Thursday, September 2
Muncie, Ind.
7:00 PM ET
Ball State University
vs
Western Illinois
Cardinals Prepared for ‘Great Opportunity’ at Penn State
September 10, 2021 | Football
Ball State travels to No. 11 Penn State for Saturday afternoon kickoff
MUNCIE, Ind. – When opportunity comes knocking, it's time to answer the door.
Ball State is set to hit the road for a big challenge at No. 11 Penn State Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. inside of Beaver Stadium.
"This is a great opportunity for us as a program to go into a place like Penn State with its history," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "Obviously, it's a very talented football team that had a huge win last week against Wisconsin on the road. It's a very talented roster top to bottom. Coach Franklin has done a great job with their staff."
Saturday's game is slated to be the first home game for Penn State in front of 106,000 fans in a couple years.
"This will be the first time since 2019 when they've had a full house at Beaver Stadium," Neu added. "One of the biggest challenges you have is certainly trying to do a great job in practice preparing for the noise. Our guys are excited about the opportunity here."
The Cardinals, who are riding an eight-game winning streak, are well equipped to handle a hostile environment on the road with 16 "super seniors" and 20 returning starters from a team that won the Mid-American Conference last season.
Fans can listen to the Ball State Radio Network trio of Joel Godett, Rich Spisak and Jack McMullen on 104,1 WLBC, online at BallStateSports.com and on the Varsity Network app. The game will also be available on FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith and Mark Helfrich on the call.
Inside the Series: Penn State
Ball State and Penn State are set to square off for the first time in series history Saturday. The Cardinals have faced 10 of the 14 teams in the currently-constructed Big Ten. Despite a 3-29-1 record, Ball State has found success against in-state foe Indiana, defeating the Hoosiers three times (2008 and 2012 in Bloomington, 2011 in Indianapolis).
PA Connection
Ball State has one player on its roster that hails from Pennsylvania in OL Kevin Meeder. The redshirt freshman is from Portersville, Pa. and was a three-year letterwinner at Seneca Valley High School. Meeder, a team captain and all-conference selection, helped guide the Raiders to the WPIAL championship game his junior year. He also lettered in track and wrestling.
Against Ranked Teams
Ball State is 5-25 against ranked teams all-time. However, the Cardinals have won their last two after defeating No. 23 Buffalo in the 2020 MAC Championship (38-28) and No. 19 San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl (34-13) last season. Ball State has defeated a ranked opponent in a true road game once in program history after taking down No. 24 Toledo in 2012. The Cardinals are 1-23 against ranked foes on the road all-time.
About That Opener
Ball State earned a 31-21 win against Western Illinois to open the 2021 campaign and the 97th season of Cardinal football. Ball State won its 12th consecutive home opener dating back to 2010, including all six under head coach Mike Neu.
Senior RB Will Jones led the way on the ground for the Cardinals with 93 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Freshman RB Carson Steele added 79 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in his first career game. As a team, Ball State ran for 216 yards on 40 carries. Fifth-year QB Drew Plitt captained the offense and threw for 188 yards on 17-of-28 passing with two scores. Fifth-year WR Justin Hall caught eight passes for 137 yards and two scores. Defensively, fifth-year ILB Jaylin Thomas totaled nine tackles. Redshirt freshman DL Tavion Woodard recorded two sacks.
Ball State is set to hit the road for a big challenge at No. 11 Penn State Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. inside of Beaver Stadium.
"This is a great opportunity for us as a program to go into a place like Penn State with its history," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "Obviously, it's a very talented football team that had a huge win last week against Wisconsin on the road. It's a very talented roster top to bottom. Coach Franklin has done a great job with their staff."
Saturday's game is slated to be the first home game for Penn State in front of 106,000 fans in a couple years.
"This will be the first time since 2019 when they've had a full house at Beaver Stadium," Neu added. "One of the biggest challenges you have is certainly trying to do a great job in practice preparing for the noise. Our guys are excited about the opportunity here."
The Cardinals, who are riding an eight-game winning streak, are well equipped to handle a hostile environment on the road with 16 "super seniors" and 20 returning starters from a team that won the Mid-American Conference last season.
Fans can listen to the Ball State Radio Network trio of Joel Godett, Rich Spisak and Jack McMullen on 104,1 WLBC, online at BallStateSports.com and on the Varsity Network app. The game will also be available on FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith and Mark Helfrich on the call.
Inside the Series: Penn State
Ball State and Penn State are set to square off for the first time in series history Saturday. The Cardinals have faced 10 of the 14 teams in the currently-constructed Big Ten. Despite a 3-29-1 record, Ball State has found success against in-state foe Indiana, defeating the Hoosiers three times (2008 and 2012 in Bloomington, 2011 in Indianapolis).
PA Connection
Ball State has one player on its roster that hails from Pennsylvania in OL Kevin Meeder. The redshirt freshman is from Portersville, Pa. and was a three-year letterwinner at Seneca Valley High School. Meeder, a team captain and all-conference selection, helped guide the Raiders to the WPIAL championship game his junior year. He also lettered in track and wrestling.
Against Ranked Teams
Ball State is 5-25 against ranked teams all-time. However, the Cardinals have won their last two after defeating No. 23 Buffalo in the 2020 MAC Championship (38-28) and No. 19 San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl (34-13) last season. Ball State has defeated a ranked opponent in a true road game once in program history after taking down No. 24 Toledo in 2012. The Cardinals are 1-23 against ranked foes on the road all-time.
About That Opener
Ball State earned a 31-21 win against Western Illinois to open the 2021 campaign and the 97th season of Cardinal football. Ball State won its 12th consecutive home opener dating back to 2010, including all six under head coach Mike Neu.
Senior RB Will Jones led the way on the ground for the Cardinals with 93 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Freshman RB Carson Steele added 79 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in his first career game. As a team, Ball State ran for 216 yards on 40 carries. Fifth-year QB Drew Plitt captained the offense and threw for 188 yards on 17-of-28 passing with two scores. Fifth-year WR Justin Hall caught eight passes for 137 yards and two scores. Defensively, fifth-year ILB Jaylin Thomas totaled nine tackles. Redshirt freshman DL Tavion Woodard recorded two sacks.
Players Mentioned
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RB
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OL
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QB
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ILB
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DL
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