The Ball State football team today opens spring practice, its third under head coach Brady Hoke.
"We're excited to get started; we've had a good winter," Hoke said. "The philosophy won't change. There's no entitlement; the best players are going to play."
The team will be young again, but Hoke knows the areas he especially wants his team to improve in -- beginning with special teams and the kickoff and punt returns. The team averaged just 4.1 yards per punt return last season and 15.9 yards per kick return.
"We have to improve in this area greatly, as coaches and as players," he said. "I blame myself greatly for the lack of improvement the last two years."
Since the team has no special teams coach, and instead places various coaches in charge of the different teams, Hoke has decided to coach the kickoff and punt return teams.
"Our kickoff return and our punt return where an embarrassment," he said. "That's one thing that we are really going to work on."
While an assistant at Michigan, Hoke coached the punt return team for seven years. ?
Offensively, Hoke said the line will be critical. The team graduated two starters -- Nick Tabacca at center and Jeff Ramsey at guard -- and will be looking for those who redshirted last season to step up this season, Hoke said.
"That's one place where we've got to play with much greater toughness," he said. "We're going to be good enough at the running back position. We'll be good enough at the quarterback position. We'll be good enough -- we'll be a little thin -- at wide receivers, but our offensive line really has to mature."
Junior Joey Lynch enters the spring season as the top quarterback, something Hoke said he has earned, but could lose to either sophomore Cole Stinson or redshirt freshman Warren Suess.
On the defensive side, Hoke will be looking for a much more aggressive team. Opponents last season averaged 458 yards of offense per game, 197 of those on the ground.
"We have to be a defense that plays with an attitude of aggression," he said. "Our rush defense is where it starts, and that's something that we have to get much better at."
Five players will be limited to what they can do and four will sit out the entire spring.
Defensive end Riley Larimore, linebacker Donta Smith, free safety Chris Allen, tailback Jovens Degage and receiver Bryan Williamson are the five that will be limited in practice. Blair Kramer will also miss some practices because of a conflict with a class he has to take in order to graduate.
Tailback Larry Bostic, defensive end Temidayo Macarthy, tight end Todd Racine and linebacker Antonio Beasley will miss the spring season.
Hoke hopes that Bostic will be healthy at the open of the fall season, but feels that senior Charles Wynn has played well enough to carry the tailback position.
Hoke said the spring season brings a new life for everyone on the team.
"We're all starting out fresh, no one's been beat," he said. "We're undefeated right now, so we're playing pretty good football."
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