Why Ball State Will Win The TaxAct Camellia Bowl
Can Ball State actually grind a little bit? This isn’t an offense that cares about controlling the clock, but Georgia State doesn’t do anything in the time of possession battle, either.
Cranking up the ground game hasn’t meant a sure-thing win for Ball State, but it’s 3-1 – with a close loss to MAC Champion Northern Illinois – when rumbling for 200 yards or more, and it’s got the line to blast away.
This is a veteran Cardinal bunch that doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes, doesn’t have a turnover problem, and is good enough on third downs to keep the chains moving against a Georgia State defense that allows the chains to move way too easily.
The Panther defense might be good overall and it won over the second half of the season, but it also allowed teams to convert 41% or more of their third down chances in four of the last five games and 54% or more in three of those.
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Why Georgia State Will Win The TaxAct Camellia Bowl
Balance. The Panther offense should have it, but get to 200 rushing yards on Ball State, beat Ball State.
Georgia State is great at running the ball – it’s eighth in the nation averaging 225 yards per game – and Ball State’s defense isn’t a rock against the run.
The Cardinals got hammered by Central Michigan and Northern Illinois for close to 500 rushing yards combined in back-to-back November dates. There aren’t any tackles for loss, there aren’t any sacks, and there shouldn’t be enough pressure to keep Georgia State from doing what it wants to do on the ground.
Darren Grainger can throw just enough to get by, too.
He’s not a high-powered passer, and he’s not consistent, but he doesn’t throw interceptions and he should be able to do enough against the mediocre Ball State secondary to keep things moving.
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