Sizing Up Ball State

1 comment so far September 19, 2007 by Steve Hanway

There’s no better cure to an ailing rushing game than to face a small defense. That’s what the Huskers will face on Saturday, a small defense. Only one player weighs in over 255 lbs. which should allow Nebraska’s bigger offensive line to create holes at will. The Ball State secondary is also smallish (one cornerback is 5’7” and no defensive back is taller than 6 feet) so the Huskers should be able to lob passes to Maurice Purify and Todd Peterson all day.

If the Huskers run into trouble, it will be on defense. The Cardinals have a decent sized offensive line. They tend to use a single back with two tight ends, but their tight ends are tall and slender (averaging 231 lbs.) which gives them a lot of options in the passing game. Their starting running back is a diminutive 5’6” and 184 lbs. and their starting wideouts go 5’10”. So if the Husker defenders can chase down the running back and handle the tight ends, they should do fine.

The Ball State return game is nothing to write home about but they do punt the ball well. They’ve also missed some field goals, so you don’t expect them to steal the game on special teams. They’ve forced five turnovers in three games, which is respectable, but not overly concerning.

On paper, this game is about redemption for Nebraska’s defense. If the Huskers don’t give away the game with turnovers, then only the Ball State offense would seem capable of making it a football game. Considering how badly the Husker defense must want redemption, expect them to make a statement on Saturday.

» Enjoy this article?
Send it to your friend or get Husker news by email!

NextPrevious