Ball State Cardinals
Mid-American Conference
It was another solid season at the Muncie, Indiana school, as coach Pete Lembo continued the team’s steady climb from its bottom-out 2-10 season of 2009. Ball State improved from a 6-6 record a year ago to finish tied for second with Toledo in the MAC West division, and it did so behind a solid game plan that had the team on a four-game winning streak at season’s end. Will the team make it five wins in a row with a bowl game? A big win could put Lembo on the fast track toward a bigger coaching job, or he may have aspirations to stay and help Ball State become a perpetual MAC powerhouse. Time will tell.
2012 Record: 9-3, 6-2
Coach: Pete Lembo
Coach Bowl Record: 0-0
Big Wins: 9/15 at Indiana (41-39), 11/6 at Toledo (34-27)
Bad Losses: 9/29 at Kent State (43-45), 10/6 Northern Illinois (23-35)
Strengths:
Ball State sports the second-strongest offense in the MAC at 471.3 yards per game total offense. Its 35 points per game is also second behind Northern Illinois. A sign of a strong team is how many points it scores in its victories, and every win saw Ball State score over 30 points a game. Even in its losses the Cardinals were quite competitive, as their lowest point total was 23 against Northern Illinois. When the team is in trouble during drives, it has displayed resiliency in converting 48 percent of its third downs and 57 percent of its fourth downs. Ball State’s receiving corps is spread out thanks to the presence of three pass catchers, Willie Snead, Jamill Smith and Zane Fakes with at least five touchdowns apiece.
Weaknesses:
Although the running game with Jahwan Edwards is good at 1,321 yards and 14 touchdowns, things drop off after that. Horactio Banks has 585 yards and four touchdowns and can fill in if Edwards is disabled, but Edwards is the key to the running game. Quarterback Keith Wenning has thrown for 22 touchdowns but also has 10 interceptions, so that may be a stumbling block.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Jahwan Edwards, RB, 1,321 yards
Passing: Keith Wenning, QB, 2,878 yards
Receiving: Willie Snead, WR, 1,070 yards
Tackles: Travis Freeman, LB, 119
Sacks: Jon Newsome, DE, 8.5
Interceptions: Eric Patterson, CB, 2; Quintin Cooper, LB, 2
2012 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 214.25 (21st in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 257.08 (49, 5)
Total Offense: 471.33 (23, 2)
Scoring Offense: 35.00 (33, 2)
Rushing Defense: 205.83 (107, 9)
Pass Defense: 253.92 (87, 10)
Total Defense: 459.75 (102, 9)
Scoring Defense: 31.50 (89, 8)
Turnover Margin: -.17 (67, 7)
Sacks: 1.67 (78, 7)
Sacks Allowed: .83 (8, 1)
Recent Bowl Appearances:
2008 GMAC Bowl Tulsa (13-45)
2007 International Bowl Rutgers (30-52)
1996 Las Vegas Bowl Nevada (15-18)
1993 Las Vegas Bowl Utah State (33-42)
1989 California Bowl Fresno State (6-27)
*all team stats through 11/24
