Favored Chippewas seek first win over Ball State since ‘09
Ball State was predicted to be one of the Mid-American Conference’s top teams in 2014.
This fall has been the complete opposite for Cardinals fans.
Since beating Colgate in the first week of the season, BSU has lost five in a row to fall to 1-5 and currently stand at 0-2 in conference play.
“I’m not sure what’s happened to them,” said CMU Head Coach Dan Enos. “I’m not there.”
CMU is 0-4 against the Cardinals in the Dan Enos Era, including a 44-24 loss in Muncie, Ind. last season.
“It was an embarrassment,” said senior wide receiver Titus Davis. “You can tell that everyone is still pissed about that. We’re ready to come out and give ‘em one.”
Davis had his best game of 2013 against Ball State, catching nine passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in a game BSU controlled for its entirety.
Like Ohio and Northern Illinois, CMU’s two most recent victories, Ball State graduated its star quarterback last spring.
Four-year BSU starting quarterback Keith Wenning set school records with 11,402 yards and 92 touchdowns during his time at the school.
Freshman Jack Milas, a three-star recruit, posted 326 yards and four touchdowns in his first career game Saturday in BSU 42-38 loss to Western Michigan.
“He’s younger, but he made some good decisions (Saturday),” said CMU senior linebacker Justin Cherocci. “He’s a good quarterback. He’s athletic.”
The Cardinals have struggled on defense, particularly in defending the run. The Cardinals rank 99th in the country, allowing 199.3 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile, CMU senior running back Thomas Rawls ranks seventh in the nation in rushing yards. Rawls has touched the ball 40 times in each of the Chippewas games, both were victories.
“I’m expecting a lot (of carries),” Rawls said. “My role on this team is to come in the game and have a huge impact and try not to let my battery go down. If 40 carries is the job or plus, then I’ll take it.”
Rawls and the CMU offense have spent the week preparing for Ball Stat’s blitz-heavy defense and said they are not intimidated by it.
“I like blitzes,” Rawls said. “I think they open up lanes even quicker. They’re having contact with my lineman so quick so I can get to the line of scrimmage quicker. It’ll be easy. Easy yards.”
While Rawls expects to challange Ball State’s box, Davis will look for opportunities over the top of it and into the defensive secondary.
“They might stack the box. I know there’ll be times when I’m going to be a decoy and I’m all for it,” Davis said. “Anything for us to win.”
