Ball State wants to improve keeping Wenning upright Saturday

Ball State may have won the season opener by a comfortable margin, but the coaching staff didn’t feel comfortable about Illinois State getting to Keith Wenning.

Wenning was sacked three times in the Cardinals’ 51-28 win on Aug. 29 with five new starters at the offensive line. On several occasions, he was rushed and was forced to make quicker throws.

“Three sacks is always too many,” said Nick Tabacca, offensive line coach. “But like any, you evaluate them and see why they happened.”

The glaring factor for Wenning’s three sacks is the offensive line. The most experienced lineman — Jordan Hansel — played minimal time against Illinois State; therefore the majority of the offensive line was filled with newer players.

But offensive coordinator Rich Skrosky said the three sacks allowed weren’t solely because of the offensive line.

“One of the sacks was on the running backs,” Skrosky said. “The other two sacks, one was a communication breakdown that was really on Wenning. Really only one was attributed to the line.”

Skrosky said the communication error from Wenning might have been a result of five new starters on the offensive line. For the most part, Skrosky was pleased with what he saw from the line.

Wenning was sacked 14 times last season, tied for 15th best in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The low sack numbers came as a benefit from having the most experienced offensive line in the country in terms of combined starts.

The sacks didn’t seem to bother Wenning. As a senior quarterback, he’s come to accept it’s part of the game.

“This year’s line isn’t as experienced,” Wenning said after Ball State’s win. “It is what it is. I got hit a couple times. But that’s what is going to happen when you play quarterback.”

The offensive line should get a boost against Army as Hansel is expected to start Saturday afternoon. He’ll be expected to be an anchor for the Cardinals’ offensive line as the only returning starter from last season.

The Black Knights like to place pressure on defense. Head coach Pete Lembo said Army’s double-eagle flex defense brings looks with five down linemen and three down linemen. He also said Army does well in disguising where pressure will come from.

A 2-0 start to the season would be a good introduction for Ball State. Keeping Wenning on his feet in the win will make that introduction even better.