State’s top QBs face off at Rock

Now the season really begins.

Relatively untested in their two wins against Western Kentucky (31-13) and Murray State (45-3), the Hoosiers clash with IU coach Bill Lynch’s former team – Ball State. The Cardinals (3-0) have cruised in similar fashion and come into Memorial Stadium on Saturday as a recognized threat.

“Ball State’s at a level where at this point, they feel they can compete with anybody that they wind up playing,” said co-defensive coordinator Brian George.

Much like IU, Ball State’s catalyst lies under center. Quarterback Nate Davis has received national recognition for his talents on his way to throwing nine touchdowns, only three interceptions and 916 yards. He has a 189.4 quarterback rating.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 217 pounds, Davis runs just as well as he throws. With standout receiver Dante Love occupying the far side of the field, Davis has a legitimate deep threat against a defense yet to be tested through the air.

And with junior safety Austin Thomas’ performance questionable with a lower leg injury, defending the Davis-Love duo gets that much harder.

“They are really balanced on offense,” Lynch said. “The numbers show how well they pass the ball, but their running game is very good. It’s very physical. ... They’re going to keep you honest defensively.”

This is not the same Ball State team that lost to IU 38-20 a year ago, or the one that lost in junior quarterback Kellen Lewis’ IU debut, 24-23, in 2006.

Through the first three games of the year, the Cardinals have the No. 15-ranked offense in the country, slightly ahead of IU, and have averaged more than 41 points per game. Even though the defense has struggled, allowing 385 yards a game, junior wide receiver Andrew Means said the numbers are deceptive and do not truly reflect the talent he will line up against.

“Their athleticism has definitely picked up a whole lot,” Means said. “They’re fast. They play a lot of (defensive backs) in the secondary, which means their athleticism bumps up. They’re definitely coming in here with a good team.”

But unlike the last two times the Hoosiers have played Ball State, this time IU has a bye week to use to its advantage.
“We’ve been preparing a long time,” said junior linebacker Matt Mayberry, alluding to the Hoosiers’ bye week. “USC, when they played Ohio State, said they had a long time to prepare and they really gave it to Ohio State.”
While Ball State is no Ohio State, and the Hoosiers probably have not been mentioned in the same breath as USC, the chance to rest and study the Cardinals for two weeks was invaluable. The bye week provided the Hoosiers opportunities to practice unused plays on Tuesday and Wednesday that are not on anyone’s game film. Whether Lynch decides to pull out the stops on Saturday is anybody’s guess.
What the Hoosiers do know is if they want to go to their second straight bowl game, they need to take care of their non-conference schedule. Right now, that means their only priority is to contain Ball State and stay undefeated.
“Their offense is probably one of the top offenses we’ll face this year – so far at least,” Mayberry said. “It will be a great test for us as a (team).”