Saturday, November 28
Toledo, Ohio
Noon ET
Ball State University
at
Toledo
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Game 4 Preview: Cardinals Looking to Stay in ‘Winners’ Bracket’ at Toledo
November 25, 2020 | Football
BSU faces a Rockets team near the top of the league in most statistical categories
Game 4
Ball State (2-1, 2-1 MAC) at Toledo (2-1, 2-1 MAC)
Saturday, Nov. 28 (12:05 p.m. kickoff)
Toledo, Ohio (Glass Bowl)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 104.1 WLBC | Live Stats
Social: @BallStateFB, @BallStateSports, #ChirpChirp, #WeFly, #DOB, #MACtion
Game Notes: Ball State | Toledo | Game Week Press Conference
Head coach Mike Neu has used a tournament-like analogy with his team to instill the importance of each week in this sprint of a football season.
"We want to stay in the winners' bracket," Neu said at his weekly press conference.
Since MAC West Division play started in week two, the Cardinals have done just that with home victories over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.
To stay in that winners' bracket and maintain of control of its own destiny for a division championship, Ball State will have to do it on the road this week. And the Cardinals will have to do it against an opponent for which they have the utmost respect.
"Toledo is the best team we will have played to date," Neu said. "They're playing at a high level offensively, they're playing at a high level defensively, and they're playing at a high level on special teams."
Toledo ranks among the top 25 nationally in both total offense (504.7, 14th) and total defense (327.3, 21st). The Rockets are averaging 40.3 points and allowing only 24.0, and their time of possession average (36:40) ranks third in the country. Their only loss came against an undefeated Western Michigan team in a game they led by 10 with less than three minutes left.
Ball State has fresh memories of success in this series after runaway, 52-14 Homecoming victory last season in Muncie. The Cardinals raced out to a 38-0 lead that day, shutting out the Rockets in the first half, and scoring at will. Drew Plitt threw for three touchdowns, Justin Hall scored both rushing and receiving, and Caleb Huntley went over 100 yards as usual.
But the 2020 Cardinals are under no illusions things will come as easily as they did on that day. And they're especially locked in on the line of scrimmage against a team that runs the ball with the same ferocity as they do (BSU's Huntley and Toledo's Bryant Koback and Shakif Seymour are three of the top four active rushers in the league).
"They've been able to run it when they want to run it; they've been able to throw it when they want to throw it," Neu said. "We've challenged our guys up front, knowing that it all starts in the trenches. We have to play the best game we've played so far as far as that front seven goes, defensively."
For their part, the Cardinals have largely been able to run it when they want and throw it when they want, too. BSU is averaging nearly 225 yards per game on the ground and more than 250 through their air, and the Cardinals have scored at least 31 points in all three of their games.
Both teams enter Saturday's matchup at 2-1 in league play and tied for second place in the division. With a victory, Ball State would stay perfect against the West and keep itself in the "winners' bracket" with two weeks left in the regular season.
Ball State (2-1, 2-1 MAC) at Toledo (2-1, 2-1 MAC)
Saturday, Nov. 28 (12:05 p.m. kickoff)
Toledo, Ohio (Glass Bowl)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 104.1 WLBC | Live Stats
Social: @BallStateFB, @BallStateSports, #ChirpChirp, #WeFly, #DOB, #MACtion
Game Notes: Ball State | Toledo | Game Week Press Conference
Head coach Mike Neu has used a tournament-like analogy with his team to instill the importance of each week in this sprint of a football season.
"We want to stay in the winners' bracket," Neu said at his weekly press conference.
Since MAC West Division play started in week two, the Cardinals have done just that with home victories over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.
To stay in that winners' bracket and maintain of control of its own destiny for a division championship, Ball State will have to do it on the road this week. And the Cardinals will have to do it against an opponent for which they have the utmost respect.
"Toledo is the best team we will have played to date," Neu said. "They're playing at a high level offensively, they're playing at a high level defensively, and they're playing at a high level on special teams."
Toledo ranks among the top 25 nationally in both total offense (504.7, 14th) and total defense (327.3, 21st). The Rockets are averaging 40.3 points and allowing only 24.0, and their time of possession average (36:40) ranks third in the country. Their only loss came against an undefeated Western Michigan team in a game they led by 10 with less than three minutes left.
Ball State has fresh memories of success in this series after runaway, 52-14 Homecoming victory last season in Muncie. The Cardinals raced out to a 38-0 lead that day, shutting out the Rockets in the first half, and scoring at will. Drew Plitt threw for three touchdowns, Justin Hall scored both rushing and receiving, and Caleb Huntley went over 100 yards as usual.
But the 2020 Cardinals are under no illusions things will come as easily as they did on that day. And they're especially locked in on the line of scrimmage against a team that runs the ball with the same ferocity as they do (BSU's Huntley and Toledo's Bryant Koback and Shakif Seymour are three of the top four active rushers in the league).
"They've been able to run it when they want to run it; they've been able to throw it when they want to throw it," Neu said. "We've challenged our guys up front, knowing that it all starts in the trenches. We have to play the best game we've played so far as far as that front seven goes, defensively."
For their part, the Cardinals have largely been able to run it when they want and throw it when they want, too. BSU is averaging nearly 225 yards per game on the ground and more than 250 through their air, and the Cardinals have scored at least 31 points in all three of their games.
Both teams enter Saturday's matchup at 2-1 in league play and tied for second place in the division. With a victory, Ball State would stay perfect against the West and keep itself in the "winners' bracket" with two weeks left in the regular season.
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