Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

Ball State College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Ball State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Ball State Cardinals Preview
Head Coach: Mike Neu, 7th year, 28-41
2021 Preview: Overall: 6-7, Conference: 4-4
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Ball State Top 10 Players | Ball State Schedule

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022

Ball State is able to get a little greedy now.

After six straight losing seasons, the program pulled off a surprising MAC championship in 2020, and then wanted even more with several of the key parts returning to 2021.

It was a fine year, but after a bowl loss to Georgia State it turned into a seventh losing season in eight years. Now there’s a bit of an overhaul, but there’s still enough around to push for the first time ever with three straight bowl seasons.

The downfield passing game has to be better, the offense has to be more consistent, and the defense has to be more disruptive and stronger at getting into the backfield.

It’s going to be a fight to get to six wins with this schedule and the lack of depth, but after the last few years, it’s bowl game or bust.

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Offense

It should be John Paddock’s quarterback job to lose. The 5-11, 196-pound senior worked behind Drew Plitt for the last few years and has yet to throw a touchdown pass, but he’s been in the system long enough to know what he’s doing. Getting the ball down the field is a must after way too much dinking and dunking.

The smallish Jayshon Jackson and 6-3 Yo’Heinz Tyler form a good 1–2 reciting punch, and and the backs can catch, too.

The running backs are in place if the line can give them room to move. Paddock won’t run all that much, so the ground game is up to leading rusher Carson Steeler in a rotation with Will Jones, who combined for close to 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. However, the Ball State ground game averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, but …

The offensive line did a decent job in pass protection and from keeping defenses out of the backfield. There’s a good size of experience and size returning with the tackles set, but the interior needing a little time.

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Defense

The defense was okay. It had its meltdowns, but for the most part it was okay against the run. The pass defense had its problems – it allowed 243 yards per game – partly because there wasn’t enough of a steady pass rush.

It wasn’t what the D full of upperclassmen was supposed to do, and now there’s some reworking to be done. Seven of the top eight tacklers were seniors, but …

The top pass rusher is back. DE Tavion Woodward came up with a team-high five sacks with 8.5 tackles for loss, and now he’s the veteran leader of the front three.

Size is a huge concern up front – there isn’t much. 5-11, 298-pound senior Justen Ramsey will work on the nose, and 6-4, 292-pound senior Jack Sape will be on the other side of Woodward. Those two represent most of the bulk.

The back eight might have lost some of last year’s star, but enough are back to not be in total rebuild mode. CB Ameche Uzodinma is one of those seniors who finished in the top eight in tackles last year. He’s back, and so is Malcolm Lee at one of the safety spots after coming up with 50 stops.

The linebacking corps loses top tackler Jaylin Thomas, but it’s in good shape round Clayton Coll, a good inside linebacker who should be one of the team’s leading tackler.

Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Ball State Top 10 Players | Ball State Schedule

Ball State Cardinals: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT

Ball State Cardinals Top 10 Players: College Football Preview 2022

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?

Ball State Cardinals Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Ball State Cardinals Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will HappenSchedule 

Ball State Cardinals: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Ball State football season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Ball State football season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Ball State Football Schedule
– Ball State Cardinals Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017

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2020 Record: 7-1 overall, 5-1 in MAC
Head Coach: Mike Neu, 6th year, 22-34
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 46
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 92
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 83

Ball State Cardinals College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– Offense hasn’t been an issue at Ball State over the last few years, and it certainly won’t be a problem in 2021 with ten starters expected back. The Cardinals had a nice balance, didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes, and were solid at keeping the chains moving. However, to tweak and improve …

The offensive line has to be more consistent. The running game wasn’t anything special and there were was too many sacks and tackles for loss allowed. Four starters are back, there’s decent depth, and around all-star Curtis Blackwell at one tackle, there’s enough experience to be stronger.

The ground attack never really had new Atlanta Falcon Caleb Huntley – he led the team with 437 rushing yards and six scores in just three games – and now there’s a rotation around 240-pound junior Tye Evans and 208-pound senior Will Jones. Those two combined for over 600 yards with over four yards per carry and four scores.

Drew Plitt settled the quarterback situation, going the distance as the only Cardinal to throw a pass. the veteran hit 66% of his throws for 2,164 yards and 17 touchdowns with six picks. He’s got the guys back all of his top targets returning but third-leading receiver Antwan Davis.

First Team All-MAC performer Justin Hall is a smallish, shifty target who caught 49 passes for 665 yards and four scores, 6-3 Yo’Heinz Tyler led the team with eight touchdown grabs, and Jalen McGaughy is a rising big target who averaged over 34 yards on his five grabs with three scores.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Ball State Football Schedule

NEXT: Ball State Cardinals College Football Preview 2021: Defense