Jordan Williams Looking to Continue Breakout Season in Matchup of Division Leaders

Game 8
Ball State (4-3, 3-0 MAC) vs. Ohio (3-4, 2-1 MAC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Kickoff: 2:05 p.m.
Location: Muncie, Ind. (Scheumann Stadium)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: WLBC 104.1 FM | Live Stats
Social: @BallStateFB, @BallStateSports, #ChirpChirp, #WeFly, #OTM
Game Notes: Ball State | Ohio
Game Day Information: Tickets | Game Day Guide | Program

Jordan Williams just seems to be around the ball.

Team leader in tackles for loss (7.5), sacks (4.5) and forced fumbles (2). National leader in fumble recoveries (3). And a touchdown to boot.

A playmaker for a resurgent Ball State defense that has propelled the Cardinals to a 3-0 MAC start. And someone the Cardinals coaches always believed in, even if it took a little while to get him on the field.

"Everybody is just kind of scratching the surface when they're a high school football player, but we had a strong vision for him," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "When you saw his skill set, his athleticism, all those attributes, it really got you excited about his growth potential."

But Williams didn't fast track it into the lineup like some others in Ball State's 2017 recruiting class. Guys like Justin Hall and Caleb Huntley on offense, Christian Albright and Bryce Cosby on defense.

It took him a little longer, partly because of a position change and partly because of a logjam at his new spot. He redshirted that 2017 season as a defensive end, then made six tackles in limited snaps as a redshirt freshman in his first year at outside linebacker.

Still, everyone seemed to know there was more there. His athleticism, his knowledge, his versatility. His offseason work, excelling in the weight room and winning 6 a.m. sprints. He was a gifted pass rusher coming in, but he was becoming a well-rounded player.

"You keep saying, 'We gotta find a way to get this guy on the field,'" Ball State defensive coordinator David Elson said.

And that's what they did. The Ball State coaches formulated a plan over the summer to put their best 11 defenders on the field. The biggest change was moving Ray Wilborn to safety and inserting Williams in his SAM linebacker spot.

Instead of being stuck behind Albright at the other outside linebacker position, Williams is now starting across from him. And he has paid off his coaches' confidence in a big way. His strip sacks in back-to-back games sealed a win at Eastern Michigan and set the tone against Toledo. His fumble return for a score earlier this year against Fordham was Ball State's first defensive touchdown in five years.

19495 — **Williams scored BSU's first defensive touchdown in five years on this fumble return against FAU.**

It's a product of Williams doing his job and the other 10 defenders doing theirs. The Cardinals have been sound this year, and the stats are showing it. No. 1 pass efficiency defense in the MAC. No. 3 against the run.

"I believe it's discipline and brotherhood," Williams said. "Everybody knows who they're playing for and playing next to. Everybody is doing their own job and not trying to do more than they are supposed to. Those two things go a long way."

That run defense will be put to the test this week by preseason MAC favorite Ohio, which racked up 411 yards on the ground in last year's meeting in Athens. It all starts with defending quarterback Nathan Rourke who also leads the Bobcats in rushing.

Ohio ran for 229 yards last week in a 45-38 victory over Kent State and enters week four of conference play in a three-way tie atop the East Division standings.

"Rourke and the running game is a huge challenge," Elson said. "We're talking about defending the speed option, the zone read and the ways he keeps the ball. You start thinking about that too much and they're going to run it right at you. They give you the full run game to have to defend. He just gives them so much multiplicity."

It will require another sound defensive performance if Ball State is to run its winning streak to four games, and Williams will be right there at the heart of it. It may have taken him a little time to break through, but he's making the most of his opportunity now. And the best news for the Cardinals is he still has two years left after this one.

"Everybody wants to play; some guys take a different path to get there," Neu said. "Some are ready to play right away. Some need a year to develop. He worked hard, and he embraced that position and attacked it with a great attitude."

Jordan Williams Looking to Continue Breakout Season in Matchup of Division Leaders

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Players Mentioned

Christian Albright

Bryce Cosby

Justin Hall

Caleb Huntley

Ray Wilborn

Jordan Williams