Ball State Football

Kyle Seger didn't win a brand new car, but a full scholarship is worth more anyway.

The Ball State football walk-on was told to come on down in a team meeting as a contestant on The Cardinal Is Right, a spoof that resembled the CBS game show The Price Is Right in name only.

Three teammates before him attempted to guess words on the screen behind them based on clues from their teammates. Seger's message, however, was far more meaningful than "elephant," "unicycle" or "Olympics."

As the redshirt senior defensive end stood in front of the room, his teammates erupted when the words "You have earned a full scholarship" flashed behind him. 

Making the feel-good moment even sweeter, the video ends with Seger sharing the news with his parents on the phone.

[YouTube]

Somewhere in Muncie, Indiana, Ball State head football coach Pete Lembo has a smile on his face. Why? Because he knows something the rest of this country doesn't: the Ball State Cardinals are the best college football team in Indiana.

The Cardinals have one of the better offenses in the nation, coming in at 18th in the country at 332.5 passing yards per game, and 23rd in the country at 45.5 points scored per game.

Senior quarterback Keith Wenning is a big part of Lembo and the Cardinals' success. In a text to me today, Wenning told me he thinks this team can be what Northern Illinois was last year: a small school who stirs a little mid-major BCS controversy.

I think we do (have that chance). We have a lot of older guys back with a lot of experience in big time games that will help us each week against our opponents.

Through two games vs. Illinois State and Army, both at home, Wenning has been spectacular. Keith has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 665 yards (10th in the country) and seven total touchdowns (five through the air, two on the ground).

Not only that, of the 42 FBS quarterbacks that have thrown more than 60 times, only five have yet to throw an interception (via Ball State Athletics.) One of those five? You guessed it.

Am I proposing Wenning be considered for the Heisman? Absolutely not, that's ridiculous. I am, however, suggesting Wenning should at the least get some national recognition. When asked about it, Wenning said he doesn't really think about it.

..as far as awards and all that stuff goes, none of that stuff matters too much to me. I'm just trying to do my best to help our team reach out [sic] goal of getting to the MAC championship and to a bowl game.

Following Wenning's performance in the 40-14 rout of Army in Week 2, the quarterback was named the Mid-American Conference offensive player of the week, according Muncie Star Press sports editor Doug Zaleski.

As far as Wenning's post-Ball State career? The senior finance major said he doesn't really know what the future may hold.

If I get an opportunity to keep playing at the next level that would be a blessing, but I'm focused on having a great year in 2013 with Ball State first and foremost.

The Ball State Cardinals will head to North Texas this weekend to take on the Mean Green, who are 1-1 coming off of a 40-6 win over Idaho.

Follow me on Twitter for complete breakdown and analysis of the Ball State Football team week in and week out!

Joe Tacosik is a Contributor II for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via interview with Keith Wenning.

The Ball State Cardinals are the best NCAA football team in the state of Indiana.

Bold declaration? Absolutely. But the possibility of that statement being true at the end of the 2013-14 college football season is more realistic than most would believe.

The Cardinals, a team coming off of a 9-3 record in 2012-2013, immensely improved over the course of last season. Just 6-6 the previous year, head coach Pete Lembo was coming into his second full year on the job. Lembo led the Cardinals to their first bowl appearance since 2008. 

A 9-3 record going into last year's Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl versus the University of Central Florida was no easy slice of pie.

Ball State went up against five ranked teams last season, including teams such as No. 7 Clemson and BCS participant Northern Illinois. The Cardinals' three losses last year were all to Top 25 teams—two of those loses coming in the final minutes of the fourth quarter (Kent State and Northern Illinois).

Senior quarterback Keith Wenning, entering his fourth season starting for the cardinal and white, is a tremendous leader and a much better QB than this country acknowledges.

Wenning's completion percentage last season was ranked 26th in the country at 65.4 percent, putting him ahead of big time QBs such as Aaron Murray, Collin Klein, Matt Barkley and Braxton Miller.

Among qualified QBs, Wenning's 3,095 yards passing was also ahead of Alabama and national champion QB AJ McCarron. Wenning's cannon arm and pinpoint accuracy was put on display in Week 4 versus former Big East foe USF, when the senior rifled a 19-yard, go-ahead touchdown to wide receiver Willie Snead IV with 1:02 to go in the fourth quarter, sealing the win.

With Notre Dame's tumultuous offseason of losing starting QB Everett Golson as well as Indiana and Purdue struggling to scratch the surface, folks and students in Muncie know: If there was ever a time for Ball State to once again be the best college football team in the state of Indiana, this is it.

The South Florida Bulls (2-1) are headed to Indiana to take on the Ball State Cardinals (2-1) in a game that should be extremely exciting.

Both teams have potent offensive attacks and it should be a relatively high-scoring affair.

Let's take a closer look at this important Big East vs. MAC matchup by focusing on where you can watch it, some players that will be out with injury, Top-25 implications, possible key performers and a prediction on the outcome.

Where: Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, Indiana

When: Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Watch: SNY / MASN / ESPN-GP / ERTV

Live Stream: ESPN3

Listen: Free Football Radio

Betting Line: South Florida -10.5

Injury Report (Via USA TODAY)

South Florida

T Mark Popek—Leg—PRB

RB Marcus Shaw—Ankle—QST

DL Elkino Watson—Undisclosed—QST

WR Sterling Griffin—Knee—OUT

Ball State

RB Dwayne Donigan—Ankle—QST

QB Kelly Page—Ankle—QST

TE Sam Brunner—Foot—OUT

OL Josh Smith—Knee—OUT

BCS/Top-25 Implications

Neither Ball State nor South Florida is close to a Top-25 ranking as of the Week 4 polls.

The Bulls ruined their chances for consideration by losing, 23-13, at home to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights last Thursday in a nationally televised game.

They need a victory against the Cardinals on Saturday and then a big upset victory over Florida State on Sept. 29 to get back into the running for a Top-25 spot.

South Florida Player to Watch: B.J. Daniels

The Bulls signal-caller has been solid this season, throwing for 830 yards and six touchdowns while connecting on 54-of-99 pass attempts.

He’s got to work on his turnovers, as he’s also thrown for four interceptions (three against Rutgers).

Daniels is a solid runner (32 attempts for 124 yards and a TD so far this season), so tucking the ball when nothing is available might be the best option.

Ball State Player to Watch: Jahwan Edwards

The sophomore RB needs to have a special performance to help the Cardinals beat the Bulls this weekend.

So far this season, he’s racked up 332 yards and four touchdowns on 52 rushing attempts, and he’ll have to improve on that impressive per carry average to pull the upset.

Edwards is a gifted back and Ball State seems committed to the ground game, so expect him to get his touches.

Prediction: USF 35, Ball St. 24

This game might be close in the early going, but eventually the speed and skill of South Florida will shine through.

If Daniels can manage the game and make plays, the Bulls will pick up an easy victory.

Should USF commit turnovers and allow the Cardinals to gash them with their rushing game, they might not get it done—but that just seems unlikely after a humbling Week 3 loss.

If you've been anywhere near a television and/or the Internet today, you've probably heard that TCU is on the verge of joining the Big 12.

If you haven't heard about that, ESPN has all the details. Basically, all you really need to know is that the Big 12 higher-ups have agreed to extend an invitation to TCU, and that TCU is expected to join.

This is not entirely unexpected. The Big 12 lost Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12, and is also losing Texas A&M to the SEC. If it is to survive as a conference, the Big 12 must expand by at least one team.

Because there is also talk of Missouri leaving for the SEC, it's possible that the Big 12 may have to add another school. To that end, FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock revealed some major scoopage on Twitter:

Yes, that Ball State. The same Ball State that has never won a bowl game. As if that wasn't enough, Whitlock dropped this too:

Ball State in the Big 12? David Letterman? Tony Dungy? This has to be a joke, right?

In my estimation, yes. It has to be. Check that, it must be.

And it probably is. We are, after all, talking about Jason Whitlock. He has a sense of humor, and he's shown time and again that he doesn't mind using it to mess with people.

His tweets about Ball State are a shining example of that tendency. They are totally ridiculous, but I think they also represent a job well done from a satirical standpoint.

I mean, let's face it. The Big 12 is not just a mess. It is a desperate mess, and watching from afar while the conference tries to repair itself is kinda hilarious in an odd way. It's like watching all the king's horses and all the king's men trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, except with more moving parts.

Throughout it all, there have been reports of the Big 12 extending invitations or at least considering all sorts of schools. TCU and BYU are the two schools that have been mentioned most often, but you've also heard schools like Louisville and West Virginia get mentioned as possible new members for the Big 12.

Heck, it seems like just about every school in the union (and beyond?) has been considered. So why not Ball State?

Why not indeed. Well played, Whitlock.

In case you're wondering, if this actually turns out to be true... I... I've got nothing.

Ball State and Indiana will kick off their season opener tonight in an instate matchup between the schools at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.

This is technically a Ball State home game in a move to try and gain more fans. 

The Cardinals are dangerously close to losing Division 1 status due to low attendance figures.

The move the game to downtown Indianapolis is a smart move to gain more fans.  With it being Labor Day weekend and most kids at home with their families, there's expected to be 30-35,000 fans in attendance for tonight's matchup.

Tonight's game also opens a new era for both schools. 

Ball State hired new coach Pete Lembo in the offseason and Indiana hired Kevin Wright.

Both coaches are considered more offensive minded guru's and will run a spread no huddle offense. 

Look for this to be a very fast-paced game, but expect a lot of mistakes.  Both schemes are new to the respective schools and it will take some time for them to adjust to new the scheme.

Storylines:

Quarterback play:

The Indiana Hoosiers have yet to announce a starting quarterback for tonight's game.  They have three possibilities, but none of them have separated themselves enough to win the nod. 

Ed Wright-Baker is in my mind going to be the starter, but don't be surprised if Dusty Kiel or even freshman Tre Roberson get some playing time behind center.

Ball State on the other hand won't have a quarterback controversy. 

Ketih Wenning will get the start tonight.  Wenning threw for 1,373 yards last season with 14 Touchdown and 14 Interceptions.  He made bad decisions at times last year, and with Indiana switching up defensive schemes look for this to be a make-it-or-break-it scenario for both teams.

Indiana's O-Line vs. Ball State's Defense

Ball State is going to blitz a lot tonight due to their new scheme. 

What will win the game tonight for IU? 

If the O-:Line makes it hard for them to get to whoever's behind center. 

The Hoosier's line last year gave up only 12 sacks all season and was ranked 11th nationally.  All five return and will start tonight. 

If the Hoosiers line is as good as last year, look for Demarlo Beltcher to have a huge game receiving and the Hoosiers to control the game.

Prediction: Indiana 27  Ball State 14

North Texas appears to have turned the corner after tonight’s 20-10 national broadcast victory over Ball State. What a big victory it was too. I’ve never seen things look so good on the field for North Texas.

I said going into the game that North Texas just had to play decent to have a good season. I was by no means predicting a Mean Green win. I had my concerns about Riley Dodge’s size as a quarterback. I had even more concerns about the wide receivers Dodge could throw to.

In fact, the only thing I knew North Texas was good at was its running game.

I think all my questions were answered tonight, and then some. Riley looked good finding the wide receivers, and the wide receivers did the work. The spread offense actually looked like a spread offense, with nine different receivers logging a catch in the box score.

The running backs looked really strong. North Texas did have the nation’s leading rusher for a couple years earlier this decade. Cam Montgomery logged a ridiculous 148 yards on 17 carries. That’s almost a nine-yard average.

Despite the strengths of the offense, the more important issue was the defense. North Texas managed to give up just over 300 total yards. Ordinarily, that's nothing great, but for North Texas that's tremendous. North Texas was the worst in the nation in many categories on the defensive front.

The defense couldn't tackle opponents last year, giving up big plays. Although the same happened tonight, it wasn't nearly as frequent. The lineman and linebackers got pressure on the Ball State quarterback, forcing bad throws. MiQuale Lewis, who many consider one of the best running backs in the nation, was barely able to get 100 yards rushing. The secondary played well, giving up less than 150 yards through the air.

Perhaps the most important thing is the quality of athletes UNT has now. The receivers looked like legitimate Division 1 athletes. They were evading tackles left and right and racking up yards after the catch. The defense forced interceptions and fumbles, and was able to stop Ball State in critical situations.

Although I can’t say how many games North Texas will win this year, I think my original 4 wins is a great estimate. I’m not ready to up that prediction yet, but another win early this season will force me too.

At least I can be glad to see North Texas out of ESPN’s Bottom 10.

Most bowling balls live a mundane life. They only roll down lanes and knock over pins.

Human bowling balls also tend to go through life inconspicuously, but tend to enjoy life a lot more. This statement is especially true when they play college football.

In Muncie, IN, there is a human bowling ball that plays running back for the Ball State Cardinals, who goes by the name of MiQuale Lewis.

Not only is Lewis a human bowling ball, he is part invisible man.

At 5'6", Lewis hides behind his offensive linemen, until he finds a hole to sneak through. By the time the defense realizes where he is, Lewis is already in the process of running over an opponent. 

Just like a bowling ball, Lewis comes with a hook. Although he enjoys punishing defenders, Lewis is also able to turn the corner and sprint by them.

Lewis begins 2009 as the leading returning rusher in the FBS in terms of total yards and is only behind Jahvid Best of California in yards per game.

In 2008, Lewis rushed for 1,736 yards on 462 carries with 25 touchdowns. Lewis gained at least 100 yards in 11-of-14 games. He gained over 150 yards in a single game five times.

Perhaps Lewis' best performance occurred on the road versus Indiana. Going into the game, Ball State had never defeated a team from a BCS Conference in 43 attempts and had never defeated a Big Ten team in 19 tries.

To make matters worse, Ball State's star receiver, Dante Love, was forced out of the game in the second quarter with a cervical spine fracture.

Not only did Lewis help keep the team composed after seeing a teammate carried off of the field on a stretcher, he stepped up his game to take pressure off of the passing game.

Lewis gained 166 yards and tallied four touchdowns to lead Ball State to a 42-20 victory over the Hoosiers.

Lewis' physical style of running has taken a toll on his 193 lbs. frame. As a freshman, Lewis only participated in six games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. In 2007, Lewis was playing well before suffering a leg injury that ruined his season in the fourth game of the year.

Despite the setbacks, Lewis only needs 1,540 yards to become the leading rusher at Ball State. That task will not be easy with Ball State needing to replace its starting quarterback and four offensive linemen.

Lewis will definitely do his best to lead Ball State to a successful season.

Expect the human bowling ball to channel all of his energy to strike fear in the opposition.