In his third year at Ball State, the head football coach has decided to add more responsibilities to his duties.
Brady Hoke is taking over special teams coaching, after last season, when the team ranked near or at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference in several categories, including last place in punt returns and kickoff coverage. The Cardinals were also the third worst MAC team in kickoff returns.
“Our punt returns and kickoff returns were dismal,” Hoke said. “They were pathetic. That part of our game has to continue to improve.”
While most of last year’s group returns this season, Ball State is losing two of last year’s special teams players who have moved on to the pros.
Gone are punter Reggie Hodges and wide receiver Dante Ridgeway, both of whom were drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 2005 NFL Draft. Hodges finished his career at Ball State ranked in several individual punting categories, and Ridgeway occasionally helped with punt return duties.
Placekicker Brian Jackson returns after making 12 field goals on 16 attempts and 23 of his 24 extra point attempts last season. The junior has made 48 of 50 field goal attempts and 23 of 32 extra point attempts during his two-year career.
With Hodges, Ball State was fifth in net punting, and the Cardinals were fifth in field goals, as well as in the middle of the pack in extra point attempts, with Jackson.
Redshirt freshman Chris Miller is taking over the team’s punting duties. Miller earned a scholarship this season after joining Ball State last year as a walk-on from Libertyville, Ill., where he helped Mundelein (Carmel) win the 2003 Illinois Class 6A State Championship in football.
“Chris Miller has got a wonderful, strong leg, a lot of pop in the ball,” Hoke said. “He can develop into the same kind of kicker that Reggie [Hodges] was.”
Junior longsnapper Michael Hay also returns.
Miller said he and the coaching staff have set personal goals for him to strive for during the season. Among them are being consistent in getting the ball off in time, not getting any blocked punts and having good hang time.
He said starting the season at the University of Iowa could give him plenty of repetitions to help him get used to playing in a game after having not done so since high school.
“Everyone says to me I’m going to get a lot of opportunity to punt,” he said. “I take that as a good thing, so I can get my leg off, get exposure and help the team as best as I can.”
Sophomore Ryan Patrick will continue returning punts this season. He returned 10 punts last season for 38 yards. His longest came on a 12-yard run against Central Florida.
In addition to Jackson, Hay and Patrick coming back, the special teams will welcome freshman B.J. Hill, who will take over kick returning duties from Terry Moss.
Moss returned 27 kicks for 551 yards — a 20.4 average — last season. His longest return was a 94-yard sprint against Northern Illinois that resulted in the Cardinals’ lone kickoff return touchdown of the season.
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