Ball State contains Patterson, tops Buffalo 38-28 to win MAC

DETROIT -- , Ball State coach Mike Neu had plenty of motivational material at his disposal for the Mid-American Conference title game. There was no question which team was favored , and which player was supposed to be the star. “I made sure our guys knew that we were underdogs,” Neu said. “Our mindset was, it’s Ball State against the world. That's fine. We wouldn't want to have it any other way.” Drew Plitt threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in the first half, and Ball State kept Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson under control in a 38-28 victory over the 23rd-ranked Bulls on Friday night. The Cardinals (6-1) won their first MAC championship since 1996, the year before the title game originated. They held Patterson to 47 yards on 18 carries after he'd been averaging over 200 a game.