Minutes after accepting the consolation trophy for suffering a 22-point defeat to Rutgers University in the International Bowl, Ball State University senior captain Cortlan Booker offered encouragement to his younger teammates.
"I would like to say how proud I am of the fellas we have on this team and the character of the men I've been privileged enough to be around," Booker said. "I'll never forget the year of 2007-08 when I was one of the tri-captains [along with center Dan Gerberry and safety Chris Allen] of this football team."
Even though Booker, along with nine other seniors, including Allen, no longer have college athletics eligibility, the Cardinals will return every player that started against Rutgers offensively. That group is led by sophomore quarterback Nate Davis, who paced the Mid-American Conference with 3,667 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and tied for a league-low six interceptions. His two primary receiving threats, juniors Dante Love and Darius Hill, are also expected back with the team.
Defensively, Ball State returns six regular starters, including all-conference cornerback B.J. Hill, safety Alex Knipp and defensive end Brandon Crawford. After coming so close to earning the program's first bowl victory, Hill said, the returning players are hungry for even more success next year.
"Coach Hoke was telling us in the locker room after the game that this is a learning experience for us," Hill said of playing in the International Bowl. "We have a lot of guys coming back next year and a lot of leadership on the team. So we have great expectations for our team next year."
Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano can empathize with the feeling Hoke and Ball State's players shared after their season-ending loss. Three seasons ago, Rutgers accepted an invitation to play Arizona State University in the Insight Bowl. It was the program's first bowl game in 27 years and the first ever played outside of its home state of New Jersey.
Even though the Scarlet Knights lost 45-40, they have now finished the past two seasons with bowl victories. Schiano said the position Ball State was currently in reminds him of where his program was after its loss to Arizona State.
"I know in Ball State's instance as well as in ours, they have very talented young players just as we did," Schiano, who was named national coach of the year by six organizations in 2006, said. "They're going to be a great football team, but no matter how many times you've been to a bowl game as an assistant coach, when you have to take your own team to a bowl game it's different. And when your players have never gone through it, after they do they're better prepared for next year."
Even though Ball State spent the past couple weeks receiving extra practice time in preparation for the International Bowl, the team will start preparing for the 2008 campaign when it begins winter conditioning Jan. 21, Hoke said. Hoke and his coaching staff will initiate workouts after recruiting commences with national signing day Feb. 6.
As the program prepares to reload for another year, Hoke said the trail this year's seniors have laid out will be beneficial for each of his players next season.
"I think it's a pretty positive legacy," Hoke said of this year's senior class. "I think the guys who are fifth-year and fourth-year seniors have done a good job of setting the tempo and providing the leadership for what we're trying to get done. We've got a lot of work to do in January to start playing and getting back to football."
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