Eleven national championships. Thirty-one straight bowl appearances. Forty-two Big Ten Conference titles. Oh, and the No. 2 ranked team in the nation.
That's what awaits Ball State University Saturday when the Cardinals head into Michigan Stadium to take on the University of Michigan. The Wolverines will be the highest-ranked team Ball State has ever faced.
In 1993, the Cardinals lost 35-12 to Syracuse University, ranked sixth in the Associated Press poll and seventh in the USA Today Coaches Poll. In 2000, Ball State played two teams ranked in the top ten: the University of Florida [seventh USA Today, ninth AP] and Kansas State University [seventh in AP and USA Today]. Neither game ended well for the Cardinals, with Florida winning 40-19 and Kansas State whitewashing Ball State 76-0.
The last time Ball State defeated a ranked team was a 24-20 victory against the University of Toledo in 2001. The Rockets went into the game ranked 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today poll and 25th in the AP poll. In 2003, the Cardinals hosted a Top 25 team in Bowling Green [22nd AP, 25th ESPN/USA Today] and lost 41-14.
"We play the second-ranked football team in the country," Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. "They're a daggone good football team and very good on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they're playing outstanding football. Offensively, they're extremely physical and talented."
Along with the Wolverines' lofty No. 2 standing in the Bowl Championship Series standings, they also come into the game with the nation's leading run defense, allowing 28.4 yards per game. The Cardinals have the 104th rushing offense in the country at 86.1 yards per game. Hoke said he would stress fundamentals and technique with the running backs and offensive lineman this week.
"I think it's a great opportunity for us to get better in our running game," Hoke said. "We got to work on running the ball to get better as a team. We're not going to be a team that says, 'To heck with it, you can't run it.'"
The Cardinals started three different runnings backs during the course of the season. The team's leading rusher, MiQuale Lewis, hasn't played since injuring his shoulder against the University at Buffalo on Oct. 7. Senior Larry Bostic has started six of the nine games and is expected to start against the Wolverines. He is third on the team in rushing with 233 yards.
"You have to work towards something new," Bostic said. "This is a big challenge and an opportunity to do something special."
Defensively, Michigan is led by All-American candidates Leon Hall and defensive end LaMarr Woodley. Woodley has 11 sacks [third in the nation], 15 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered. Hall has intercepted three passes and broken up 14 pass plays.
The Wolverines' high-powered offense is led by quarterback Chad Henne and running back Mike Hart. Henne, a 6-foot-2 junior, is 128-of-212 for 1618 yards and 15 touchdown passes. Hart is sixth in the nation with 125.2 yards rushing per game. He has totaled 1127 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
"It's just another game for us," Ball State defensive tackle Amara Koroma said. "It's going to be a test of a different kind. We won't come into the game and do anything different."
The area where Ball State holds an advantage is the kicking game. This week, senior kicker Brian Jackson was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza award, awarded to the nation's best placekicker. On the year, Jackson is 11-of-12 on field goals with a season-long 52 yarder against Indiana University. He's also 29-of-30 on extra point attempts.
Sophomore punter Chris Miller ranks fourth in the nation with a 45.6 average.
"They have as good of kicking game as we'll go against," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I just watched [Miller] twice this morning [on film] where he's kicking from his own 30-yard line and kick it in the end zone for a touchback. He's as fine of punter as we've seen this season. They are a sound, solid football team that's going to play very hard. Just like you expect a Brady Hoke team to play."
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