Last season Ball State made a dramatic improvement with its run defense during the 2020 season allowing just 136.2 yards per game giving them a 31th ranking in the country at the FBS level of college football against the run. Sr. OLB Brandon Martin [6-0, 232] was the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year leading the Cardinals with 90 tackles. And it is interesting to note that Ball State runs the exact same 3-4 defensive lineup with its front seven on defense that Wisconsin runs. Plus the Cardinal have eight returning starters and its six top leading tacklers on defense, returning three of its starting linebackers in OLB Christian Albright [6-2, 240], Sr. ILB Jaylin Thomas [6-2, 235] and Martin. Martin and Thomas were Ball State's two leading tacklers last season with 90 and 78 tackles respectively.
But there are two gigantic differences between Wisconsin and Ball State defensively. To put it bluntly the Cardinals defense is atrocious against the pass. Last season Ball State's pass defense ranked 118th in the country at the FBS level allowing 293.6 yards per game. Plus remember this the 293.6 yards per game passing that Ball State's pass defense allowed came against non-Power Five conference competition. The Cardinals' opponents in 2020 were Miami [Oh.], Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Buffalo and San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl.
How do you think Penn State will try to attack Ball State's defense? Will it be totally different from the way Penn State attacked Wisconsin's 3-4 defense in the first half of last Saturday's game in Madison, Wisc.
I definitely hope that is the case.
But there are two gigantic differences between Wisconsin and Ball State defensively. To put it bluntly the Cardinals defense is atrocious against the pass. Last season Ball State's pass defense ranked 118th in the country at the FBS level allowing 293.6 yards per game. Plus remember this the 293.6 yards per game passing that Ball State's pass defense allowed came against non-Power Five conference competition. The Cardinals' opponents in 2020 were Miami [Oh.], Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Buffalo and San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl.
How do you think Penn State will try to attack Ball State's defense? Will it be totally different from the way Penn State attacked Wisconsin's 3-4 defense in the first half of last Saturday's game in Madison, Wisc.
I definitely hope that is the case.
