Head coach Mike Neu led Ball State to a 4-8 record in his debut season at the helm. Now, he’ll be attempting to mold a young and inexperienced team this fall. The Cardinals only return nine starters in 2017. Obviously, he has his work cut out for him if he hopes to stop the Cardinals from a fourth straight losing season.
The Ball State offense will rely heavy on their running game. In the meantime coach Neu hopes his quarterback can take the next step forward after a shaky sophomore stint under center.
The Cardinal’s have a new defensive coordinator, who will try to squeeze more out of a unit that gave up the most yards in the MAC and created only 12 total turnovers all season long.
Offense
Offensively, Ball State will once again look to take full advantage of their opponents via the ground. All-MAC Conference tailback James Gilbert collected 1,332 yards and 12 touchdowns. The expectations for an even better season are there as he will be running behind three linemen who started all 12 games last year. Senior guard Vinnie Palazeti, senior right guard Pat Maloney and junior right tackle Alex Joss all return.
The big question that is looming over the Ball State’s offense is whether quarterback Riley Neal can get back to the level he was at as a freshman. The sophomore jinx surely can be used to describe his season in 2016.
Last year, the signal-caller only produced 13 touchdown tosses with 12 picks. Although he struggled through the air, he did run the ball effectively. Riley amassed over 500 yards on 127 carries and scored eight touchdowns while running the ball.
The wide receiver position leaves a lot to be desired. Only one wide out with any experience returns to help Riley Neal. Kavonn Mabon, the Cardinal’s third all-time leading receiver, now will be catching passes for Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans.
Now, the Ball State receiving corps will feature Corey Lacanaria as the top option. Last season, Lacanaria recorded 33 catches for over 340 yards a three scores. Freshmen Devin Reese and John Hogue will be asked to step up to the plate and give the offense other quality options.
Defense
Ball State’s Defensive coordinator Tim Daoust took his game to Western Michigan. Coach Mike Neu took that opportunity and hired the former Western Kentucky head coach David Elson. His number one priority will be to force more turnovers. Last year, the Cardinals managed just seven picks and seven fumble recoveries.
The Cardinals will bring back just four starters from last season’s unit that ranked last in the MAC in yards allowed (470.3 ypg). The strength for Ball State is at the line of scrimmage.
Third-team All-MAC defensive end Anthony Winbush returns. He has gained 20 pounds and plans to add to last year’s 8.5 sack total. Veteran tackle Kevin Willis contributed two more quarterback take downs and should be improved after a productive spring.
Ball State lost all three of its linebackers to graduation, including third-team all-league pick Sean Wiggins. Obviously, experience in the run stop department is lacking. The Cardinal secondary will feature corner backs Marc Walton and David Moore. Walton had three interceptions and broke up 11 others, while Moore contributed with another 10 pass breakups.
Prediction
Ball State was just downright miserable in close games. The Cardinals suffered four setbacks in contests decided by a single score. They will have the ability to become Bowl eligible if they can fill the voids on defense and get consistent play from the quarterback position.
Inevitably, Ball State will find themselves in close games regardless, and how the team finishes those will determine their success. Las Vegas has Ball State’s team win total at 5.5 and 33 to 1 (+3300) to capture a MAC Conference title.
Personally, I can’t see a the Cardinals putting together a MAC Conference championship run. That being said, I do see potential on capitalizing on the 5.5 win total. If Ball State can win a few more of the close games and capitalize on some lesser opponents, a 6-6 season is very attainable.
Schedule
9-2 @ Illinois
9-9 vs. UAB
9-18 vs. Tennessee Tech
9-23 @ Western Kentucky
9-30 @ Western Michigan
10-7 @ Akron
10-21 vs. Central Michigan
10-28 vs. Toledo
11-2 @ Eastern Michigan
11-9 @ Northern Illinos
11-16 vs. Buffalo
11-21 @ Miami (Ohio)
The getmoresports.com NCAA College Football Throwdown Podcast will be returning to the air on August 24th. We will be highlighting the first five games on August 26th of the 2017 NCAA College Football season. That will be the first of three installments leading into the first week of the season. We also we will be covering our expectations for the Heisman Trophy front runners as well as predictions for conference winners and team totals.
Our second NCAA College Football Throwdown Podcast is penciled in for August 29th. In that installment, we will discussing all the games that will be played on August 31st and the 1st of September.
Our third segment will officially be airing on August 31st. In this addition of the NCAA College Football Throwdown, we will be covering all the relevant games for Sept 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Keeping with tradition, EJ the Rainmaker and Erik the Hun will give their predictions for the contests. On top of that, we will be providing our dog play of the podcast as well as cash money plays for the week. Join us for all three opening episodes and improve your college football knowledge while increasing the size of your sports book betting account. Come join us and help everyone make it rain. #moneytreesgrow
