Daric Clemens is a senior journalism news major and is a columnist for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Daric at diclemens@bsu.edu.
It’s a great time to be a Ball State Football fan. All of the pieces are on the same page, a winning culture is back and the work that was put in this offseason is all coming together and is being put on full display.
The Cardinals have proved their style of play holds almost no limitations against Mid-American Conference foes as they have leaned on a balanced offensive attack and a defense that has made it known it can cause havoc on opposing teams.
In the past three games, Ball State has shown it can win in multiple ways. Against Eastern Michigan, it was the effort of the defense at the end that stalled the Eagles on a potential game-winning drive. The Cardinals scored 24 unanswered points against Northern Illinois, powering a second-half comeback. Finally, on Saturday, Ball State had the offensive highlight reel rolling against Toledo, putting up 52 points.
The Cardinals have fought through adversity with two second-half comebacks in their three-game win streak, which showed they are a resilient football team. A blowout victory advertised their ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.
However, a key standout is the offensive production the Cardinals have put together throughout their seven games so far. They are ranked No. 1 in the MAC in offense with an average of 34.7 points a game and 454.4 yards a game.
Redshirt junior quarterback Drew Plitt leads the conference in passing touchdowns with 16 and has the highest completion rating at 65.7 percent.
The consistent run game has been a major part in opening up the passing game for Ball State. Junior running back Caleb Huntley sits with an average of 101.6 rushing yards a game.
The impressive start for Ball State sits them as the only undefeated team in conference play in the MAC, making them the top team in the West Division. There seems to be more excitement surrounding the team on the field, and you can tell the players believe they can win no matter the circumstance presented throughout.
The Cardinals have demonstrated a high level of confidence and cohesiveness as the chemistry on the field has been up to par, and it has helped them be successful so far.
The Cardinals are only three games into Mid-American Conference play, and it’s easy to overreact to the small portion, but in the manner that they have won games shows they are a complete team that has a chance to hold up the conference trophy in December.
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