Ball State's non-conference schedule -- all three games againstbowl teams -- could be equated to a buzzsaw, and the first teethhit the wood tonight at 7 p.m., when Boston College visits Munciefor both teams' season opener.
And it is young wood that will have to grow quickly. TheCardinals feature just nine senior letterwinners, and one,cornerback Tommy Schembra, is out indefinitely with a footinjury.
"We'll find out a lot about ourselves in the first three weeks,"said head coach Brady Hoke, whose team also faces trips to Purdueand Missouri.
One thing Hoke will find out tonight is how well the Cardinalsstand up to Boston College's massive offensive line, one thataverages 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds.
In last season's 53-29 loss at BC, the answer was "not toowell," as the Eagles rolled up 270 rushing yards on the Ball Statedefense. "Very, very physical," is how Hoke described the Eagles'line. The ringleader is Jeremy Trueblood, a 6-9, 315-poundhulk.
That group won't be opening holes for Derrick Knight, as theschool's all-time leading rusher has graduated and sophomore JeffRoss gets the start. Ross ran for just 33 yards on seven carrieslast year, most of that coming in the BSU game. Boston Collegecoach Tom O'Brien said that Ross will play two series and redshirtfreshman L.V. Whitworth will play the next two.
"We'll decide at halftime which way to go, depending on who'shot," O'Brien said.
While Hoke believes his line is stronger than last year, heknows he must rely on other factors to slow the Eagles' groundattack, including the improved speed on defense.
"The big thing is making sure to rotate some [linemen] in andout," Hoke said. "You've got to stay fresh and stay healthy so guyscan play fast, play hard. We've got to be great technicians andplay with great fundamentals."
At quarterback Paul Peterson, who guided BC to three wins at theend of 2003, beat out fellow fifth-year senior Quinton Porter (whostarted against Ball State). The defense is led by All-American endMathias Kiwanuka (13 1/2 sacks in 2003) and cornerback WillBlackmon.
As for Ball State's rushing attack, struggles abounded in 2003,and in the spring Larry Bostic was moved from receiver to tailback,his high school position.
The 5-7, 177-pound junior will start there tonight. Senior ScottBlair, last year's starter, and possibly true freshman Adell Givenswill also get some carries.
"I really think over the course of fall camp, [Bostic] separatedhimself as the lead back," Hoke said.
Overall, the second-year coach feels his ground attack is aheadof where it was last year.
"We've got to be a better team in how we block at the point ofattack," he said. "We have to make good decisions, as backs, ofhitting the open areas."
Sophomore Joey Lynch, who completed all three of his passes in2003 for 47 yards and a touchdown -- all at Boston College, willmake his first career start.
"I guess when we get him to throw an incomplete pass it'll bethe first of his career," O'Brien said.
More importantly than forcing Lynch's first incompletion,O'Brien's team is looking to avoid an upset bug in 2003 thatinfected several ranked teams when they took on Mid-AmericanConference schools.
Ball State is still looking for its first victory over a BCSschool after 28 losses. The Cardinals have defeated Connecticut,who beat Boston College in the Big East this year, three times.
"We know the pitfalls," O'Brien said. "We've talked a lot about[us] going to play a MAC school is similar to when Maryland wentout to Northern Illinois [last season, and lost]."
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