2008 BYU Cougars football team, Players, Players' backgrounds
Because BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), many of the team members are Latter-day Saints (LDS) commonly referred to as Mormons. Because of this religious and cultural affiliation, many of the team members have served a two-year proselyting mission (often in a foreign country, speaking the native language), are married, and sometimes have children. Because of missions the average age of the team is often slightly higher than other college football teams. The effect of a mission is believed to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. It is an advantage in that the players can be either more physically developed, or more intellectually or emotionally mature. It is a disadvantage in that the player often returns from the mission grossly under-conditioned and out of practice. A player often redshirts his first year back from his mission.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Players, Players' backgrounds
Because of the long-standing ties of the LDS Church in Polynesia, many football players are also Polynesian. Bryce Mahuika, for example, is Māori, and he introduced the tradition of the team performing the Haka in 2005.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Players, Players' backgrounds
Of the players participating in 2008 fall Camp, 60 served a two-year mission and 42 speak a second language. Sixteen players speak Spanish, twelve speak Tongan, eight speak Portuguese, two speak German, and one each speaks Mandarin Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, and Tagalog. There are 27 married players. The most recent newlywed, Dennis Pitta, married quarterback Max Hall's sister-in-law.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Players, Recruits
Recruits joining the team this year include O'Neill Chambers and Justin Sorensen. Justin Sorensen was widely regarded as the best high school football kicker in the country last year with a record high 62-yard field goal and kickoffs that regularly go into the endzone and often through the goal posts.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Outland Trophy
Senior offensive linemen, Ray Feinga and Dallas Reynolds, were named to the 2008 Outland Trophy watch list. BYU boasts two previous Outland Trophy winners, defensive lineman Jason Buck (1986) and offensive lineman Mohammed Elewonibi (1989).


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Lott Trophy
Jan Jorgensen was selected as a preseason candidate for the Lott Trophy's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. He is one of 42 preseason candidates being considered for the award.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Jan Jorgensen was named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy which is awarded to the best defensive player in college football.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Ted Hendricks Award
Jan Jorgensen is also a candidate for the Ted Hendricks Award presented to the premier defensive end in college football.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Chuck Bednarik Award
Jan Jorgensen is a candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Maxwell Award
Junior quarterback, Max Hall, was named on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the year's best college football player. Ty Detmer won the award at BYU in 1990.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Davey O'Brien Award
Max Hall is one of thirty-one quarterbacks named to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award watch list. The award honors the nation's best quarterback. Jim McMahon, Steve Young, and Ty Detmer (twice) have all won the award. Honored four times, BYU has earned more Davey O' Brien Awards than any other team.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Walter Camp Award
Max Hall was one of 35 candidates named on the watch list for the Walter Camp Award for the Player-of-the-Year. In his first year as a starter in 2007, Hall was the nation's top sophomore quarterback in terms of passing yards. On the season, he completed 298-of-496 passes for 3,848 yards and 26 touchdowns.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, John Mackey Award
Dennis Pitta is one of thirty tight ends named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Fred Biletnikoff Award
Junior Austin Collie is on the watch list for the Fred Biletnikoff Award.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Dick Butkus Award
Senior outside linebacker, David Nixon, is on the watch list for the Dick Butkus Award.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, Doak Walker Award
Sophomore Harvey Unga is one of 42 of the nation's top college running backs named as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award. Luke Staley won the award at BYU in 2001.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, All-America Team
Candidates for the All-America team are Ray Feinga, Dallas Reynolds, Jan Jorgensen, Max Hall, Harvey Unga, Dennis Pitta and Austin Collie. Fifty-three BYU players have earned 59 All-America citations including 11 consensus All-Americans and 21 Academic All-America citations. Harvey Unga earned Freshman All-America accolades last year.


2008 BYU Cougars football team, Awards and citations, All-Mountain West Conference Football Team (Pre-season)
First Team Offense: Max Hall, Harvey Unga, Austin Collie, Dennis Pitta, Ray Feinga, and Dallas ReynoldsFirst Team Defense: Jan JorgensenSecond Team Offense:Second Team Defense:Offensive Player of the Year: Max HallHonorable Mention:


2008 Baden Masters
The 2008 Baden Masters was the fourth time the Baden Masters curling event was held. It was held from September 5 - 7, 2008 and was the first event of the 2008-09 World Curling Tour season.


2008 Badminton Asia Championships
The 2008 Badminton Asia Championships is the 28th tournament of the Badminton Asia Championships. It was held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from April 15 to April 20, 2008.


2008 Bahrain Championship
The 2008 Bahrain Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 8 and 15 November 2008 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre in Manama, Bahrain. It was the fourth ranking event of the 2008/2009 season.


2008 Bahrain Championship
Due to a clash with a previously arranged Premier League match-day, three leading players (John Higgins, Mark Selby and Ding Junhui) were forced to miss the event. This meant that they earned no ranking points, with Matthew Stevens, Ken Doherty and Jamie Cope (ranked 17, 18 and 19 respectively) qualifying automatically due to the extra spaces in the draw. Likewise, the players ranked from 33–35 and 49–51 played one qualifier less than usual. Additionally, Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrew three days before the tournament for unspecified medical reasons.


2008 Bahrain Championship
Steve Davis was also involved in Premier League action, playing on 13 November, but did not withdraw from the tournament. He played his qualifying match and received a walkover due to O'Sullivan's withdrawal, meaning that he reached the last sixteen. However, before his last 16 match he withdrew from the event as an ear infection prevented him from flying to Bahrain.


2008 Bahrain Championship
Liang Wenbo made the 65th official maximum break during his qualifying match against Martin Gould. This was Liang's first official 147. Marcus Campbell made the 66th official maximum break during his wildcard round match against Ahmed Basheer Al-Khusaibi. This was Campbell's first official 147.


2008 Bahrain Championship
Neil Robertson won his third ranking title by defeating Matthew Stevens 9–7.


2008 Bahrain Championship, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


2008 Bahrain Championship, Wildcard round
The 6 lowest ranking qualifiers played one wildcard match each. Matches were played at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on Saturday, 8 November.


2008 Bahrain Championship, Qualifying
Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales between 27 and 30 October 2008.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally the 2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 6 April 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team won the 57-lap race. Kimi Räikkönen was second in the other Ferrari, and BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica was third.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix
The race began with Kubica in pole position alongside Massa; Lewis Hamilton, the eventual Drivers' Champion, started from third, alongside Räikkönen. Kubica was passed by Massa into the first corner, and then by Räikkönen on the third lap. The Ferraris dominated at the front of the race, leading to their 1–2 finish. Hamilton had a slow start after almost stalling on the grid, and dropped back to ninth. The McLaren driver ran into the back of Fernando Alonso's Renault a lap later, breaking off the McLaren's front wing and dropping Hamilton to the back of the field.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix
Kubica's strong finish promoted BMW Sauber to the lead in the Constructors' Championship, after BMW driver Nick Heidfeld finished fourth. Ferrari and McLaren trailed, one and two points behind, respectively. Räikkönen took the lead in the Drivers' Championship, with 19 points, three points ahead of Heidfeld and five ahead of Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen, with 15 races remaining in the season.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
The Grand Prix was contested by 22 drivers, in 11 teams of two. The teams, also known as "constructors", were Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Force India, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Williams, Toro Rosso and Super Aguri. Tyre supplier Bridgestone brought two different tyre compounds to the race; the softer of the two marked by a single white stripe down one of the grooves.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
Prior to the race, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton led the Drivers' Championship with 14 points, and Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen was second with 11 points. Behind Hamilton and Räikkönen in the Drivers' Championship, Nick Heidfeld was third, also with 11 points, in a BMW Sauber, and Hamilton's McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen was fourth with 10 points. Heidfeld's teammate Robert Kubica was fifth with eight points. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren–Mercedes were leading with 24 points, five points ahead of BMW Sauber. Ferrari were third with 11 points.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
Ferrari dominated the previous round in Malaysia, where Felipe Massa had claimed pole position, and led his teammate Räikkönen in second place through the opening stages of the race, before spinning off and retiring midway through. Räikkönen went on to win the race, and expressed his optimism about Bahrain: "I have finished third in three successive Grands Prix in Bahrain. Time and again something has gone wrong. Sakhir is one of those circuits where I really want to win. Finally."


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
In the opening two races, Massa came under fire from the press for two errors that left him without points: a collision with Red Bull driver David Coulthard in Australia and his spin at Malaysia. Massa promised that the first two races would not be indicative of the rest of the season: "It was not the start to the season that I wanted, but there are still 16 races to go and 160 points up for grabs. In the next few races I plan to get back all the points I have lost in the opening two rounds."


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
Hamilton won the opening race in Australia, but managed to finish only fifth after a qualifying penalty and a botched pit stop in Malaysia. The season began well for Kubica, as he qualified second in Australia and finished second in Malaysia. Kubica predicted his team could maintain their momentum into the third race: "I'm confident that we can be very competitive here as well."


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Background
A week before the start of the Grand Prix weekend, the News of the World alleged that Max Mosley, the president of Formula One's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), had engaged in sexual acts with five prostitutes. While Mosley denied the allegations, he cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Several teams condemned Mosley's alleged actions and asked for his resignation, and while for a time the controversy threatened to overshadow the race, Mosley eventually retained his position and successfully sued the News of the World for the report.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Practice
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—two on Friday, and a third on Saturday. The Friday morning and afternoon sessions each lasted 90 minutes. The third session was held on Saturday morning and lasted an hour. The Ferraris outpaced the other teams in the first session on a dusty track surrounded by the sand dune desert of Sakhir. Massa's time of 1:32.233 was quicker than Räikkönen's, who was slowed down by an early excursion across the sand, requiring a pit stop.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Practice
Nico Rosberg of Williams, Hamilton, McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen, Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima and Kubica rounded out the top seven. In the second session, Hamilton lost control of his car and slid sideways into a wall. Hamilton emerged unharmed from the collision, but his McLaren suffered significant damage. Except for the crash, the second session ended like the first: once again, Massa led Räikkönen to Ferrari 1–2, ahead of Kovalainen, Hamilton and Kubica. The third session was again held on a dusty track, where Rosberg was quickest with a time of 1:32.521. Massa took second, ahead of Red Bull driver Mark Webber, Toyota driver Jarno Trulli, David Coulthard of Red Bull, Nakajima and Kubica. Räikkönen was ninth quickest, and Hamilton 18th.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Qualifying
The qualifying session on Saturday afternoon was split into three parts. The first part ran for 20 minutes, and cars that finished the session 17th position or lower were eliminated from qualifying. The second part of the qualifying session lasted 15 minutes and eliminated cars that finished in positions 11 to 16. The final part of the qualifying session determined the positions from first to tenth, and decided pole position. Cars which failed to make the final session could refuel before the race, so ran lighter in those sessions. Cars which competed in the final session of qualifying were not allowed to refuel before the race, and as such carried more fuel than in the previous sessions.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Qualifying
I am very happy. I missed the chance to take pole position in Australia, but this time it worked out well ... We knew before the season that the car was good due to the results of the computer simulation and the wind tunnel work. Finally it has paid off that we never gave up working hard. I want to thank the entire team who have worked so hard over the last months. We will now study the data and prepare for tomorrow. A long race lies ahead of us.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Qualifying
Kubica clinched the first pole position of his career with a time of 1:33.096. Massa qualified less than 0.03 seconds behind the BMW and joined Kubica on the front row of the grid. Hamilton took third place, using his team's spare chassis; Räikkönen was next quickest, and despite being critical of his car's set-up was confident in its racing ability. Kovalainen would line up fifth on the grid alongside Heidfeld, who had trouble maximising performance from his tyres. Trulli took seventh place, ahead of Rosberg and Honda driver Jenson Button.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Qualifying
Renault driver Fernando Alonso was the last driver to make the third session; Webber missed out on the top ten by 0.009 seconds and would start the race in 11th position. Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello took 12th place after a gearbox problem interrupted his second session laps, ahead of Timo Glock of Toyota, Nelson Piquet of Renault and Toro Rosso driver Sébastien Bourdais. Nakajima was the slowest of the second session drivers, and took 16th. Coulthard qualified 17th, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Qualifying
Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel took 19th, and blamed his set-up: "I felt it was more a case of the car driving me than me driving the car." Fisichella's teammate Adrian Sutil qualified 20th, ahead of Anthony Davidson of Super Aguri. Davidson's teammate Takuma Sato spun out and crashed into the barriers. Sato's accident damaged his rear wing and suspension and left him unable to continue in the session.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
The weather and conditions on the grid were before dry for the race. The air temperature was 29 °C (84 °F) with signs of a breeze which could blow sand onto the track and impede the cars' grip. Massa got the best start of the frontrunners off the line, as he passed Kubica into the first corner to take the lead. Hamilton's poor start caused his anti-stall system to kick in, and he was passed by six drivers to fall back to ninth. Räikkönen benefited from Hamilton's start by moving up to third, ahead of Kovalainen, Trulli and Heidfeld.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
As Massa extended his lead at the front of the race, Hamilton, who trailed Alonso, collided with the back of the Renault, knocking the McLaren's front wing off the car. Suffering handling difficulties, Hamilton returned to the pit-lane for a new nose section, and rejoined in 18th place. Räikkönen took second place when he passed Kubica on lap three; Heidfeld took fourth when he passed Trulli and Kovalainen in separate manoeuvres. Further down the field, Vettel retired from the race on the first lap after twice colliding with other cars; Button, Sutil and Coulthard pitted to repair early damage.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
By lap 10, Massa had opened his lead over Räikkönen to 4.4 seconds, ahead of Kubica, Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Trulli. Kubica was the first of the frontrunners to pit, on lap 17. Räikkönen and Trulli followed on lap 20; Massa pitted from the lead one lap later. Following the first round of pit stops, the gap between the Ferraris was 5.4 seconds, however by lap 31 Räikkönen had closed to within four seconds of his teammate. Massa held a 3.6 second lead over Räikkönen when the two Ferraris pitted for the final time on laps 39 and 38, respectively, and Massa retained his lead into the final stint. Kubica pitted on lap 41, Heidfeld on lap 45, and Kovalainen on lap 47.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
Coulthard and Button collided on lap 18 when Button attempted to pass the Red Bull on the inside at turn eight; the Honda lost its front wing and retired a lap later after two pit stops. Hamilton continued his climb back through the field; he moved from 18th, passing Piquet, Davidson, Sutil and Bourdais in separate manoeuvres, to sit in 14th by the time he pitted on lap 31. Piquet retired on lap 42 with transmission failure, requiring a gearbox change before the next race.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
Massa took his first win of the season when he crossed the line at the end of the 57th lap, 3.3 seconds ahead of the second-placed Räikkönen. Kubica took third, ahead of his teammate Heidfeld, and Kovalainen, who set the fastest lap of the race on lap 49, with a time of 1:33.193, despite being slower than the frontrunners for much of the race. Trulli, Webber, Glock and Alonso rounded out the top ten, after Glock's Toyota held off a quick Alonso late in the race. Barrichello and Fisichella finished strongly, ahead of Hamilton, who managed only 13th. Nakajima, Bourdais, Davidson and Sato took the next four places; Coulthard and Sutil finished last on track after their respective crashes demoted them to the back of the field. Vettel, Button and Piquet were the three retirements from the race.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
It didn't change anything starting second because we had a good a start. I think Robert [Kubica] didn't have a good start and I passed him. Then the race was pretty difficult in the beginning because there was a lot of oil on the track. We almost went off, me and Robert, and it was pretty difficult. During the race the car was just very good. I didn't push completely to the limit because I saw the gap increasing and then Kimi [Räikkönen] was behind but I could manage to keep the gap to him and the strategy was perfect as well.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
The top three finishers appeared on the podium and in the subsequent press conference, where Massa appeared relieved: "For sure the race was pretty difficult because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I didn't push as much either, just tried to bring the car home and just controlling the pace as well." Massa said that he struggled with grip early, owing to oil in the middle sector of the course. Räikkönen's second place promoted him to the lead in the Drivers' Championship, and he expressed his optimism about future races:


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
The whole weekend has been pretty difficult, one of those things when we cannot really get the car right ... We are leading the Championship which is the main thing and we know that we have the speed once we get everything right. The race was quite difficult but anyhow I am happy with second.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Kubica said that his poor start was due to wheelspin off the line, and the presence of oil on the track impeded the performance of his car, leading to Räikkönen's pass: "But anyway I think it was a good result: third and fourth for the team and leading the Constructors' Championship, so it was good weekend."


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Hamilton accepted responsibility for his near stall on the grid: "I hadn't hit the switch early enough and therefore we were not in the launch map and went straight into anti-stall, and when everyone else was in their launch mode, I wasn't." Renault dismissed suggestions that Alonso had brake tested Hamilton in the incident that led to the McLaren's wing breaking off.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Pat Symonds, Renault's head of engineering, said his team's telemetry indicated Alonso was on full throttle down the straight, and had not touched the brakes: "I think all I can say from our side is that there is no blame attributable to Fernando, which is what some of the speculation might be." McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said that Hamilton's front wing had broken seconds before the impact, and that the resulting downforce reduction had sucked Hamilton into Alonso's slipstream faster than expected.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
However, photos indicate that the front wing on the McLaren could have broken even earlier when Hamilton nudged a car (believed to be Alonso) on the opening lap. The later incident left Alonso with damage to the back of the car, impairing his attempts to pass Glock late in the race.


2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Räikkönen's second-placed finish gave him a three-point lead over Heidfeld in the Drivers' Championship, with 19 points, ahead of Heidfeld with 16, followed by Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen, each with 14 points. BMW Sauber's strong performance gave them the lead in the Constructors' Championship, with 30 points, ahead of Ferrari with 29 points and McLaren with 28 points.


2008 Bahrain national football team results
This article details the fixtures and results of the Bahrain national football team in 2008.


2008 Bahraini Crown Prince Cup
The 2008 Bahraini Crown Prince Cup was the 8th edition of the cup tournament in men's football (soccer). This edition featured the top four sides from the Bahraini Premier League 2007-08 season.


2008 Bakersfield, California mayoral election
The 2008 Bakersfield, California mayoral election was held on June 3, 2008 to elect the mayor of Bakersfield, California. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Harvey Hall.


2008 Bakersfield, California mayoral election
Since Hall obtained a majority in the initial round of voting, no runoff was necessitated.


2008 Balad Ruz bombing
The 15 September 2008 Balad Ruz bombing occurred on 15 September 2008 in Balad Ruz, Diyala when a suicide bomber walked into and detonated herself at an Iftar banquet being held in the home of a policeman in celebration of his release from American detention at Camp Bucca. The attack killed 22 and injured 32. Some of the wounded were taken to a joint US-Iraqi base nearby for treatment. 12 were killed in two car bombings in central Baghdad.


2008 Balad bombing
The 2008 Balad bombing occurred on February 10, 2008 when a car bomb detonated in a market in Balad, Iraq, at a strategic Iraqi Army checkpoint. It killed at least 25 and injuring 40 more, though some estimates place the death toll at 33. Some buildings have collapsed and several people have been reported missing, adding to the possible death toll.


2008 Balad bombing
Among the dead are a driver and Iraqi journalist Alaa Abdulkareem Fartusi, a cameraman for Al-Forat, a Shiite-backed satellite news station. Fartusi marks the first journalist killed in Iraq in 2008. A female reporter was injured in the blast and remains in critical condition.


2008 Balad bombing
The bombing was on the same day that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad unannounced to meet Iraqi government leaders and U.S. commanders, including General David Petraeus.


2008 Balad bombing
This is the second bomb attack on Balad. The first was on September 29, 2005 when 95 people were killed.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Stan Parrish, who coached the team during the GMAC Bowl and beyond. The Cardinals' home games were played at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
With a 12–0 record during the regular season, the Cardinals completed their first perfect regular season since 1949 and their first undefeated season in Mid-American Conference play since 1978. The Cardinals earned their first Mid-American Conference West Championship in program history. The Cardinals chance at perfection ended after an upset loss to Buffalo in the 2008 MAC Championship Game. Ball State concluded the season with a 45–13 loss to Tulsa in the 2009 GMAC Bowl. The game marked the first time in school history Ball State has played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Pre-season, Outlook
The Cardinals ended the 2007 season with a 7–6 overall record, the Mid-American Conference West Division Co-Championship and the program’s first bowl game in 11 seasons, losing to Rutgers 52–30 in the 2008 International Bowl. Ball State ranked in the top 35 nationally in 2007 in five different categories; turnover margin (4th), passing offense (22nd), passing efficiency (24th), net punting (29th) and total offense (31st). The quarterback of the Ball State offense was Nate Davis who threw for 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions in his 478 pass attempts.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Pre-season, Outlook
The Cardinals returned their starting receiving corps, which helped lead Ball State to be the #1 ranked passing offense in the Mid-American Conference. Wide receiver Dante Love produced nearly 1,400 receiving yards while adding 203 more rushing with eleven touchdowns in 2007. Love also led the Mid-American Conference in three categories; receptions per game (7.7), receiving yards per game (107.5) and all-purpose yards (207). Punter Chris Miller was third in the country in 2007 averaging 45.4 yards per punt last season and was considered to be an All-American candidate. The Cardinals also returned tight end Darius Hill.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Pre-season, Outlook
Considered to be the premier tight end in the Mid-American Conference, Hill averaged 71 yards per game and scored 11 touchdowns last season. Regarding the offensive line, Andre Ramsey, Dan Gerberry and Robert Brewster were each three-year starters that form a solid nucleus along the offensive line. Defensively, the Cardinals ranked just 106th in the nation in rush defense,  and allowed 432 yards and 28.3 points per game. The Cardinals did, however, returned eight defensive starters, including six letterman. Returning for the 2008 season were cornerbacks B.J. Hill and Trey Lewis, who both recorded five interceptions in 2007. Defensive end Brandon Crawford had eight sacks in the previous season and linebacker Bryant Haines recorded 125 tackles.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Pre-season, Outlook
At the Mid-American Conference Football Media Preview in Detroit, the Ball State Cardinals were picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division behind Central Michigan. Central Michigan grabbed 29 of the 36 first-place votes with Ball State receiving five first-place votes and Western Michigan receiving two. Central Michigan totaled 207 points in the preseason poll, while the Cardinals tallied 168.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Northeastern
Nate Davis passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns as Ball State beat Northeastern 48–14 in the season opener for both teams. MiQuale Lewis had 11 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown as the Cardinals garnered 190 yards rushing. Ball State had 487 yards total offense. Davis’ two other touchdown passes were a 49-yard completion to Dante Love and an eight-yard pass to Darius Hill in the first half. He completed 21 of 24 passes with no interceptions. The Huskies were down 28–0 with 50 seconds left in the first half when Greg Abelli scored on a 20-yard run.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Northeastern
The Cardinals quickly responded with a 25-yard field goal by Ian McGarvey to make it 31–7 at halftime. Ball State lengthened its lead after the break to 48–7 with a 27-yard pass from Davis to Daniel Ifft, a Cory Sykes six-yard run and another McGarvey field goal. Northeastern backup quarterback John Sperrazza, who completed six of seven passes for 82 yards, threw a pass to Conor Gilmartin-Donohue for a 10-yard touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game. Starter Anthony Orio completed 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Navy
Nate Davis passed for 326 yards and four touchdowns, but it was the Cardinals’ defense that repeatedly came up with the big plays in the second half of a 35–23 victory over the Midshipmen. Davis passed for 215 yards in the first half, including touchdowns of 61 yards to Dante Love on the second play of the game and 30 yards to Briggs Orsbon late in the second quarter.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Navy
Love, who tied a school record with his eleventh game of at least 100 yards receiving, also rushed for a touchdown and caught a go-ahead 8 yard touchdown pass from Davis midway through the third quarter. After Love’s second touchdown catch put Ball State ahead 28–23, Navy threatened to take the lead again late in the third period.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Navy
Shun White, who set a Navy rushing record with 348 yards and three touchdowns in the previous week, was stopped at the 3 yard line, and quarterback Jarod Bryant, who ran for Navy’s first two touchdowns, was held for no gain on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Cardinals. Ball State then put the game out of reach with a 97-yard drive, scoring the clinching touchdown on a 35-yard pass from Davis to Darius Hill early in the final period. The game was nationally televised on ESPN and earned a 1.2 Nielsen rating, making it the best regular season national television rating for a Mid-American Conference home game since 2005.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Akron
MiQuale Lewis rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Nate Davis passed for 300 yards and two more touchdowns to lead Ball State past Akron 41–24. Lewis carried 28 times and scored on runs of three and two yards. Davis completed 24 of 36 passes with one interception, throwing touchdown passes of 21 yards to Briggs Orsbon and 25 yards to Darius Hill. Chris Jacquemain completed 21 of 44 passes for 269 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Andre Jones, but was also intercepted off four times, three of them by Sean Baker. With the score tied at 10 early in the second quarter, the Cardinals scored 21 points on Lewis’ two touchdown and Baker’s 33 yard return of a fumble. The victory marked the first time Ball State started the season 3–0 since 1988.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Indiana
MiQuale Lewis ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns, helping Ball State to a 42–20 victory over Indiana. It was the first time the Cardinals beat a BCS conference school. The victory also ended Indiana's 20 game winning streak against Mid-American Conference opponents, which dated to a September 24, 1977, loss against Miami (Ohio) when Lee Corso was coaching the Hoosiers. The Cardinals gained 463 yards in offense, scored 28 points in the first half and put the game away with two touchdown runs from Lewis in the fourth quarter.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Indiana
Indiana was led by Kellen Lewis, who ran for 148 yards and one touchdown and threw for 159 yards but was intercepted twice. Nate Davis was 16 of 25 for 239 yards and threw one touchdown pass. Both teams combining for nearly 500 total yards and two defensive touchdowns in the first half.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Indiana, Dante Love injury
With 10:45 left in the first half, Dante Love, who entered the game leading the nation at 144.3 yards per game, caught a short pass and started to turn upfield when Indiana cornerback Chris Adkins jarred the ball loose with a big hit that led to an Indiana touchdown. Love stayed on the ground for several minutes before doctors rolled him onto a backboard and carted him off the field. School officials later issued a statement saying Love felt numbness and tingling while on the field.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Indiana, Dante Love injury
He was taken to Bloomington Hospital before being transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation. Love underwent a five-hour surgery for a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury and had movement in his arms and legs after the procedure. On September 22, head coach Brady Hoke told reporters, "Due to the injury Dante sustained, his football career is expected to be over. He should have normal and healthy functions for the rest of his life. He touched a lot of lives, and he will continue to do so."


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Kent State
Before the game, Ball State players wore red T-shirts with Love’s jersey number 86 on the front during warmups, and had stickers with the number on the back of their helmets. A “We Love Dante” sign was draped over the fence just past the north end zone and Love also was named an honorary captain. MiQuale Lewis opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Nate Davis threw a pass to Myles Trempe for a 31-yard touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 14–0 lead.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Kent State
Kent State responded late in the quarter when quarterback Julian Edelman scored on a 12-yard run to cut Ball State’s lead to 14–7. Lewis scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run with 21 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 21–7 lead at halftime. Cory Sykes’ 10 yard touchdown run in the opening minutes of the third quarter made it 28–7, and the Cardinals led by at least 17 points the rest of the way. Lewis ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns and Davis passed for 265 yards and a touchdown.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Toledo
MiQuale Lewis rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Ball State broke away from a close game at halftime to beat Toledo 31–0. Lewis carried the ball 31 times and scored on runs of three and one yards for the Cardinals. After taking the second half kickoff, Nate Davis led a 10 play, 74 yard drive that he capped with a one-yard touchdown run. Lewis then scored late in the quarter before the Cardinals added two more touchdowns in a two and a half minute span midway through the fourth quarter.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Toledo
Toledo lost its third straight home game for the first time in 15 years and was shut out by a Mid-American Conference opponent for the first time since 1985. The Rockets managed just 157 yards of total offense, rushing for 14 yards on 19 attempts. Davis completed 18 of 30 passes for 242 yards and Sykes added 90 yards on seven carries. After the victory, The Cardinals received enough votes to move into the Associated Press poll for the first time in school history, ranking at #25. It is also the first time the Cardinals started the season 6–0 since 1965.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Kentucky
Nate Davis threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns as Ball State overcame a slow start in its first ever game as a ranked team to beat Western Kentucky 24–7. Ball State led just 7–0 at halftime before eventually taking control in the third quarter. The Cardinals drove 64 yards during the opening drive of the second half, though it ended with Ian McGarvey missing a 21-yard field goal attempt. Afterwards, the Cardinals' defense forced Western Kentucky into a quick three and out.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Kentucky
In the Cardinals' next offensive possession, Lewis ran up the middle of the field for 38 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run that put the Cardinals up 14–0. McGarvey successfully kicked a 37-yard field goal to push the lead to 17–0, and after Western Kentucky failed on fourth down deep in its own territory, Davis completed a pass to Louis Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown with 6:31 remaining to put the game out of reach.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers garnered 352 yards of offense but turned the ball over three times and fell to 0–5 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the season. The Cardinals moved up one spot to #24 in the Associated Press poll and entered the USA Today coaches poll at #25, The Cardinals were the first Mid-American Conference team to appear in the coaches poll since Bowling Green in 2004. During their bye week, the Ball State Cardinals moved from #24 to #20 in the Associated Press poll and from #25 to #22 in the USA Today coaches poll. Ball State also debuted at #20 in the first BCS poll of the season.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
Nate Davis gave the Cardinals their first touchdown in the second quarter when he pitched the ball to Briggs Orsbon and sprinted toward the sideline, where Orsbon found him open for an easy four-yard catch into the end zone. In the third quarter, Davis completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Darius Hill and a six-yard touchdown pass to Orsbon. On the final play of the third quarter, Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt completed a seven-yard pass to Jacory Stone to give the Eagles their first points of the game.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
MiQuale Lewis, who came in with a streak of six straight games rushing for at least 100 yards, was held to 75 yards, but scored a 52-yard touchdown two plays into the fourth quarter. Trey Buice finished the rout for the Cardinals with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the final quarter, and Ian McGarvey’s extra-point kick extended his school record to 48 in a row. Davis passed for 241 yards and Schmitt finished with a career-high 309 yards passing. Ball State's defense held the Eagles to 67 yards rushing and had two interceptions.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
With the victory, Ball State moved up two spots in the Associated Press poll to #18, up three spots to #19 in the USA Today coaches poll, and up four spots to #16 in the BCS poll. During their second bye week, the Cardinals' moved up two spots to #16 in the Associated Press poll and one spot to #18 in the USA Today coaches poll. However, the Cardinals moved down one spot to #17 in the BCS poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Northern Illinois
After forcing an early punt, defensive back Kiaree Daniels ran into Ball State's Chris Miller, drawing a 15-yard penalty to give a first down to the Cardinals'. Nate Davis responded by throwing a 33-yard pass to Briggs Orsbon at the Huskies' one-yard line. Two plays later, Miquale Lewis scored for a 7–0 lead. Midway through the second quarter, Davis completed a 33-yard pass to Louis Johnson. Then Davis threw his second touchdown pass to Darius Hill for a 14–0 lead.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Northern Illinois
With 1:53 to go in the second quarter, Davis threw his third touchdown pass to Daniel Ifft for a 21–0 lead. Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish opened the second half with a 25-yard touchdown run, but Lewis' 64 yard run on the ensuing drive set up a Davis one-yard touchdown run. Then, after a replay review reversed a 71-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Johnson, Davis went right back to Johnson for a 22-yard touchdown. Davis finished his night with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hill early in the fourth quarter that made it 45–7.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Northern Illinois
Davis completed 18 passes out of 22 for 300 yards and broke Mike Neu's career record for completions. Lewis ran 19 times and reached the 1,000 yard mark for the season, while Johnson caught six passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Northern Illinois allowed nearly six times its per game average of 8.2 points. The Cardinals moved up two spots to #14 in the Associated Press poll, two spots in the USA Today coaches poll to #16, and three spots to #14 in the BCS poll after the victory over the Huskies.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Miami (OH)
Nate Davis threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and the Cardinals stayed unbeaten by wearing down the Miami RedHawks for a 31–16 victory. Ball State improved to 10–0 for the first time and matched their school record for victories. MiQuale Lewis had two one-yard touchdowns in the second half and finished with 165 yards, one short of his career high. He also caught two passes for 51 yards. For the third straight game, the Cardinals did not draw a penalty. Despite the victory, The Cardinals dropped three spots to #17 in the BCS Poll, but stayed in the same spot in the Associated Press and USA Today coaches poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Central Michigan
The win clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title for Ball State and set a school record for wins in a season. The win broke a streak of four consecutive losses to Central Michigan, which had won the past two division titles. The Cardinals went ahead with 7:29 left when Davis completed a pass to Briggs Orsbon in the corner of the end zone from 11 yards away. Central Michigan had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour was intercepted by Sean Baker with 27 seconds left.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Central Michigan
Davis completed 12 of 22 passes for 175 yards, including two touchdown passes to Louis Robinson. LeFevour completed 30 of 44 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, and added a team high 75 yards rushing on 24 carries. He became the fifth quarterback in Mid-American Conference history to pass 11,000 career yards in total offense. The game aired on ESPN2 and ranked as the most viewed and highest rated college football game ever for a Tuesday or Wednesday night on the network with a 1.6 Nielsen Rating.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Central Michigan
It also ranks as the Mid-American Conference’s most viewed regular season college football game ever on ESPN or ESPN2. The Cardinals moved up two spots from #17 to #15 in the BCS poll, up one to #15 in the USA Today coaches poll and dropped a spot to #15 in the Associated Press poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Michigan
MiQuale Lewis started the scoring in the game as he ran for a 10-yard touchdown run. On Ball State's next series, Davis completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Johnson, whose "stop-and-go" move enabled him to elude two defenders. Western Michigan responded with a trick play, scoring when Tim Hiller threw a lateral to backup quarterback Drew Burdi, who turned and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Scneider Julien, making it 14–7. The Broncos tied it early in the second quarter on a pass from Hiller to Juan Nunez, who caught the nine-yard pass over his shoulder.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Michigan
The Cardinals broke the tie on a 43-yard field goal from Ian McGarvey and took a 24–14 halftime lead when Davis ran for a six-yard touchdown run. Lewis' one-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and Trey Lewis' interception return made it 38–14. Western Michigan closed to 38–22 early in the fourth when Brandon West scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. But Lewis closed it out with a one-yard touchdown run with 4:31 to go, his twentieth rushing score of the season, which broke the previous record set by Mark Bornholdt in 1979.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, Western Michigan
The Cardinals completed their first perfect regular season since 1949, their first undefeated season in Mid-American Conference play since 1978 and clinched a spot in the conference title game. The win gave Ball State its first Mid-American Conference West title in program history. A school record 11,088 students and 23,861 overall attended the game. The Cardinals moved up to #12 in the BCS and Associated Press poll and up to #13 in the USA Today coaches poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, MAC Championship Game: Buffalo
The Cardinals fell into an early deficit when Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy completed a pass to Naam Roosevelt for a two-yard touchdown. The Cardinals responded midway through the second quarter as MiQuale Lewis ran for a four-yard touchdown. As the first half expired, Ian McGarvey kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 10–7 lead. In the third quarter, Willy completed a 39-yard pass to Roosevelt to give the Bulls the lead 14–10.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, MAC Championship Game: Buffalo
The Cardinals responded on the next drive, as Lewis concluded a seven-play, 65 yard drive with his second touchdown of the game, this time on a one-yard run to give the Cardinals the lead. After recovering a fumble, the Cardinals offense made it all the way to the Buffalo one-yard line, but a two-yard loss and a false start penalty pushed the ball back to the eight-yard line.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, MAC Championship Game: Buffalo
On the next play, Nate Davis attempted to dive into the end zone, but fumbled the ball and was recovered by Buffalo's Mike Newton, who ran the ball back 92 yards for a touchdown. After getting to the Buffalo 15 yard line, the Cardinals fumbled for the third time and was run back for a 74-yard touchdown by Buffalo's Sherrod Lott for a 28–17 lead. The Cardinals fourth fumble of the game, which was forced and recovered by Buffalo’s Adekunle Akingba, set up Willy’s third touchdown pass to Roosevelt on an eight-yard completion to increase the lead to 35–17.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, MAC Championship Game: Buffalo
The Cardinals cut the Buffalo lead back to 11 points with 4:17 remaining in the game after a 22-yard completion from Davis to Louis Johnson. Needing to get the ball back quickly, the Cardinals attempted an onside kick after the score, which was recovered by the Bulls. Buffalo then extended its lead to 18 points for a second time at 42–24, on a one-yard touchdown run by James Starks. An interception in the end zone with 41 seconds remaining in the game sealed the win for Buffalo.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, MAC Championship Game: Buffalo
The game received a 1.7 Nielsen Rating, which set a Mid-American Conference record for the most viewers to ever watch a game involving two MAC teams on the ESPN family of networks. The Cardinals' fell to #23 in the Associated Press poll and to #22 in the USA Today and BCS poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, GMAC Bowl
Tulsa took the early 7–0 lead over the Cardinals in the first quarter but Ball State answered back with an 18-yard touchdown run from Nate Davis. The Cardinals defense held Tulsa to a 30-yard field goal late in the first quarter but the Golden Hurricane went on to score with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter increasing their lead to 17–7.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, GMAC Bowl
Robert Eddins blocked the first punt of his career and Jeremy Hill recovered the ball to give Ball State favorable field position, which resulted in a 40-yard field goal from Ian McGarvey with 6:36 left in the second quarter and closed Tulsa's lead to 17–10. Tulsa made its way down the field quickly to go ahead of the Cardinals 24–10 with 4:30 left in the second quarter on a 57-yard touchdown run. With 29 seconds before the completion of the first half, McGarvey made a 22-yard field goal to close the gap to 24–13 at the break.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Game summaries, GMAC Bowl
During halftime, inclement weather conditions occurred with a heavy downpour which continued for the majority of the remainder of the game. But the weather did not hamper the Golden Hurricane who opened the second half with a touchdown to take a 31–13 edge over Ball State. Tulsa added another touchdown after Tarrion Adams scored his third touchdown of the game making it 38–13 with 13:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. The last touchdown scored was with 10:25 in the fourth when Tulsa completed a 13 ,yard pass to Jacob Frank making the score 45–13. The game marked the first time in school history Ball State has played in a bowl game in back-to-back season. With the loss, Ball State dropped out of the Associated Press and USA Today coaches poll.


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
70     Applegate, Jordan C    6-5    301    Jr.    Sr.        Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
67    Arnold, Travis  OT  6-8  284  So. Jr.  Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
25    Baker, Sean  SS  6-1  205  Fr. So. Canfield, Ohio (Canfield)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
16    Barajas, Blake  DB  6-0  195  Fr. Fr . Upland, Ind. (Eastbrook)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
56    Barinaga, Gonzalo DT  6-2  256  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Milwaukee, Wis. (Marquette)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
34    Barker, Jeff  DE  6-5  215  Fr. Fr. Lowell, Ind. (Lowell)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
27    Beane, Trent  WR  6-0  195  Fr. Fr . Bloomington, Ind. (North)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
59    Beasley, Antonio SLB  6-0  219  Sr.  5Sr. 3L  Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northrop)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
71    Brewster, Robert OT  6-5  310  Sr.  Sr.   4L  Cincinnati, Ohio (Wyoming)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
11    Brown, Wendell  MLB  6-0  214  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
30    Buckingham, John DE  6-1  221  So. Jr.  Greenwood, Ind. (Center Grove)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
8    Buice, Trey  CB  5-10  175  Sr.  Sr.   4L  Stone Mountain, Ga. (Tucker)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
19    Burch, Koreen  CB  5-9  162  So. So. 1L  Broxton, Ga. (Coffee)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
20    Carnegie, Brandon  CB  5-11  183  So. So. 1L  Novi, Mich. (Novi)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
47    Choy, Brendan  TE  6-4  247  Fr. So. HS  Bradenton, Fla. (Lakewood Ranch)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
58    Cole, Adam  OT  6-6  278  Sr.  5Sr. 2L  Eden Prairie, Minn. (Academy of Holy Angels)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
31    Cook, Dane  FS  6-0  186  So. Jr.  Eaton, Ind. (Delta)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
51    Cornwell, Kyle  OG  6-4  272  Sr.  Sr.   4L  New Lenox, Ill. (Providence Catholic)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
48    Cosby, Spain  MLB  5-11  212  Jr.  Jr.  2L  Carrollton, Ga. (Villa Rica)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
24    Cravens, James  HB  5-11  210  Fr. Fr. HS  Centerville, Ohio (Centerville)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
90    Crawford, Brandon  DE  6-3  260  Jr.  Sr.  2L  Fort Wayne, Ind. (South)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
69    Davis, Chad  OL  6-3  263  Jr.  Sr.   HS  Pendleton, Ind. (Pendleton Heights)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
13    Davis, Nate  QB  6-2  217  Jr.  Jr.  2L  Bellaire, Ohio (Bellaire)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
28    Dawson, Andre  WR  6-0  172  Fr. Fr. Lewis Center, Ohio (Olentangy)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
65    Duffin, Drew  DT  6-3  255  Jr.  Sr.  2L  Avon, Ind. (Avon)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
91    Eddins, Robert  DE  6-3  224  So. Jr.  1L  Detroit, Mich. (Crockett)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
2    Edmonds, Frank  HB  5-8  181  So. So. 1L  Cleveland, Ohio (St. Edward)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
78    Gall, Kevin  OT  6-5  245  Fr. So. Granger, Ind. (Penn)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
14    Garner, Perci  QB  6-1  222  So. So. HS  Dover, Ohio (Dover)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
52    Gerberry, Dan  C  6-3  292  Sr.  5Sr. 3L  Austintown, Ohio (Austintown Fitch)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
80    Gibson, Torieal  WR  5-9  165  Fr. Fr. HS Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
82    Grant, Madaris  TE  6-5  222  Jr.  Sr.  2L  Cincinnati, Ohio (Mount Healthy)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
54    Gray, Jerrod  NT  6-3  253  Fr. So. HS  Bradley, Ill. (Bourbonnais)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
15    Gregory, Jakeem CB  5-9  170  So. Jr.  Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
49    Haines, Bryant  WLB  6-5  223  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Piqua, Ohio (Piqua)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
44    Hartke, Ryan  SLB  6-4  200  Fr. So. St. Henry, Ohio (St. Henry)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
15    Hemm, Justin  QB  5-11  185  Fr. Fr. HS  Piqua, Ohio (Piqua)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
6    Henry, Derrick  FS  6-1  189  So. So. 1L  Columbus, Ohio (Worthington Kilbourne)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
3    Hill, B.J. CB  5-7  180  Sr.  Sr.   4L  Lanham, Md. (Riverdale Baptist)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
88    Hill, Darius  TE  6-6  236  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
83    Hill, Jeremy  WR  6-2  175  Fr. Fr. Marietta, Ga (Marietta)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
29    Hogue, Jake  PK  5-9  195  So. Jr.  1L  Plainfield, Ind. (Plainfield)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
23    Hoke, Kyle  S  5-11  190  Fr. Fr. HS  Sugar Land, Texas (Clements)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
77    Holtz, Austin  OL  6-5  290  Fr. Fr . Holt, Mich. (Holt)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
97    Houston, Jermaine DE  6-4  241  Sr.  5Sr. Newberry, S.C. (Newberry)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
46    Howard, Joshua  FS  6-1  190  Fr. Fr . Inkster, Mich. (Inkster)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
18    Hunt, Michael  HB  5-6  170  So. Jr.  South Bend, Ind. (Riley)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
66    Hunter, Kreg  OL  6-3  284  Fr. So. Lebanon, Ind. (Lebanon)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
4    Ifft, Daniel  WR  6-3  181  So. So. 2L  Dover, Ohio (Dover)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
57    Jacoby, Ben  C  6-2  263  Fr. So. Lawrenceville, Ga. (Buford)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
96    Jankowski, Jason DT  6-2  262  So. Jr.  Heartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
81    Johnson, Louis  WR  6-1  177  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Muncie, Ind. (Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
42    Jones, Davyd  MLB  6-1  200  So. So. 2L  Muncie, Ind. (Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
18    Jordan, Zac  FS  5-10  196  Fr. So. Cincinnati, Ohio (Elder)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
17    Justice, Tanner QB  6-3  196  Jr.  Sr.   Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
41    Keller, Sean  DB  5-10  185  So. Jr.  Malnerville, Ohio (Kings)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
76    Kennedy, Rayondon OL  6-2  259  Fr. So. Dolton, Ill. (Mount Carmel)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
43    Kilburn, Tad  FS  6-0  182  So. Jr.  Middletown, Ohio (Monroe)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
28    King, Aaron  HB  5-10  200  Fr. Fr. HS  Saratoga Springs, NY (Carmel)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
38    Knipp, Alex  SS  6-0  194  Jr.  Jr.  2L  Amherst, Ohio (Steele)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
18    Kovanda, Scott  P  6-3  190  Fr. Fr. HS  Hartland, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
9    Kuntz, Kyle  SS  5-10  193  Jr.  Sr.   Vandalia, Ohio (Butler)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
33    Lewis, MiQuale  HB  5-6  184  Jr.  Jr.  2L  Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
12    Lewis, Trey  CB  6-0  190  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Raleigh, N.C. (Ravenscroft)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
72    Lowry, Cameron  OT  6-6  255  Fr. Fr. HS  Indianapolis, Ind. (Pike)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
94    Manick, Dan  DL  6-4  265  Fr. Fr. HS  Dyer, Ind. (Lake Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
26    McGarvey, Ian  PK/P  5-9  210  So. So. 2L  Greenwood, Ind. (Center Grove)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
99    Meeks, Kenny  SLB  6-2  230  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Muncie, Ind. (Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
35    Miller, Chris  P  6-2  211  Sr.  5Sr. 4L  Liberty, Ill. (Carmel)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
93    Morris, Adam  OL  6-0  305  Fr. Fr. HS  Dublin, Ohio (Scioto)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
53    Muhlenkamp, Cody LS  5-11  203  So. Jr.  2L Coldwater, Ohio (Coldwater)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
68    Myers, Devin  OT  6-5  260  Fr. Fr. HS  Westfield, Ind. (Westfield)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
16    Orsbon, Briggs  WR  6-0  185  Fr. Fr. HS  Convoy, Ohio (Crestview)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
21    Overton, Wade  WR  6-3  200  Sr.  5Sr. 1L  Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence North)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
5    Page, Kelly  QB  6-3  210  Fr. Fr. HS  Sunnyvale, Texas (Mesquite)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
95    Perry, Rene  NT  5-11  271  So. So. 2L  Lake City, Fla. (Columbia)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
44    Pettit, Kyle  CB  6-2  180  Fr. Fr. HS  Sunman, Ind. (East Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
92    Pitcock, Jafe  NT  6-2  262  Fr. So. Piqua, Ohio (Piqua)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
41    Puthoff, Andrew DT  6-3  254  Fr. So. St. Henry, Ohio (St. Henry)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
79    Ramsey, Andre  OT  6-5  304  Sr.  Sr.   4L  Cordele, Ga. (Crisp County)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
36    Rolf, Pete  DE  6-4  246  Fr. So. HS  Salt Lake City, Utah (Piqua)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
15    Scheidt, Reid  SS  6-2  195  So. Jr.  Lake Village, Ind. (North Newton)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
14    Schott, Steven  PK  6-1  165  Fr. Fr. HS  Massillon, Ohio (Washington)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
84    Sharick, Drew  TE  6-6  230  Fr. So. Champaign, Ill. (Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
74    Switzer, Michael OL  6-5  277  So. So. 2L Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence North)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
7    Sykes, Cory  HB  5-7  155  Fr. Fr. HS  Harvey, Ill. (Thornton)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
87    Trempe, Myles  WR  6-4  202  So. Jr.  1L  Springfield, Ohio (St. Paris Graham)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
98    Warmoth, Ryan  DB  6-1  205  Fr. Fr. HS  Mishawaka, Ind. (Mishawaka)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
37    White, Rashaad  HB  5-9  205  Fr. Fr. HS  Rex, Ga. (Stockbridge)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
28    Winkler, Ray  HB  5-9  182  So. So. South Bend, Ind. (St. Joseph's)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
32    Womack, Lorren  WLB  6-0  221  Fr. So. Huber Heights, Ohio (Wayne)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
85    Woodard, Justin DE  6-3  222  So. Jr.  1L  LaGrange, Ga. (Troup County)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
64    Woods, Kaylon  DT  6-2  254  So. Jr.  Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
55    Woodworth, Sam  WLB  6-2  202  Jr.  Sr.   Elkhart, Ind. (Central)


2008 Ball State Cardinals football team, Roster
63    Yoder, Steve  OL  6-3  300  Fr. Fr. HS  Canal Fulton, Ohio (Massillon Washington)


2008 Ballon d'Or
The 2008 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists, was awarded on 2 December 2008.


2008 Baltic Cup
The Baltic Cup 2008 football competition took place from 30 May to 1 June 2008 at the Slokas Stadium in Jūrmala and at the Skonto Stadium in Riga, Latvia.


2008 Baltic Cup
Hosts Latvia together with Lithuania and Estonia are the teams that took part.


2008 Baltic Futsal Cup
The 2008 Baltic Futsal Cup was held from December 26 to 28, 2008 in Latvia. Latvia won the tournament


2008 Baltic League
The 2008 Baltic League (known as the 2008 Triobet Baltic League for sponsorship reasons) was the second Baltic League football tournament. The tournament took place in the Baltic states in 2008. The first matches took place on 4 March.


2008 Baltic League
The draw for the 2008 Baltic League took place in Riga, Latvia, on 12 January 2008.


2008 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles entered the 2008 season led by Dave Trembley, now starting his first full season as manager. President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail continued the rebuilding process. Superstars Miguel Tejada and Érik Bédard were traded for younger talent and there were talks of Brian Roberts, but he was not traded.


2008 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles posted a record of 68–93 and finished in last place in the AL East for the first time since the 1988 season.


2008 Baltimore Orioles season
Closer Chris Ray missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery, and so did his replacement Danys Báez. Left-hander George Sherrill, acquired from the Mariners, was named the team's closer for the 2008 season and became the lone representative for the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, while Jeremy Guthrie was the Opening Day starter after an impressive rookie season and several solid spring training outings.


2008 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In


2008 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Inning pitched; SV = Saves; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


2008 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2008 Baltimore Ravens season was the franchise's 13th season in the National Football League, the first under head coach John Harbaugh and their 7th season under general manager Ozzie Newsome.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season
The Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a playoff berth. They defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and then in the divisional round they defeated the Tennessee Titans, who had compiled the best record in the AFC over the regular season. However, in the AFC championship game, the Ravens' season came to an end as they were defeated by their division rival and eventual Super Bowl XLIII champion Pittsburgh Steelers, denying what would've been a bird-themed Super Bowl, with the other finalists being the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season
Quarterback Joe Flacco, drafted 18th overall in the 2008 draft became the first quarterback in NFL history to win multiple playoff games in their rookie season. Flacco would be joined by Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets the following year, the same Jets that would ironically be led by Rex Ryan, who at the time was the Ravens' defensive coordinator.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Coaching staff, Head coach
On December 31, 2007, Brian Billick was fired after coaching the team to a 5–11 record, finishing last overall in the AFC North Division. Three weeks later, on January 18, 2008, John Harbaugh was hired to replace Brian Billick as the third head coach in the franchise's young history. Harbaugh was the defensive secondary coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, coaching such players as Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and free safety Brian Dawkins.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Coaching staff, Coordinators
After not having a true offensive coordinator during the 2007 season (Billick had assumed those duties early in the 2006 season after firing Jim Fassel (although Rick Neuheisel had been listed on the coaching staff in that capacity), addressing this position was as much of a priority for new Head Coach John Harbaugh as it was for owner Steve Bisciotti to find a new Head Coach for his team, at the time.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Coaching staff, Coordinators
Recently dismissed as head coach from the Miami Dolphins, Malcolm 'Cam' Cameron was highly sought after for his offensive expertise from his time in San Diego with the Chargers. After some deliberation amongst offers he received from around the league, Cameron chose to come to the Ravens, and John Harbaugh announced him as the offensive coordinator on January 23, 2008.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Coaching staff, Coordinators
Rex Ryan was 'released from duty' as the team's defensive coordinator, but was still under contract to the Ravens as a defensive coordinator in name for one more year, should new Head Coach John Harbaugh decide to hire him onto his staff, thus making him ineligible to accept the same position with any other NFL football team. Ryan, at the time was applying for a head coaching position himself, but got no offers for any of the four head coaching vacancies in Atlanta, his own team in Baltimore, Miami, or in Washington. On January 28, 2008, Ryan was re-hired as the Ravens' Defensive Coordinator and was subsequently promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator after rumors of potential Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn circulated that he wanted Ryan to coach the Redskins as its defensive coordinator.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Personnel, Offseason / Free agency
During the 2008 free agency period, the Ravens acquired linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo from the Chicago Bears and cornerback Frank Walker from the Green Bay Packers. Both were added to the Ravens roster primarily for their special teams ability, but also to fulfill a pressing need for depth at two positions which were diminished by injuries as the 2007 season wore on. On February 28, 2008, center Mike Flynn was released after failing his annual physical. Flynn was one of the few players remaining from the team's Super Bowl championship season in 2000.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Personnel, Offseason / Free agency
After suffering multiple injuries and having to be placed on injured reserve during the 2007 season, veteran quarterback Steve McNair announced his retirement on April 17, 2008 from the NFL. McNair had played a combined 13 seasons with the Ravens and Titans. After being voted to 11 Pro Bowls in 12 seasons, (but only playing in 10 due to a hyperextended big toe) veteran left tackle and the first ever draft selection by the newly created Baltimore Ravens franchise in 1996, Jonathan Ogden announced his retirement on June 12, 2008.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Offseason, Personnel, 2008 NFL Draft
The Baltimore Ravens had nine selections going into the 2008 NFL Draft, including four compensatory selections. The Ravens traded the eighth overall pick to the Jaguars for Jacksonville's first-round choice (26th overall) as well as two third-round selections (71st and 89th) and a fourth-round (125th) pick. The Ravens then traded the 26th overall pick as well as their third-round (89th) and sixth-round (173) picks to Houston for its first-round (18th) pick. The Ravens traded their 38th overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks for their second-round pick and gained another selection in the third-round, which were at 55 and 86, respectively. The Ravens then traded their second fourth-round pick (125th overall) to the Oakland Raiders for cornerback Fabian Washington.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Ravens began their 2008 campaign at home against their toughest AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, Baltimore opened the scoring with WR Mark Clayton scoring on a 42-yard TD run from a double-reverse play. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their advantage with Matt Stover kicking a 21-yard field goal. The Bengals responded with Shayne Graham kicking a 43-yard field goal to end the first half. In the third quarter, Baltimore responded with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco scoring on a 38-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati tried to rally as CB Johnathan Joseph returned a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. Ultimately, the Ravens defense stopped a potential Bengals scoring drive on fourth down late in the fourth quarter and won the game.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
With the win, the Ravens began their season at 1–0.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Flacco in his rookie debut, completed 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards (along with a touchdown run).


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 2: Bye week
The Ravens' Week 2 game against the Houston Texans was postponed from September 14 to November 9, the Ravens' original bye week, due to structural damage to Houston's Reliant Stadium caused by Hurricane Ike.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
Coming off an unexpected bye week, the Ravens looked to improve their division standing in the AFC North, playing host to the 0–2 Cleveland Browns. Joe Flacco threw his first career interception in the first quarter, which was scoreless for both teams. The Browns, however, capitalized on the turnover by driving 52 yards for a touchdown, finishing the drive with Derek Anderson completing a 19-yard pass to Jerome Harrison. Baltimore would respond with Willis McGahee scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run, his first of the season.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
The Browns closed out the first half with a Phil Dawson Field goal to make the score 10 – 7, Browns, at the half. Strong Safety Dawan Landry suffered a mild spinal injury and was taken to the hospital, where X-rays were negative for damage. In the second half, Baltimore won the turnover battle and their defense proved to be the deciding factor in this contest. After Ray Lewis delivered a big hit on Browns' Tight End Kellen Winslow while deflecting a pass, Chris McAlister intercepted the tipped ball and returned the interception to the Browns 10-yard line.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
Four plays later, Fullback Le'Ron McClain would score on a 1-yard run. On the next possession, Ed Reed intercepted a Derek Anderson pass intended for Tight End Steve Heiden and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. After forcing another 3-and-out, Baltimore capitalized on a Browns personal foul from the 50-yard line, driving 35 yards for a touchdown, finishing the drive with a 1-yard run from Le'Ron McClain. The Browns tried to rally late in the game, but Samari Rolle intercepted Derek Anderson with less than two minutes to play, ensuring no chance of a comeback.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
With the win, and the Pittsburgh Steelers losing 15–6 to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Ravens not only improve to 2–0; they now lead the AFC North after 3 weeks.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off their home win over the Browns, the Ravens flew to Heinz Field for their first road game of the year, as they played a Week 4 MNF duel with the throwback-clad Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Steelers kicker Jeff Reed got a 49-yard field goal. The Ravens responded with kicker Matt Stover getting a 33-yard field goal. Baltimore gained the lead in the second quarter as Stover kicked a 20-yard field goal, while rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed his first career touchdown pass as he hooked up with TE Daniel Wilcox from 4 yards out.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers
In the third quarter, Pittsburgh took the lead with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing a 38-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes, along with LB James Harrison forcing a fumble from Flacco with LB LaMarr Woodley returning the fumble 7 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers increased their lead with Reed getting a 19-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Ravens tied the game with RB Le'Ron McClain getting a 2-yard TD run. However, despite winning the coin toss in overtime, Baltimore was unable to gain ground. In the end, Pittsburgh sealed Baltimore's fate as Reed nailed the game-winning 46-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans
Hoping to rebound from their tough divisional road loss to the Steelers, the Ravens went home for a Week 5 defensive duel with the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore scored in the first quarter on a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover. In the second quarter, the Titans tied the game as kicker Rob Bironas made a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Ravens reclaimed the lead on a 1-yard TD run by RB Le'Ron McClain. However, in the fourth quarter, Tennessee pulled away with Bironas nailing a 26-yard field goal and quarterback Kerry Collins completing an 11-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 6: at Indianapolis Colts
Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 6 duel with the Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Colt quarterback Peyton Manning completed a 67-yard TD pass to WR Marvin Harrison and a 22-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Wayne, along with kicker Adam Vinatieri getting a 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Ravens continued to struggle as Manning completed a 5-yard TD pass to Harrison. In the third quarter, Indianapolis pulled away as RB Dominic Rhodes got a 1-yard TD run. Baltimore would get its only score as kicker Matt Stover got a 37-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to Dolphin Stadium for a Week 7 duel with the Miami Dolphins. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter got a 21-yard field goal. The Ravens would respond with kicker Matt Stover getting a 47-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Baltimore took the lead as LB Terrell Suggs returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Miami would answer with Carpenter making a 26-yard field goal, yet the Ravens replied with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
In the third quarter, Baltimore increased its lead with Stover nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Dolphins tried to rally as quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 7-yard TD pass to WR Davone Bess. Fortunately for the Ravens, in the fourth quarter, the Ravens scored on a 5-yard TD run by RB Willis McGahee.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
Coming off their road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens went home for a Week 8 duel with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Baltimore rookie LB Jameel McClain sacked Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell in his own endzone for a safety. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their lead with a 1-yard TD run by RB Willis McGahee, a 70-yard TD pass to WR Demetrius Williams by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, and a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
In the third quarter, Oakland responded with a 22-yard field goal by kicker Sebastian Janikowski, yet Baltimore answered with Stover 30-yard field goal. The Raiders tried to rally as Russell completed a 2-yard TD pass to RB Justin Griffith. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens extended their lead on a Flacco 12-yard TD run.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 9: at Cleveland Browns
Coming off their home win over the Raiders, the Ravens traveled to Cleveland Browns Stadium for a Week 9 AFC North rematch with the Cleveland Browns. In the first quarter, Baltimore's first drive ended with a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover, while rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 47-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton. The Browns immediately responded with WR Joshua Cribbs returning a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Cleveland tied the game with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Phil Dawson. The Ravens answered with Stover making a 32-yard field goal, yet the Browns closed out the half with Dawson making a 54-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 9: at Cleveland Browns
In the third quarter, Cleveland took the lead as quarterback Derek Anderson completed a 28-yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards and a 7-yard TD pass to RB Jason Wright. Baltimore closed out the quarter with a 1-yard TD run by FB Le'Ron McClain. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens rallied with Flacco completing a 28-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason, Stover nailing a 22-yard field goal, and LB Terrell Suggs returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 10: at Houston Texans
Coming off their season-sweep over the Browns, the Ravens flew to Reliant Stadium for a Week 10 duel with the Houston Texans. Both Baltimore and Houston were originally scheduled to play each other during Week 2 of the 2008 NFL season, but the game was rescheduled to Week 10 due to structural damage to Reliant Stadium, which was caused by Hurricane Ike. Week 10 was originally set to be the team's bye week. This contest would be the eighth of a record fifteen consecutive games for the Ravens.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 10: at Houston Texans
In the first quarter, Baltimore took flight as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 43-yard TD pass to WR Yamon Figurs. In the second quarter, the Texans responded with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Kris Brown. The Ravens would punt on the ensuing drive, pinning the Texans at their 3-yard line. On the next play, Texans OT Duane Brown committed a holding penalty while in his own endzone, giving the Ravens a safety. Baltimore would increase their lead as rookie kicker Steven Hauschka got a 54-yard field goal. The Texans would close out the half as Brown nailed a 48-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 10: at Houston Texans
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as RB Willis McGahee got a 1-yard TD run. Houston would answer as quarterback Sage Rosenfels completed a 60-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Walter. In the fourth quarter, Baltimore steamrolled their way to victory with Flacco completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap (with a two-point conversion pass to WR Derrick Mason), QB Troy Smith completing a 14-yard TD pass to Heap, and McGahee rushing four yards for a TD.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 11: at New York Giants
Coming off their road win over the Texans, the Ravens flew to Giants Stadium for a Week 11 interconference duel with the defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Giants RB Brandon Jacobs got back-to-back 1-yard TD runs (with a failed PAT on the latter). In the second quarter, the Ravens continued to struggle as quarterback Eli Manning completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Darcy Johnson. Baltimore closed out the half with kicker Matt Stover getting a 38-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 11: at New York Giants
In the third quarter, the Ravens tried to rally as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 10-yard TD pass to FB Le'Ron McClain. However, New York answered with CB Aaron Ross returning an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Giants closed out the game as kicker Lawrence Tynes nailed a 19-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 11: at New York Giants
The Ravens' top-ranked rushing defense gave up 207 yards, which is the most since October 1997 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Giants, the Ravens went home for a Week 12 interconference duel with the Philadelphia Eagles. Baltimore scored the first points of the game late in the second half with a 44-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover, while rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and TE Daniel Wilcox connected on a 1-yard TD pass, set up by an interception by safety Ed Reed. The Eagles would close out the half with safety Quintin Demps returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
In the third quarter, the Ravens answered with rookie LB Jameel McClain blocking a punt that resulted in a safety. In the fourth quarter, Baltimore scored additional unanswered points as Stover nailed a 42-yard field goal, Flacco completed a 53-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton, Reed set an NFL record with a 107-yard interception return for a touchdown, and FB Le'Ron McClain scored on a 1-yard TD run.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
Coming off their home win over the Eagles, the Ravens flew to Paul Brown Stadium for a Week 13 AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, Baltimore scored first with a 27-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as Stover made a 21-yard field goal, while rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 4-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap. The Bengals would close out the half as kicker Shayne Graham nailed a 21-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
In the third quarter, Baltimore pulled away as WR Mark Clayton (on a trick play) threw a 32-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason and caught a 70-yard TD pass from Flacco. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens sealed the victory as safety Jim Leonhard returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
With the win, not only did Baltimore improve to 8–4, but they swept the season series from Cincinnati for the first time since 2002.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 14: vs. Washington Redskins
The Ravens wore their alternate uniforms in the game, hosting cross-conference rivals The Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens scored early following an Ed Reed interception that set up a short touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Le'Ron McClain. With just under ten minutes to go, Washington ran Clinton Portis up the middle for a first down, but Portis fumbled. Raven Ed Reed recovered the ball and advanced it for a touchdown; the Redskins unsuccessfully challenged, contending Portis was down by contact. Those would be the only points on the board for either team in the first half.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 14: vs. Washington Redskins
In the second half, a long Ravens drive beginning at just under eleven minutes to go in the third quarter set up a 32-yard Matt Stover field goal. The Redskins answered with a drive starting late in the third quarter and ending in the early fourth quarter that set up a 43-yard Shaun Suisham field goal. Receiving the kickoff, Baltimore ran just two plays before surrendering the ball to Washington on a Willis McGahee fumble that led to a short drive capped by a touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Antwaan Randle El.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 14: vs. Washington Redskins
Another kickoff led to a very long Baltimore drive that consumed most of the remaining time. Ten of twelve plays were runs by Le'Ron McClain. A 28-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason capped this drive. With three and a half minutes left, the Redskins next drive ended in an Ed Reed interception that enabled Baltimore to burn most of the remaining time. The Redskins took possession for their final series with 0:16 remaining but could not score.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off their win over the Redskins, the Ravens stayed at home for a crucial Week 15 AFC North rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers with the division title on the line.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
After a scoreless first quarter, Baltimore scored in the second quarter with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover. The Steelers would respond with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed, yet the Ravens gained the halftime lead as Stover kicked a 26-yard field goal. Baltimore would increase their lead in the third quarter as Stover made a 28-yard field goal. However, in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh would win the game as Reed nailed a 30-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 9–5 being swept by the Steelers for the first time since 2002.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
Hoping to rebound from an upsetting home loss to the Steelers, the Ravens flew to Texas Stadium for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore would trail early in the first quarter as Cowboys running back Tashard Choice got a 2-yard touchdown run. The Ravens would respond with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Matt Stover. In the second quarter, Baltimore would take the lead as Stover made a 29-yard and a 37-yard field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
The Ravens would then use the third quarter to add onto their lead as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason. In the fourth quarter, Dallas would answer with kicker Nick Folk getting a 35-yard field goal, yet Baltimore equally answered with Stover's 35-yard field goal. The Cowboys would try to rally as quarterback Tony Romo completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrell Owens, yet the Ravens immediately responded with running back Willis McGahee scoring on a 77-yard touchdown run. Dallas tried to come back as Romo completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten, yet Baltimore closed out the game with fullback Le'Ron McClain rushing for an 82-yard touchdown (the longest TD run by a Cowboys opponent in Texas Stadium).


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
With the win, the Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive at 10–5.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
With the New England Patriots leading the Buffalo Bills 13–0 late in the fourth quarter of their game, the Ravens knew at kick-off that the only sure way to secure the final AFC play-off berth would be to beat the Jaguars. The Ravens tallied 3 points on an opening drive that featured a 48-yard pass completion from Joe Flacco to Mark Clayton. With 55 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, the Jaguars answered with a David Garrard pass to Alvin Pearman for 23-yard touchdown. The Ravens running game dominated the second quarter with Le'Ron McClain scoring two touchdowns and Willis McGahee adding a third. The Ravens defense, featuring a Ray Lewis fumble recovery and an Ed Reed interception, shutout the Jaguars the rest of the game with Matt Stover adding a second-half field goal.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
With the win, the Ravens completed the regular season at 11–5 and secured the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. They traveled to Miami, Florida to play the AFC East division champion Miami Dolphins.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
Entering the postseason as the AFC's sixth seed, the Ravens began their playoff run at Dolphin Stadium in the AFC Wild Card round against the #3 Miami Dolphins, a rematch of their game played during Week 7 of the 2008 season. Baltimore trailed early in the first quarter as Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter hit a 19-yard field goal. The Ravens responded with 2:52 left in the first quarter when Matt Stover drove a ball through the uprights from 23-yards. In the second quarter, Baltimore took the lead when safety Ed Reed intercepted a Chad Pennington pass and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. Stover nailed a 31-yard field goal after quarterback Joe Flacco hit Derrick Mason with a 31-yard bomb.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as running back Le'Ron McClain got an 8-yard touchdown run. Miami tried to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Ronnie Brown. With 4:00 left, the Ravens shut the door when Flacco scooted 5 yards on a quarterback draw for a touchdown.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
With the win, the Ravens improved their overall record to 12–5 and traveled to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the play-offs.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
Baltimore's defense forced five turnovers from a Dolphins squad that only committed 13 turnovers throughout the entire regular season.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
Coming off their wild card road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens flew to LP Field for their AFC Divisional showdown with the top-seeded Tennessee Titans, in an attempt to avenge their Week 5 loss.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
The Titans struck first with 4:45 remaining in the 1st quarter, with running back Chris Johnson capping off a 65-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. The Ravens responded with an 80-yard drive, ending with a 48-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Derrick Mason. Both teams' defense dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters with neither team scoring. Early in the 4th quarter, Baltimore kicker Matt Stover got a 21-yard field goal, which gave the Ravens a three-point lead.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
Tennessee would try to respond, by going 10 plays and using up 5 minutes of clock to drive down inside the Ravens 10-yard line, but Collin's pass to Crumpler was fumbled and recovered by Ravens' cornerback Fabian Washington at the Ravens' 1. Unable to move the ball, the Ravens punted the ball back to the Titans. From the Ravens 42, Tennessee drove down inside the 10-yard line again, but settled for a 27-yard field goal from kicker Rob Bironas to tie the game at 10–10.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
With 4:17 left in the game, the Ravens started a drive from their own 26-yard line. On a crucial 3rd and 2, Flacco completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Todd Heap. The drive ended with Stover kicking a 43-yard field goal to give the Ravens the lead with :57 remaining in the game. The Ravens' defense then held, preserving the victory.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
With the win, not only did Baltimore improve their overall record to 13–5, but they also advanced to the AFC Championship Game against their AFC North Rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
Joe Flacco became the first quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games in his rookie year.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off their road win over the top-seeded Titans, the Ravens flew to Heinz Field for the AFC Championship Game against their hated divisional rival, the #2 Pittsburgh Steelers (in Round 3 of their 2008 series).


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore would trail early in the first quarter as Steelers kicker Jeff Reed kicked a 34-yard and a 42-yard field goal. Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes. The Ravens would close out the half as running back Willis McGahee scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
In the third quarter, the Steelers would respond to Baltimore's score with Reed nailing a 46-yard field goal. The Ravens would creep closer as McGahee rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. However, in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh pulled away as safety Troy Polamalu returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Baltimore tried to mount a comeback, but the Steelers' defense was too much to overcome.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
With the loss, the Ravens' season ended with an overall record of 13–6.


2008 Baltimore Ravens season, Postseason, Game summaries, AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
McGahee, near the end of the fourth quarter, was in a vicious collision with Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark. He was conscious, yet had to be carted off the field, due to some neck pains. On January 19, 2009, the Ravens released news that McGahee is expected to make a full recovery.


2008 Bandung mayoral election
A mayoral election was held in Bandung on 10 August 2008. The election was the first direct mayoral election for the city.


2008 Bandung mayoral election
Three pairs of candidates contested the election, including the incumbent mayor Dada Rosada. Rosada, who was supported by a coalition of parties Golkar, PDI-P, PAN, Demokrat and PPP, won the election in a landslide, securing nearly 65 percent of the total votes.


2008 Bandung stampede
2008 Bandung Human Stampede, known as Tragedi AACC (AACC Tragedy) or Sabtu Kelabu (Dark Saturday), was a stampede and mass hysteria that occurred on 9 February 2008 at Asia African Cultural Center or AACC building (now called De Majestic) in Bandung.


2008 Bandung stampede, Background
Bandung metal band Beside was holding a concert of their first album launch entitled Against Ourselves at AACC building. The concert started at 19:00 (local time). According to many sources, the building where the concert took place was capable to accommodate 500 people.