Ball St. 35, W. Kentucky 12

10/13/2007 6:18 PM

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) -Nate Davis passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns, and Ball State beat Western Kentucky 35-12.

Ball State led 14-12 at halftime before blowing the game open with two touchdowns in the third quarter. Frank Edmonds' 1-yard run made it a 21-12 lead, then Louis Johnson caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Davis to make it 28-12.

Edmonds scored once more, on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Dante Love caught six passes for 91 yards for the Cardinals (4-3) and Darius Hill added six catches for 73 yards.

Tyrell Hayden led Western Kentucky (3-3) with 91 yards on 24 carries. K.J. Black threw for 184 yards and a touchdown.

The 12 points were the fewest Ball State has allowed this season. It came a week after the Cardinals gave up 58 points in a loss to Central Michigan. The Cardinals allowed 411 yards, but intercepted three of Black's passes.

Western Kentucky won time of possession by more than eight minutes and ran 54 times for 222 yards, but the Hilltoppers scored just one touchdown.