Ball State falls to 3-8 with 48-31 loss at Ohio
By Chase Akins / November 17, 2015Avoiding penalties has been a strong suit for the Ball State football team this season, as it is one the least penalized teams in the nation.
Avoiding penalties has been a strong suit for the Ball State football team this season, as it is one the least penalized teams in the nation.
Fourth Quarter Cardinals fall to 3-8 after losing 48-31 to the Bobcats.
Ball State (3-7, 2-4) travels to Athens, Ohio to face off against the Ohio Bobcats (3-3) on Nov. 17.
Ball State football has had several ups and downs this season, and the team sits at 3-7 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-American Conference. One area the team has excelled at offensively is the low amount of penalties they give up. Head coach Pete Lembo attributes the low number to the high expectations he set for the team. “If you set the standards and expectations and expect your guys to live up to those every day then you have a much better chance of going out there and not committing foolish turnovers, foolish penalties,” Lembo said.
There have been 12 quarterbacks who have played for the Ball State football team since the new millennium; six of them have been freshman starters.
Since the Homecoming game against Toledo, Ball State's offense has slowed down its production. During that timeframe, the team has dropped four games and has struggled moving the ball in its sole win over the University of Massachusetts on Halloween day.
Ball State fans are used to watching their quarterback, Riley Neal, on Saturday afternoons at Scheumann Stadium. Whether he’s breaking freshman passing records or carving up defenses with his feet, Neal has quickly become a fan favorite. But this Saturday, the Cardinal faithful have a chance to see another member of the Neal family shine in a different sport.
Ball State officially lost postseason bowl eligibility after suffering a 54-7 loss to Western Michigan on Thursday. It's the second consecutive season that the Cardinals won't compete in the postseason. The Broncos gained 711 yards on the Cardinals, including 300-plus yard performances through the air and on the ground.
Ball State won the toss and deferred, then committed a facemask penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Western Michigan got the ball at their own 29-yard line to start the game.
Ball State will travel to Western Michigan University in a must-win game if it hopes to keep its bowl eligibility alive.
When used properly, Ball State has one of the best 1-2 combos at the running back position in the Mid-American Conference.
Ball State running back and kick returner Darian Green was named the MAC West special teams player of the week. Green was awarded the accolade after returning the second half opening kick off 85 yards to start the offense at UMASS' 15 yard line.
Offensive production was no issue during Ball State's 20-10 win over the University of Massachusetts Oct. 31, especially from the wide receiving core.
Ball State football put together a solid defensive performance against UMass, allowing 259 yards through the air and 189 yards on the ground, with only allowed 10 points.
Halloween's 24-10 win over the University of Massachusetts gave Ball State its most complete game since September’s loss at Northwestern. The offense put together a combination of production through the air and on the ground, while the defense held the opposition to just 10 points.
First Quarter The Minutemen started off their drive with a 20-yard pass to Tajae Sharp.
On Halloween, the Ball State Cardinals will face off against a wide receiver with a proven history against them. University of Massachusetts senior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe had a career day against Ball State last season, hauling in 13 grabs for 239 yards.
Ball State Secondary vs. Blake Frohnhapfel Ball State: The past three weeks, the secondary has allowed opposing quarterbacks completion percentage to ballon up to 82.8 percent.
Another former Ball State football player has found a home with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts announced today they have signed safety Sean Baker to the practice squad.
If there was one problematic area for Ball State on a week-by-week basis, it is the inconsistency of the secondary in pass coverage.