Ben Ingle will admit he’s not a vocal player on the football field. He’d rather let his play do his talking.
“I want to lead by example,” Ingle said. “Whether that makes me the leader, I’d like to think so.”
Ingle and senior Kenneth Lee return to Ball State’s defense this season as the most experienced linebackers on the team with the departures of Travis Freeman, Tony Martin and Justin Cruz.
The Cardinals’ defense was put under stress in 2012 for giving up too many points and not getting stops when they were needed. Ball State’s opponents rushed for 207.1 yards and threw for another 255.3 yards, on average per game.
Opponents also converted on third down 44 percent of the time last season.
The focus in spring and fall camp was clear for defensive coordinator Jay Bateman — don’t give up big plays.
“All we preached all offseason was limiting big plays,” Bateman said. “Every time one of those happen in practice, [the coaches] act like we’re on fire.”
The defensive makeover started in spring practices when head coach Pete Lembo announced changes in responsibilities with his defensive coaches. Bateman’s focus is with the inside linebackers, while Daryl Dixon works with the outside linebackers and nickelbacks.
Ball State also hired Shannon Morrison to be the defensive backs and pass defense coordinator.
For as poorly as the defense played last season, Ball State still managed a six-game winning streak to finish with a 9-3 record and a berth in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We knew we were going to have some rough stretches early,” Bateman said. “In the second half of the season, we certainly showed improvement. We’ve showed improvement in the spring and we’ve shown it in the fall.”
Ball State’s nine wins didn’t come by simply outscoring the opponent. The defense made key stops late in games that sealed wins for the Cardinals. Most notably is Eric Patterson’s interception against South Florida’s B.J. Daniels in the final seconds of the 31-27 win. Another of Patterson’s is the defensive stop on 4th-and-1 on Toledo running back David Fluellen to grab a win at the Glass Bowl.
“I think our kids have come up and made stops when they need to,” Bateman said. “That’s the mark of a good football team.”
The defense understands that losing experienced players in Freeman and Martin does hurt, but with the youth in the secondary and at linebacker, it allows for more development.
A front four of Jonathan Newsome, Nate Ollie, Joel Cox and Nick Miles will anchor Ball State’s defense and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Still, the coaches want a better pass rush from the defense that recorded 20 sacks last season.
That’s where Ingle steps in.
“That’s a large part of the linebacker’s role,” Ingle said. “[It] is to get to the quarterback and let him know you’re there. We’ve been working on the little things and I think that’s what will make a difference this year.”
His development progressed in the sophomore’s 12 appearances last season. With the new responsibilities of the defensive coaches, Ingle has been able to get specific instruction from one coach.
Ingle’s coaches expect him to become even more of a leader as his experience grows.
“He’s up and coming and ready to take that leadership role,” Dixon said. “Once he starts making plays, he’ll be able to step up throughout the season.”
Ball State’s defense is eager to show it’s improved from last season in tonight’s season opener against Illinois State.
The offense returns virtually everyone that averaged 457 yards of offense per game and 33.6 points per game. If the defense improves from a season ago, a Mid-American Conference championship is realistic.
But that won’t be decided until December. The task at hand is beating Illinois State, and the defense is ready.
“The No. 1 goal is getting better,” Dixon said. “Any coach will tell you that. That’s what we’re looking to do.”
