Ah, football season is here. 128 FBS teams (sorry, Miami and Arizona) kick things off this week with hopes and dreams of an undefeated season. From an IU standpoint, head coach Tom Allen’s Hoosiers come in as one of the more perplexing teams in the nation, as they are deep and talented, but try to break through in an intensely competitive Big Ten East division. New offensive and defensive play callers Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack will try to push the right buttons to get the team over the proverbial hump. The excitement starts Saturday in the Ruoff Kickoff Classic, as the Hoosiers take on familiar foe Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Let’s dive in to what the Cardinals will bring to the gridiron this weekend.
How to Watch: Indiana Hoosiers versus Ball State Cardinals
Who | Week 1: Indiana Hoosiers versus Ball State |
When | 12:00 pm ET / Saturday, August 31, 2019 |
Where | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
Tickets | Find the Lowest Ticket Prices on SeatGeek |
Watch | CBS Sports Network |
Listen | IU Radio Network |
Spread | IU -16.5, O/U 59 |
You can find the latest 2019 Indiana Football schedule (printable) here.
Meet the Cardinals
Last season, Ball State went 4-8, and 3-5 in the MAC. In non-conference play, they had a good showing at #8 Notre Dame, falling to the Irish, 24-16. The following week, the Cardinals came to Bloomington to face IU. The Hoosiers played one of their best games of the season, notching a 38-10 victory.
They’ve always played very, very well in week one. And they went up to Notre Dame last year and darn near beat them, and played extremely well. I’m telling you…whatever their very best shot is, we’re going to get it.
IU head coach Tom Allen, discussing week one opponent Ball State
Going into 2019, head coach Mike Neu is entering his 4th year, and will try to lead his alma mater to its first winning season since 2013 and first MAC Championship Game since 2008. Neu, who was named the 1993 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, currently sports a record of 10-26.
Ball State was picked to finish 5th in the competitive MAC West Division, just ahead of Central Michigan, in the 2019 MAC Preseason Media Poll released in July. The Cardinals will return 17 of 22 starters from last year; however, BSU’s top 2018 passer, Riley Neal (Vanderbilt), and rusher, James Gilbert (Kansas State), transferred elsewhere.
Get to Know the Ball State Cardinals
Key Offensive Players
With Neal transferring to the SEC, the door is open for junior QB Drew Plitt to take over as the starter in an offense that rated 110th in Football Outsiders’ S&P+ ratings last year. Plitt, who gained notoriety for a unique touchdown celebration (see tweet below), started three games last season, and completed 64.9% of his passes, throwing for 1,008 yards, 6 TD, and 8 INT. Plitt saw action in eight games overall. He can generally be defined as a pocket passer, who shows some mobility when pressured.
Plitt will primarily target two returning wideouts in the passing game: senior Riley Miller and junior Justin Hall. Last season, the Cardinals led the MAC in passing yards per game (252.9 yards/game). Plitt threw for 257.7 yards/game in his three starts. Miller, who ended up on the 2018 All-MAC Second team as a WR, led the team with 878 yards and seven receiving touchdowns, while Hall, who was named to the Third Team, led BSU with 69 catches. Miller, who hails from Yorktown, Ind., will have some extra motivation playing the in-state Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium.