This time last year, campus was rocking as the undefeated Ball State University football team was ascending the national polls and even entering some conversations as possible BCS bowl game busters.
Things are a little different this year. Of the two fall men's sports going right now, the men's golf team is outperforming their football counterparts by a wide margin.
Instead of names like MiQuale Lewis or Kelly Page floating around as the best male fall athlete on campus, junior golfer Eric Steger can probably take that distinction.
My, how things can change in just one year.
So without further adieu, below are my men's fall sports report cards and season analysis.
Check back next week for my report card of the five Ball State fall women's teams.
Football
Record: 1-8 (1-4 MAC)
2008 record: 12-2 (8-1 MAC)
Top performance: 29-27 win Oct. 24 at Eastern Michigan (only win of season)
Team MVP: MiQuale Lewis, offense; Robert Eddins, defense
My grade: D
I said this before the beginning of the season, I said it a few games into the season and I'll say it again now: there is no use in calling for the head of coach Stan Parrish for anything his team does this season — unless he went nuts and attacked defensive ends coach Jay Hood in a coaches meeting like Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable allegedly did to his defensive assistant a few months ago.
The losses from last season's team have been documented several times over, and it would be hard even for Florida or Southern California to reload after losing almost the entire offensive line, a record breaking quarterback and three cornerbacks from a nationally ranked team.
That said, I don't think anybody expected a 1-8 Cardinals football team at this point. Some of the losses have been embarrassing — including those to North Texas (2-6) and New Hampshire of the FCS — while most of the others (with the exception of the Auburn game, which was still respectable) have been close.
While the offensive line has shown mass improvement since game one and MiQuale Lewis and Cory Sykes set the NCAA record for the most rushing yards by a duo in one game against Eastern Michigan, I just don't see any more wins the rest of the way, putting the Cardinals at a lowly 1-11 (1-7 MAC) record.
Men's Golf
Average tournament performance: fifth out of 15 teams
2008 average tournament performance: eighth out of 15 teams
Top performance: first place finish at Dayton Fall Invitational on Oct. 19-20.
Team MVP: Eric Steger
My grade: A-
Last season, the Cardinals achieved one top-5 finish as a team in their six-match fall tournament schedule. This fall, Ball State had four top-5 finishes, including one tournament championship and two second place turnouts in six total tournaments.
Junior Eric Steger has led the way for Ball State this fall with a team-best 71.76 average. Steger has four rounds in the 60s and three individual top-10 finishes this season, including a second place finish in the Dayton Fall Invitational, where the Cardinals placed first out of 17 teams by shooting a 596, well ahead of MAC rivals Toledo (601, second place), Bowling Green (604, third place) and Ohio (608, fifth place).
With just one senior — Ross Cosat — on this year's roster, the future is looking even brighter for the men's golf team. Sophomore Zac Henderson and freshman Joe Gasser, respectively, have the third and fourth best scoring averages on the squad, and three juniors — Steger, Eric Skillman and Anthony Novak — will provide a great deal of leadership in 2010-11.
Twelfth-year coach Mike Fleck also has his team performing off the golf course as well.
I expect nothing less than a top-5 performance for this team in the MAC Championships in the spring, and a top-3 or better improvement by next season.
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