Week 4: Ball State at Indiana

Ball State (3-0, 1-0 MAC) vs. Indiana (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. ET
Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.
 
The Hoosiers have a certain spring in their step, and an air of confidence that their spread offense cannot be defended. Stiffer tests will come, but Ball State practices against a pretty good spread every day, and should give Indiana a fair tussle in this week’s in-state battle.

Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis attributes the Hoosiers’ success to balance. "That's the beauty of the spread -- if we know what their defense does, it’s going to be wrong,” he said, adding that Indiana has a pass or run answer for what he recognizes on the other side. If the Hoosiers keep out front with the creativity, the opposing defenses will continue to struggle to keep up.

“Teams don't know if we're going to run or throw the ball, whether I'm going to throw it or keep it, and we’ve mixed it up.” That mixing has come at a pace Ball State will have to work hard to keep up with. The Hoosiers have used their no-huddle offense to wear down opponents and catch the defenses out of position. The combination of Lewis and the speedy Marcus Thigpen leave plenty of options for IU.

The Hoosiers face a Ball State team with plenty of weapons of its own, and one that is off to its best start in 20 years. Coach Brady Hoke’s Cardinals registered a critical conference road win last week at Akron, forcing turnovers and then allowing their offense to feast on them.
 
The four interceptions against Ohio made it known that Ball State can play some defense, too, and not just rely on versatile quarterback Nate Davis and his cache of talented receivers to get the job done. Davis, already the school’s career passing leader, goes to tailback MiQuale Lewis as soon as the opposition starts to lean too hard on the passing attack, and Lewis has responded with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.

Notes:

As if intending to send some kind of statement for the rest of the Big Ten to hear, Indiana scored six touchdowns on the ground in the rout over Murray State. That is the most scores via the rushing attack since the 2001 season.

Ball State defensive back Sean Baker got national attention after he tied a school record with three interceptions and a fumble recovery he returned 33 yards for a touchdown in the MAC win at Akron.

Indiana spread the wealth around as five different Hoosiers scored rushing the ball against Murray State. That is believed to be a school record. Indiana got everyone in the act with eight different players running the ball and nine different players catching passes in the game.

Ball State is 3-0 to start the season, the best start for a Cardinals team since the 1988 season when Ball State got off to a 5-0 start.

Key Player (Cardinals) — Bryant Haines, LB

The senior from Ohio was a second team all-MAC pick last season, and has a place on the Butkus Award watch list this year. While the focus is clearly on the offense, Ball State won’t reach its conference and pos-season goals without a strong showing from the Haines-led defense.

Key Player (Hoosiers) — Marcus Thigpen, RB

Indiana’s fifth-year senior is regarded as the fastest man in Bloomington, and he looked every bit the part against Murray State. Thigpen scored twice on long touchdown runs and produced five carries of 20 or more yards in the first half alone.

Indiana by 6

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