huskers trailed 40-35.

Nebraska was able to answer the bell one more time, when Keller hit Maurice Purify over the middle for an 11-yard touchdown and a 41-40 lead. A missed two-point conversion gave Ball State a chance to win, but a 55-yard field goal try with just 12 seconds to play was wide-left and the number 24 Huskers held on to win 41-40.

There were 84,294 in attendance.