Week 1 Preview: Indiana at Ball State
By Editorial Staff
Indiana Hoosiers at Ball State Cardinals September 3, 2011 7pm, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
The last time the Hoosiers and Cardinals met was 2008 and Ball State was on its way to an historic season. IU was coming off their first bowl game since 1993. The Cardinals ended what ever momentum the Hooisers had with a 42-20 thrashing. IU does lead the series 4-1 however.
THE TEAMS
Indiana Hoosiers– IU is coming off yet another disappointing season going 5-7 (1-7). Bill Lynch was fired just days after the Hoosiers beat Purdue at Ross-Ade stadium for the first time since 1996. There is reason for optimism in Bloomington because of the energy and passion that new coach Kevin Wilson has brought from Oklahoma, but this year will not be easy after losing Sr. QB Ben Chappell and LB Tyler Replogle.
The biggest question for the Hoosiers is who is going to be under center? It most likely will be either Dusty Keil or Edward Wright-Baker, both redshirt sophomores. IU’s offense should still be pretty potent with the returns of RB Darius Willis, WR Demarlo Belcher, and TE Ted Bolser. The defense, on the other hand, loses its heart and sole in Tyler Replogle and several corner backs. The strength of this defense will be the interior line with Adam Replogle, Larry Black Jr, Mick Mentzer, and Nick Sliger all returning.
KEYS TO VICTORY- In order for the Kevin Wilson Era to get off to a good start the Hoosiers will need to do several things.
1. Run The Ball- Ball State let up an average of 178 ypg last year. If IU can get Darrius Willis and the other runners going early it will definitely take the pressure off of the young QBs.
2. Clean up Special Teams- Although Mitch Ewald is one of the Big Ten’s most accurate kickers, the Hoosiers have major problems in the punt game. Chris Hagerup had 3 punts blocked last year and looked like he lost his job in the spring to Adam Pines. Last year IU was in some games late last year only to have their momentum taken away by blocked punts (Hello Penn State and Illinois). Ewald does not have a great leg for kick offs, so look for Freeland to handle those duties. The return game has been solid over the past few years and the addition of Shane Wynn should help that out. IU will win if they can make the easy plays on special teams.
3. Score Touchdowns- Simple right? Well IU has had a problem settling for field goals when needing touchdowns. This team is not good enough to leave points on the field.
4. Tackling and Fundamentals- This is more of a season key. Too many times under Lynch the Hoosiers missed assignments, tackles, and just mentally fell apart at the end of games. Solid fundamentals will make up for a lack of overall talent. This team has to play with heart.
BALL STATE- The Cardinals are also welcoming a new coach to the program after a 3-9 (2-6) season. Pete Lembo is coming to Muncie from FCS Elon where he went to the FCS playoffs for the first time in 2009. Ball State should have a better season as they return 53 players from last years team. A lot of the losses last year were very close and if a bounce goes differently they could have been bowl eligible.
The Cardinals return QB Keith Wenning (Soph) who threw for 14 Touchdowns last year in 10 starts. He did throw 14 interceptions last year so the IU defense should have some opportunities for turnovers. Wenning can be dangerous if he can limit bad throws. The BSU run game is lead by Eric Williams 362 yds in 5 starts last year. The Ball State defense was terrible last year giving up 30.4 points a game. They do return a majority of their defense and could give the young QBs fits.
KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Don’t be intimidated by an NFL stadium- The Cardinals moved this game from Muncie to Indianapolis to make some money, but at the cost of having home field advantage as I suspect a pro IU crowd. They are the more experienced team, but the size of the venue and atmosphere may effect the Cardinals early. Stay calm and weather the first 8 minutes and BSU will be in the game.
2. Limit Turnovers- I said this before, Wenning threw 14 picks last year and we all know that interceptions can swing a game one way or another in a split second.
3. Do the little things- This is how upsets happen. Make plays and force the other team into mistakes by playing good clean football. This team is far from the talent on that ’08 team, but they still have enough talent to ruin Kevin Wilson’s debut.
4. Bring the Students- This has nothing to do with the game on the field. The BSU athletic department needs to make Indy Muncie South. This means bussing the students and alumni to the game and making tickets for the students free. As coach Hep once said, “Crowds Help Win Games”. Creating a pro Ball State crowd will help because IU does not fare very well on the road.
Prediction-
The Hoosiers will get over early game jitters and take control of the game, but Ball State will make it close late. It will not be a particularly high scoring game by IU standards, but the Wilson Era starts with a nice win in Indy that will hopefully draw attention to the program.
IU 27 Ball St 21