Ball State University Athletics
Football Team Opens Fall Camp to Prepare for Sept. 2 Opener
August 06, 2010 | Football
Ball State's football team, under the direction of second-year head coach Stan Parrish, begins football practice in preparation for the Sept. 2, season opener vs. Southeast Missouri State at Scheumann Stadium. To buy tickets for the 7 p.m. Thursday night kickoff, log on to www.ballstatesports.com.
The season opener is Community Day at Ball State. The Cardinals are partnering with the Muncie Chamber of Commerce to kick off the Ball State season. The athletics department and Muncie Chamber of Commerce are working with local businesses and organizations to provide giveaways and game promotions.
The pregame festivities will include inflatables, balloons and dunk tank and more. Ball State's Tailgate Town opens at 4 p.m. and a live band - 8 Stories High - will play from 5 p.m. to 6:30.
There will be special appearances by Charlie Cardinal, the Code Red Dance Team and Ball State Cheerleaders.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive FREE Thundersticks, courtesy of Mutual Bank, and there will be a fireworks display following the game.
The football team welcomes back the return of 38 lettermen, including 11 starters, from the 2009 team.
"This year we have focused on absolutely nothing but Southeast Missouri State," Parrish says. "Our running game will dictate how successful we are this year. Our three running backs are among the top five players on our team, so we need to get them on the field together in creative ways.
MiQuale Lewis, who received a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA this summer, leads the returning running backs. He has gained 3,334 rushing yards in his career and needs 669 yards to become the all-time career rushing leader in Ball State history. Lewis led the Cardinals with 871 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Cory Sykes, a sophomore, rushed for 559 yards and three touchdowns in 2009. He led Ball State with a 6.2 yards-per-rush average and was third on the team in rushing TDs.
Lewis and Sykes became the first duo in NCAA football history (all divisions) to have one player rush for at least 300 yards and a teammate gain at least 200 yards in the same game when they did it at Eastern Michigan Oct. 24, 2009. Lewis set the Ball State single-game rushing record with 301 yards on 26 carries at Eastern Michigan, while Cory Sykes gained 203 yards vs. the Eagles.
The third member of Ball State's running back trio was true freshman Eric Williams, who averaged 5.7 yards per rush and led the Cardinals with a 23.9 average on kickoff returns. He ranked fourth in the MAC in kick return average and ninth in all-purpose yards. Williams rushed for 362 yards and four TDs last season.
"When we run the ball, we play better defense. Having the offensive line return in tact will be a big key for us this season. Running the ball well and possessing the ball will help our defense in the long run. We need to do those things and do them consistently."
At quarterback, Ball State returns Kelly Page, who started the first seven games of the season before missing the remainder of the season with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. He was replaced by fifth-year senior Tanner Justice, who was backed up by Aaraon Mershman, who redshirted the 2009 season.
"Kelly Page has earned the right to enter fall camp as our starting quarterback. He has to move us up and down the field and get us in the endzone. If he does that, he will be our quarterback. Mershman had a good spring and we are bringing in freshman Keith Wenning, who we think is one of the top recruits in the Mid-American Conference this season."
Defensively, the Cardinals return seven starters including Robert Eddins and Sean Baker, two of the team's leaders last season. Eddins had a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss in 2009 and tied for third in the MAC and 28th in the nation in that category. Baker was fifth for the Cardinals in tackles and led Ball State with four interceptions in 2009. He was the 2008 MAC Freshman of the Year and was named to the Sporting News Freshman All-America Team in 2008.
"This spring we were a much more physical team. We need to make huge strides in our defensive backfield and I think they will."
The Cardinals also return the team's top placekicker, punter and return specialists from last season.
Ian McGarvey returns at placekicker after tying his career high with three field goals in a game four times in 2009. He set the school record with 81 consecutive extra points made from Nov. 13, 2007, to Oct. 3, 2009, shattering the previous record of 40 straight by Brian Jackson in 2003-04. McGarvey was first in the MAC and ninth in the nation in field goals made per game.
Scott Kovanda returns at punter after averaging 40.0 yards per punt and ranking fourth in the MAC in 2009. He punted 57 times and forced opponents to start inside their own 20-yard line 15 times, while forcing teams to fair catch nine times. Ball State opponents returned punts an average of only 3.8 yards per punt in 2009, which ranked eighth in the nation.
"Special teams are a priority for us. If they are not priority A, they are certainly 1A. We have good kickers and good return guys. We will put some different people in the kicking game and we will get our best players on special teams. We want to get to the point where we are consistently good in special teams. The consistency is what we are focusing on and getting better everyday."
Ball State played in back-to-back bowl games after the 2007 and 2008 seasons and have appeared on national television 16 times in the last two seasons. The Cardinals, which have won 14 of its last 20 MAC games, will appear on the ESPN family of networks Oct. 9 at home vs. Western Michigan for its Homecoming contest and Nov. 12 at Buffalo.
Call the Ball State Athletics Ticket Office at 1.888.BSU.TICKET or 765.285.1474 to order your tickets or plan a group outing.
