Geoff Mogus going down injured is one of the biggest stories of the first half.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

This has all the symptoms of a let down game.  NU has been outplayed by plucky and gritty Ball State and find themselves down 10-7 at halftime.  Not a lot of good.  A whole lot of bad.

• The offense, aside from one blown Ball State coverage, has looked rough.  There’s been some room to run the ball and Justin Jackson is on his way to another 100 yard game, but the passing attack has been toothless.  Clayton Thorson threw one interception intended for no one, he’s missed open guys, and he’s been hit more than once.  It’s been a real struggle moving the ball.
• Literally everyone is now hurt.  Igwebuike? Out. Quiero? Out. Mogus? Out. Robbins went out for a bit. Garret Dickerson went out for a bit.  Northwestern needed to enter conference play healthy.  That is almost assuredly not going to happen.  Mogus’s injury looked especially bad.  We at WNUR Sports hope for a speedy recovery.
• Ball State should be winning this game by a lot of points.  2 missed field goals and a fumble inside the 5 have kept NU in this game when they’ve been really outplayed.
• Dan Vitale is good at football and should be thrown footballs with regularity.
• Good to see Cam Dickerson back on the field.
• Jaylen Prater has hit some people hard.
• Ryan Field is full.
• This has been a really, really, really bad half of Northwestern football.
• I think they will get it back on track.  I just can’t believe that BSU will continue to dominate the line while they have the ball.  It just doesn’t seem like something that can last for 2 more quarters.