Get an expert’s insight on Penn State’s Week 2 opponent, the Ball State Cardinals.
After coming off a defensive win over Wisconsin to start the season, Penn State will look to go 2-0 as they take on Ball State Cardinals on Saturday from Beaver Stadium.
To give Penn State fans an idea of what to expect from Ball State, we chatted with Robby General who covers Ball State for The Star Press in Muncie, Indiana.
Q: What was your reaction when you saw Penn State on the Ball State Schedule for Week 2 of the 2021 season?
Robby: I thought it was a good opportunity to Ball State and thought it comes at a tricky time for Penn State, especially coming off such an emotional road win at Wisconsin.
Q: Who on offense should Penn State be concerned with?
Robby: There are a number of weapons on Ball State’s offense, the most obvious of which being wide receiver Justin Hall. Hall, who’s the FBS’ active leader in receptions, moved up to third on Ball State’s all-time list in terms of receiving yards last week. A speedy, undersized receiver, Hall can be a problem for whoever he’s lining up against.
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Q: For those who don’t follow Ball State, what makes this matchup very interesting?
Robby: This matchup is intriguing for several reasons. First, like I previously stated, it comes at a tricky time for Penn State between big games against Wisconsin and Auburn. Also, the Cardinals come into this game with nothing to lose and everything to prove. With 16 super-seniors coming back from its MAC Championship team, Ball State certainly has the experience needed to compete on both sides of the ball.
Q: Do you like to see more games between the Big Ten and the MAC as it gives other schools exposure to big-time environments?
Robby: I love Big Ten and MAC games. Not only do they make sense location-wise, it helps get exposure to mid-major programs like Ball State (and give me an excuse to see some cool venues along the way). Also, at least one MAC team has beaten a Big Ten team in 14 out of the past 15 years (no non-conference games were played last season), so it’ll be interesting to see which potential MAC-Big Ten upset happens this season.
Q: Do you see Penn State playing at Ball State in the future?
Robby: NO
Q: What is one reason why Ball State will beat Penn State?
Robby: Execution on offense and turnovers. Ball State has plenty of weapons to move the ball on the ground and through the air. If they execute, I’m sure the Cardinals will be able to score some points on the Nittany Lions. But, being underdogs, I feel like Ball State is going to need some momentum-shifting turnovers if it wants to pull off the upset.
Be sure to follow Robby on Twitter.
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