Cardinals pose running threat against football
It was on Nov. 19 last season when Ball State came into Kelly/Shorts Stadium and changed the Chippewas’ season.
The No. 14 Cardinals defeated CMU, giving the team its first Mid-American Conference loss. The team lost again the following week and missed out on the MAC Championship after an 8-2 start. The Chippewas are once again undefeated in the MAC. But Ball State is not close to the same team as last year.
Undefeated leading up to last year’s game against CMU, the Cardinals are coming into the 8 p.m. game today at Scheumann Stadium with a record of 1-9 (1-5 MAC).
However, with CMU just one game ahead of Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference West Division standings, the Chippewas cannot afford to look past Ball State.
“We kind of reminded ourselves that, last year, this was our turning point, but that’s not what we’re focusing on,” said junior linebacker Matt Berning. “We’re approaching this game like we have every other game this year.”
Different attack
Last season, the Cardinals were led by junior quarterback Nate Davis, who left early for the NFL Draft.
But this season, the team ranks near the bottom of the MAC in passing offense with just 143.7 yards per game. Now the Cardinals depend on their running game, especially since starting quarterback Kelly Page has been out with an injury. It left fifth-year senior Tanner Justice to fill the void.
Justice, in three starts, has attempted 38 passes, an average of just more than 12 pass attempts per game.
But to counter that, CMU coach Butch Jones said the Cardinals have the most complete running back group in the conference.
The Cardinals have averaged 163.2 rushing yards per game while leaning on three running backs — MiQuale Lewis, Cory Sykes and Eric Williams — and have implemented different offensive schemes, including the wildcat formation, since Page has been sidelined.
“(Lewis is) playing his best football right now,” Jones said. “It’s the same thing we saw last year — he’s extremely difficult to tackle, elusive in the hole and runs with power. He’s a powerful running back, he can always make the first guy miss.”
Hit by Injuries
Senior cornerback Josh Gordy will miss another game and will be replaced by junior Vince Agnew. Senior defensive end Sam Williams will miss the rest of the season after suffering a spinal cord injury.
