As we indicated earlier this week, Saturday’s contest on the road against Central Michigan is big for so many reasons, not the least of which is breaking the losing streak the Cardinals are mired in, which currently sits at five games. It’s also imperative to win this weekend to have any hope of landing in the neighborhood of .500, and even that will require an upset or two along the way. Suffice to say, this weekend’s contest is big.
It’s game number two in the Jack Milas era, and after last week’s performance, big things are expected from the redshirt freshman. That’s especially true given Jordan Williams’ return to form against Western Michigan in the Cards’ last outing. The loss last weekend on Homecoming? Disappointing. The news circling the drain this week around the Cards? Not so great. But nothing cures those sorts of ills like a win. Let’s see what the numbers say…
| NCAA Stat | BSU | CMU |
| Scoring Offense | 94th (24.7) |
101st (23.0) |
| Rushing Offense | 69th (162.2) | 84th (150.9) |
| Passing Offense | 88th (212.2) | 87th (214.1) |
| Total Offense | 96th (374.3) | 104th (365.0) |
| Scoring Defense | 76th (27.2) | 55th (23.7) |
| Rushing Defense | 100th (199.7) | 60th (151.1) |
| Passing Defense | 43rd (214.3) | 30th (204.0) |
| Total Defense | 78th (414.0) | 38th (355.1) |
| Sacks | 122nd (4.0) | 107th (8.0) |
| Sacks Allowed | 28th (8.0) | 100th (16.0) |
| Turnover Margin | 44th (+2) | 64th (+/-0) |
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 71st (40.6%) | 53rd (42.7%) |
| Opp. 3rd Down Conv. % | 86th (42.1%) | 75th (40.2%) |
| Red Zone Conv. % | 77th (81.8%) | 54th (84.6%) |
| Opp. Red Zone Conv. % | 23rd (73.1%) | 68th (89.3%) |
| Punting | 45th (42.7) | 107th (39.1) |
| Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game | 47th (49.0) | 16th (39.7) |
Out of 17 statistical categories, CMU leads in 10, which I honestly thought would be higher. To me, the above stats highlight some critical elements. CMU’s defense is stronger against the pass than the run, so it may be a FEASTMODE kind of day for Quake. The biggest issues come on the Cardinal defensive side of the ball. CMU has allowed an abnormally high amount of sacks this year, and getting to the quarterback is something that BSU has struggled to achieve. Those sacks could create a favorable down and distance and force CMU punts, which they have also struggled with this year. With teams fairly evenly matched, this could be a game that comes down to little things like field position, turnovers, and penalties.
Filed under: BallStateFootball, ByTheNumbers |
Over The Pylon 
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