Going up against an Army defense that allowed 335 rushing yards to Division II Yale, Ball State running backs Jahwan Edwards and Horactio Banks could be in line for a productive day.
In four games, Army has given up 39, 35, 24 and 49 points.
“[Army defensive coordinator Jay] Bateman will have them in position, there’s no doubt about that,” Banks said. “They’re tough, they play hard, they don’t quit and they’re going to play for five quarters even though there’s only four.”
Banks should have plenty of room to run on Saturday, as Army enters the contest ranked No. 98 out of 124 teams in the country in rushing yards allowed per game according to ESPN.com.
The Black Knights are surrendering nearly 200 yards on the ground per game and have allowed 10 touchdowns.
The matchup bodes well for a Ball State rushing attack that has struggled at times this season, though the unit returned to form against Toledo.
Edwards ripped off 125 yards and averaged six yards a carry while Banks added 47 yards of his own. With Toledo in the rearview mirror and a struggling rushing defense straight ahead, the opportunity for the duo to run wild is evident.
“When you watch that tape, those Army kids really battled and the Yale running back is awfully good as well,” offensive coordinator Joey Lynch said. “Army had some guys there to make plays and stop the run; they just didn’t make them that day.”
Lynch said Army utilizes significant movement among its defensive line and linebackers along with stunts to penetrate the offensive line and stop plays before they develop.
It’ll be a test for the Ball State offensive line as well. Strong tackle Drake Miller is returning to the lineup with a club on his hand, and provides experience that’s been missing from the far right side of the line.
With components slowly becoming healthy, it’s a sign that Ball State’s running game may be ready to take off, and Army is the opponent it could happen against.
Four games in, Lynch said he isn’t worried about the up and down nature of Ball State’s rushing attack. He said he wants his team to look to the future and not focus on past results.
The immediate future should prove a little easier for Edwards and Banks, when their opponent is ranked No. 111 in the nation in points allowed per game at 36.8.
Despite the ranking, Banks doesn’t want to become overconfident and sees the Army defense as one that can use physicality to make plays.
Even with the motion Army uses with its front seven, Banks doesn’t see any changes coming to the rushing attack.
“They’re going to hit you up front right away,” Banks said. “We’re not coming out to trick anybody, our offense won’t change because of that.”
Edwards has just two rushing touchdowns this season, while Banks has none.
At this time last season, the duo ran for nine combined touchdowns.
With a strong performance against Army, that differential could change very quickly.
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