Three takeaways from Mike Neu's weekly press conference
By Jake Fox / September 5, 2016Ball State head football coach Mike Neu held his weekly press conference on Monday after the team started its season with a 31-21 victory over Georgia State.
Ball State head football coach Mike Neu held his weekly press conference on Monday after the team started its season with a 31-21 victory over Georgia State.
Ball State couldn’t catch its breath. Four plays into the game, the offense that chose to receive the ball to start the game was running the wrong way, as Jerome Smith’s black No. 20 jersey trotted into the end zone following an interception and sent the lower level at the Georgia Dome into a frenzy. Three plays later, Riley Neal's third down pass was tipped at the line.
First Quarter Ball State got favorable field position after a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the kickoff.
Ball State secondary vs. Georgia State passing game Last season, the Cardinals’ secondary ranked in the bottom 10 in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, yards per attempt and opponent completion percentage.
Fifth-year senior linebacker Aaron Taylor is no stranger to the Georgia Dome turf. Before enrolling at Ball State, the Lawrenceville, Georgia, native played there as senior at Central Gwinnett High School.
Ball State’s football and cross country teams will make their season debuts this weekend, while the field hockey, soccer and volleyball teams continue their seasons on the road.
The Ball State football team has added another SEC matchup to its future schedule — and another big boost to the athletic budget.
This year, Hester is tasked with leading a new-look secondary that has nowhere to go but up after last season. The difference? The fifth-year senior and team captain is looking to his teammates for motivation.
The Cardinals' offensive line only allowed .92 sacks per game last year, good enough for fifth in the nation. But after losing three starters to graduation and their starting center to an injury in the spring, Ball State has a new look on the front line.
A new red helmet was unveiled to the team at a team meeting on Tuesday, which will make its debut during Ball State's home opener against Eastern Kentucky on Sept.
Ten days separate Ball State from the 2016 season opener against Georgia State, but that didn't stop Riley Neal from getting some extra work in after practice on Aug. 23.
Ball State football and Penn State have agreed to play in Beaver Stadium in 2021. Located in University Park, Pennsylvania, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the country with a capacity of 106,572.
Ball State football coach Mike Neu had a simple message for the local middle and high school students at the Boys and Girls Club Youth Leadership Boot Camp. “Our world needs difference-makers, and young people like you need to do something about it,” he said. “This right here is doing something about it.”
This week, Ball State released schedules for soccer, women's volleyball and field hockey, while also finalizing the start times for most of its football games. Here are a few games to watch out for: Football Saturday, Sept.
Four seniors have been selected to be Ball State football's captains in 2016 — linebacker Sean Wiggins, wide receiver KeVonn Mabon, defensive back Martez Hester and running back Teddy Williamson.
Former Ball State football player Eric Patterson has signed with the Cleveland Browns. In his first year in the National Football League, the 5-foot-9-inch, 200-pound defensive back played two games with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the St.
Hours after being passed over in the NFL Draft, former Ball State wide receiver Jordan Williams signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.
In 2008, Ball State football went a perfect 12-0 in the regular season, launching itself into the conversation for a spot in one of the most coveted bowl games in college football: the Bowl Championship Series. At the time, no Mid-American Conference school had ever played in a BCS game, and Ball State was riding high at No. 12 in the country, entering the conference championship game against a 7-5 Buffalo team. While Ball State was the favorite entering the game, a single 42-24 loss dropped the Cardinals down 10 spots in the NCAA rankings and landed them a spot in the GMAC Bowl, where it lost to Tulsa by 32 points. It is hard for mid-major schools to compare themselves with these Power Five goliaths, but reaching national prominence remains their goal. “Most of what we enjoy most about Division I athletics is that we’re playing at the highest level,” Ball State Athletic Director Mark Sandy said.
In January, Ball State linebacker coach Johnny Curtis was the football team's defensive coordinator and baseball team's head coach at John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana.
After former Ball State wide receiver Jordan Williams graduated in the fall, a lot of pressure was put on the receiving core to see who would step up as the next leader.