The Ball State Cardinals started the 2016 season of well. They went out and captured victories in three of their first four contests. In fact, the only defeat they suffered was a 10 point loss at the hands of the BIG-10’s Indiana.
Unfortunately, the Cardinal’s solid beginning was only a mirage. Ball State managed to win only one more game in the MAC Conference. However, Ball State was competitive in almost every game they played in.
Heading into the 2017 season, there are a lot of questions for the Cardinals. The defense will have a whole new group of linebackers and the back half is developing as well. Adding to that, Ball State has a new defensive coordinator running the show.
Even though they finished 4-8 last year, the Ball State Cardinals have a few things going for them. The Cardinals should field a solid ground attack and have some experience along the offensive line. The offense also has some holes to fill at the wide out position. If the new starters step up, it could be a successful season for second-year coach Mike Neu.
Offense
The Ball State Cardinals have the ability to throw the ball downfield successfully with Riley Neal under center. Last year, Neal completed 61 percent of his throws for over 2,500 yards. The starting quarterback also struggled with his decision making, throwing 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
The Cardinal’s opponents will have to be careful when Riley Neal gets free from the pocket. The dual-threat player scrambled for over 500 yards and scored an impressive eight touchdowns via the run.
Riley Neal was a nice addition to the Ball State rushing game but running back James Gilbert is their go-to guy. Last season, Gilbert was a First-Team All-MAC performer. The shifty back ran for over 1,300 yards on 251 carries and reached the end zone 12 times. Combined, Neal and Gilbert led Ball State to 220 rushing yards per game, which was good for third in the MAC.
The Cardinal’s big question marks come at the wide out position. Now, 5’8″ Corey Lacanaria is the top returning receiver from 2016. Throughout last year’s campaign, he grabbed 33 passes for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns. The good news is that Mike Neu is an offensive minded coach. The second year coach’s job before becoming the head coach was coaching Drew Brees in New Orleans.
Overall, the offense was one of only three schools in the MAC Conference to average over 200 yards on the ground and through the air in 2016. As long as coach Neu can fill some vacancies in the receiving department, I believe the Ball State offense is going to be just fine for 2017.
Defense
The defense is where all the unknowns start to pile up for the Cardinals. It begins right at the top with the hiring of new defensive coordinator David Elson. Elson came over from Western Illinois where he was the defensive coordinator. Before his tenure there, he also was the head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers for seven seasons.
Ball State created plenty of opportunities on the defensive side of the football. They found their way into the opposing team’s backfield at times. The defensive line and the linebackers fared well in the tackle for loss category. Unfortunately, many of those playmakers have graduated and the remaining have to step up to the plate.
Lineman Anthony Winbush will be the unit’s top performer returning. He is plenty capable of making plays behind the line of scrimmage. Last year, Winbush was a Third-Team All-Mac standout. Also, John Swisher and Kevin Willis should provide some senior leadership at defensive tackle.
Ball State’s situation at linebacker will depend on what some inexperienced players bring to the table. The Cardinals could struggle a bit in 2017. Especially, if 2016 backups Damon Singleton and Jeremiah Jackson struggle out of the gate.
The Cardinal’s back half is set in stone for the start of the 2017 season. Cornerbacks David Moore, Marc Walton and Josh Miller back. Their success will directly depend on whether Anthony Winbush and company can put pressure on the pass happy teams in the conference.
Prediction
The Ball State Cardinal’s non-conference schedule is very favorable. First, they open the season with the Fighting Illini. They are as beatable as a BIG-10 team as it gets. Next, they host UAB who fielding their first team in a few years. Then, Ball State plays the FCS’s Tennessee Tech. With a small upset of Illinois, the Cardinals should be 3-0 and off to another good start.
The Cardinals were absolutely horrible in close games in 2016. In fact, they suffered four losses in matches that were decided by a single score. In my opinion, Ball State has the ability to become bowl-eligible if they can fill some spots at receiver. Furthermore, they have to find away to win the close games that they will be competing in this time around.
Odds makers have the Ball State Cardinal’s team total at 5.5 (-130). I definitely don’t like the -130 here but that tells you that Vegas is giving them the benefit of the doubt to reach a bowl game. They also have them penciled in as a 33 to 1 (+3300) favorite to find a way to win the MAC Conference outright. Nope, not this season.
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 Illinois
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 is penciled in for August 29th. In that installment, we will be 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 edition 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 Also, feel free to download the
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 Also, feel free to download the getmoresports app from the Google Play Store. It makes finding all your sporting information easy and available with just a touch of an icon on your mobile device.
