The Ball State football team should be used to facing teams with high-powered offenses by now. The Cardinals have played six teams that average 25 points or more per game. The Cardinals have lost all six of those match-ups.
This Saturday, Ball State will face another team that is rolling on all of its offensive cylinders when the Western Michigan Broncos come to town. Western is in the midst of a three-game slide, losing to three Mid-American Conference Schools, but the Bronco offense is in full swing.
"We've played a lot of teams that score a lot of points," wide receiver Sean Schembra said. "And Western scores a lot of points."
To be more precise, Western averages 25.9 points per game. In its last three games, however, the team averaged just under 31.
"They've got a really good passing attack with great wide receivers and a great tight end," Ball State coach Bill Lynch said of the Bronco offense.
Western has five receivers who have either eclipsed or surpassed the 300-yard mark this season. For comparison, Ball State has only one.
Even though Western boasts the 4th-best pass offense in the MAC, defenses have to worry about the run game as well. Last week junior Philip Reed rushed for 226 yards on only 22 carries against Northern Illinois. Reed was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
And even though the Broncos only post a 2-6 record, Lynch says they can't be overlooked.
"They are a lot like us. They are a much better team than their record," Lynch said. "They are a team that a lot of people felt could have been the west championship going into (the season)."
Lynch went on to cite the number of quality teams Western has played. The Broncos have lost to Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Bowling Green. All of those teams are in the Top 25, and two are undefeated.
Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell expects another tough game against the Cardinals.
"We have never played well down there," Darnell said of Muncie.
Darnell, who is in his sixth season as the head coach of Western, said that his offense has to be as sharp as it has been recently.
"In a game like this," he said, "we have to do everything we can to score when we can, particularly early in the game."
The Ball State offense knows that, and it is primed to attack as well, Schembra said.
"We know for us to stay in the ball game, we're going to have to score a lot of points," the senior said. "I don't think it's so much pressure, but we set goals so we can stay in the game."
Darnell, though, knows his offense will also have to deal with Ball State's crowd.
"When we go there it's just you and the boys. We're not going to have a big following," he said. "Very seldom will you look up and not see Ball State have 15,000-16,000 fans in the stands, because it's their team."
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