With all of the defensive troubles surrounding the Ball State University football team, it's the offense that has generated the most talk this week.
It is likely that freshman Nate Davis will get the starting nod at quarterback Saturday against Northern Illinois University, according to multiple players on the football team.
Davis came in on the final drive Saturday against North Dakota State University, getting a first down on a scramble, but unable to generate anything else in the 29-24 loss. However, Ball State coach Brady Hoke said in Monday's press conference that the quarterback situation was the same as usual.
"We went with Nate at the end because we had to get the ball downfield a little more," Hoke said. "We thought that gave us the best opportunity. [Joey Lynch and Nate] have a lot of trust."
Through four games, Davis is 25-of-39 for 372 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Lynch is 55-of-91 for 823 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Lynch is 20th in the nation in passing efficiency with a 153.77 rating. Davis has a higher rating at 186.53, but doesn't have enough attempts to qualify for the list.
As a team, Ball State (1-3. 1-0 Mid-American Conference) is sixth in the nation and first in the Mid-American Conference in passing offense with 298.75 yards per game. Also, tight end Darius Hill is 15th in the nation with 341 receiving yards.
However, the rushing game has some work to do. The team is only averaging 68.8 rushing yards per game, including a paltry 116 yards total in the last three games. That mark puts them 114th in Division I-A.
Hoke said MiQuale Lewis will probably receive more carries in an attempt to jumpstart the rushing game.
"I think MiQuale needs to play a little more in the run game but he's got to be able to pick up the passing game," Hoke said. "I thought early in the game [against North Dakota State] we tried to run the ball. We came out in the second half and tried to run the ball but we just didn't block well enough and didn't run the ball well enough. That can't happen."
The Cardinals accumulated only 14 yards on 24 carries against the Bison.
The Ball State defense will have its hands full containing Northern Illinois (2-2, 1-1 MAC) running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Garrett Wolfe. Wolfe leads the nation with 207.0 rushing yards per game, which is only 47 more yards than second-place Adrian Peterson of the University of Oklahoma. He is averaging over eight yards per carry.
The defense is familiar with Wolfe. In 2004, he ran for 280 yards, with 188 of those coming in the second half of Northern Illinois' 38-31 overtime win. Wolfe sat out the 2005 affair, a 31-17 Ball State victory, with an injury.
"Garrett Wolfe is a real weapon," Hoke said. "He has got great quickness, he has got a great burst when he hits the opening. I think his vision's good. He gets slighted a little bit because he's not real big. But he's put together. He'll dish out the punishment as well as take it."
With the defense giving up 469 yards per game, containing Wolfe will be a difficult process. The Huskies use Wolfe out of the backfield quite a bit with screens and flare passes. They also might possibly line him up as a slot receiver.
"We just got to play Ball State defense," linebacker Wendell Brown said. "We got to play fundamentally sound, get back to our techniques and trust each other and knowing what the other positions are going to do. We need to play for each other."
The team did receive good news this week. Cornerback Trey Buice will return this week after missing the first four games with an injury. Guard Kyle Cornwell sprained his MCL last week against NDSU and will be out one to two weeks. True freshman John Purdy will make his first start of the season in place of Cornwell Saturday.
"We got to play with more confidence," Hoke said. "How you get that? I think you get it by winning and by performance. You can't think too much. You got to go play the game. You have to have an intensity about you."
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