A rebuilding Ball State University football team will face its first challenge — and arguably its largest — in week one of the 2005 season.The Cardinals, which went 2-9 last season, travel to Iowa City to face the defending Big Ten Conference champions and nationally-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes capped their 2004 season with a win over Louisiana State, 30-25, in the Capital One Bowl and finished the season ranked eighth in the country.Iowa is again ranked heading into this season, 10th by the coaches poll and 11th by The Associated Press poll. The Hawkeyes are also expected to once again be in the running for the Big Ten championship, along with Michigan State and Ohio State.“We’re just going to try to maximize everything we do as a football team,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I’m sure we’ll have some surprises.”Ball State, meanwhile, faces another rebuilding year. The Cardinals will once again rely on a young lineup, especially on offense.Three freshmen are scheduled to start on the offensive line, but the opposite side of the scrimmage line won’t be much more experienced for the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s starting defensive line includes a freshman at tackle, and both defensive ends are sophomores.
“Any time you graduate four seniors [as we did last year], it’s an area that we’ll have to follow very closely,” Ferentz said. “I’m sure it’s going to be an area of interest for the Ball State team, and it’s an area of interest for us.”
The Hawkeyes will also be without starting cornerback Antwan Allen, who was suspended for the game after being convicted of breaking another student’s jaw in November.
Still, Ball State faces a tall task playing in Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes have won 25 of their last 27 games at home since 2000.
“I think it’s exciting,” Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. “When you go to that stadium and the opportunity, there’s such a great tradition that they have.”
Ferentz is in his sixth year at Iowa, and he said he could relate to what the Cardinals have been going through lately. In his first three years, the Hawkeyes record was 11-24. Since then, the program has turned around, and has gone 31-7.
Hoke, who faced Ferentz on a yearly-basis while coaching at Michigan, gave the Iowa coach credit for turning around the Hawkeyes.
“They’re one of the best-coached teams that you’re going to find,” he said. “We always said that at Michigan.”
Senior quarterback Drew Tate returns after being named a member of the All-Big Ten First Team.
“He’s really practiced well,” Ferentz said. “I thought he did a good job last fall. He was a young player last year, and he’s learned from the experiences of last year.”
Hoke said the team is ready for the season to start.
“There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of anticipation,” he said. “You need to go hit somebody else. You get tired of beating on each other, so we’re looking forward to it.”
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