Over The Pylon

We are undefeated. Let that sink in.

If you weren’t one of the roughly 10,750 fans in attendance last night at the Scheu to see Ball State’s 27-10 win, you missed an awkward yet somehow effective performance against Southeast Missouri State. It feels great to have one in the win column right off the bat, but there were certainly moments where the game felt like it could have gone the other way. Let’s start out with a look at the offense.

Offense
First and foremost, kudos to the offensive line. The weakest part of the 2009 offense has shown immense improvement. I happen to notice, quite a few times, the serving of platefuls of pancakes.

When it came to the rushing attack, we had it down pat, especially thanks to the lanes opened by the offensive line. Eric Williams earned the player of the game honors with 105 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown. But Cory Sykes wasn’t far behind with 70 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns of his own. David Brown also ran for an impressive 31 yards on five carries late in the game. There wasn’t a lot of actionin the Quale department, but he was able to gain 48 yards with an average of 3.2 yards per carry. Don’t worry, this beast will unleash when the time is right.

The passing game was certainly not near as pretty as the rushing game. Kelly Page went 10 for 17 with 85 yards and his first interception of the year. If I could offer one piece of constructive criticism, someone needs to work on his throwing motion. Remember the main issue with Tim Tebow’s motion? Page seems to have the same problem with taking the ball below his waist before firing a pass. One instance of this contributed directly to a fumble, and if a team like SEMO can make this happen, it’s bound to be repeated.

All in all, not a bad debut for the 2010 season, but this engine needs some work. Our OTP Offensive Player of the Game award goes to: The Offensive Line.

Defense
Bipolar much? The first half was just brutal. Although we held SEMO to one scoring drive in the first half, it looked as if we had one game plan in mind and were unable to make adjustments until a completely different mindset appeared after halftime. However, SEMO was able to effectively attack the flats repeatedly, and this perhaps is a downside to the 4-3 we have adopted. We certainly need to get better at swarming to the ball when those short passes happen.

There was an initial threat in the rushing attack, but we did seem to be effective in shutting it down for the most part. SEMO was able to convert most of their third down attempts in the first half, and that’s also something that needs some attention. All in all, we were able to hold them to 237 yards, so that’s something to note.

I’d have to give the defense a C+ for their performance. The first half was tough to watch, but they redeemed themselves. Defensive player of the game: The Grim Reaper of Souls: Sean Baker. Nine tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. Num-num-num, the beast is fed.

Final Thoughts
As stated, it’s nice to get that first win. And congrats to the team for making adjustments and easing a lot of visibly confused and shaken fans at halftime. To finish up my callouts, two more standouts from last night include Briggs Orsbon with a blocked punt and Otis “MY MAN” Brown (who got that movie reference?). Brown had four receptions for 30 yards, and he’s going to be one to watch.

With Liberty just around the corner, the defense that showed up in the second half must come out for the entire game next Saturday. As for the offense, a passing game needs to develop in the next week, or this coming game will not turn out like last night. Now that the opening day jitters are in the past, it’s time to get to work and show the rest ofthe MAC that we’re back as a West contender.

Rock on. Game on.

Roving Muncie chief reporter Edge is nice enough to pass on some photos for those of us who can’t make it to the game…

Cory Sykes’ first TD

The Ball State offense…

The student section looking good!

Batten down the hatches, boys and girls. Put the women and children to bed. It is GAMEDAY in Muncie, IN.

While we would normally preview the ins and outs of this particular game and contest, it would be a waste of time. SEMO isn’t a team we are worried about, they are lambs being led to the slaughter, and Stan the Executioner is about to open a king sized can of whoop ass on the Redhawks. Is it possible we lose this game? Sure. It’s possible anything can happen. But this isn’t one of those teams that gives me pause. This isn’t an FCS powerhouse. This isn’t a Ball State team loaded with freshmen and inexperience.

What this is is the opportunity for this team to make a statement. It is the opportunity to blow the stench of a 2-10 season right out the door. It is the opportunity to show everyone who has poked fun, not believed in, or belittled this team over the last 9 months just how wrong they were. It is the opportunity at redemption. It is the opportunity at rebirth. It is the opportunity to succeed.

At some point tonight, a mistake will be made. At some point tonight, something will occur that will drive the fanbase into fever pitch. At some point tonight, there will be doubts about the ability of this team to succeed. Let’s try to forget about all those things, and focus instead on the things that will also be prevalent. At some point tonight, a brutal block, perfect pass, or violent juke will be levied against the Redhawks. At some point tonight, something will occur that will make the thousands in attendance gasp in awed admiration for what has transpired. At some point tonight, this team will look like world beaters ready for Alabama, Boise State, or Ohio State. That is the Ball State team we hope for and the Ball State team we’ll get at some point, if only for a few moments.

It’s often lost amidst the shuffle of preseason hype, prognostications, and expectations that there are 94 young men who are not perfect. Who are not superhuman. Who are not professionals. They sacrifice time, effort, work, academics, and most important and quite often, their health for the love of the game and to entertain all of us who revel in the relaxation, passion, and happiness that brings us each and every weekend. To all of them, my thanks, and I hope all of you join me in wishing our Cardinals great success, great health, and a successful season! Go Cardinals!

Rejoice, Cardinal fans, since now we know the who to go along with the what, when and where for Ball State’s season opener on Thursday night. The depth chart for the Cardinals this offseason was always presumed to be somewhat easy to figure, but nothing official ever popped across our radar. Until today.

The offensive two-deep (click to see full size):

Eric Williams has a number change, Aaron Mershman is the second-string TE (moved from QB), the running back corps is absolutely loaded, and our receiving group should make defensive coordinators worried. The offensive line returns five lettermen, and basically the entire starting roster and many of the second unit have had significant game experience. That bodes well. Very well. Extremely well, some may say.

And of course we can’t forget about the defense (click for full size)…
Now, if there is a unit of concern for the Cardinals, it’s the linebacking unit, but one can surmise that with the election of Davyd Jones to a captain’s role, perhaps this linebacking crew is coming along faster than we expected. The starters on defense are solid, but if certain folks go down (Eddins, Baker, etc.) we could be in for a long season. Here’s to everyone staying healthy, which as of now, they’ve managed to do quite well.

The specialists for the Cards (you know the drill for full size)…

Returning specialists make me feel good. The kicking game, or more specifically, the lack of one at times, cost us more than I care to add up last season. Here’s to strong seasons from Kovanda and McGarvey as well as kickoffs long and straight for Schott. Go Cards!

Seven days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. That’s all that’s left before Ball State opens its football season on September 2 against Southeast Missouri State. Questions? We have them. Answers? We don’t. Does Page perform up to his talent and potential? Which of the three running backs emerge as someone indispensable for this offense? How does the defensive unit, especially the secondary and D-line perform? How does the offensive line keep Page’s jersey clean and open holes for the Triumvirate? Questions abound, answers few, but the one thing we do know is that come next Thursday night, the world will seem a bit righter, life will seem a bit more exciting, and football will be back. Giddy up.