The disappointment of Ball State University's opening night loss continues to linger for coach Stan Parrish.
Monday he promised that changes were in the works for Saturday night when the Cardinals host the University of New Hampshire. Some of them will be by choice, but the biggest change will be taking the field without captain Madaris Grant.
The fifth-year senior tight end tore his ACL in the first quarter against North Texas. Parrish said he will undergo surgery in a couple of weeks and will petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, which he is expected to receive.
After Thursday's 20-10 loss, Parrish said Grant was the one player he couldn't afford to lose.
"They told me Grant was out," Parrish said. "That's like saying the electricity doesn't work anymore."
Grant's replacement has not been determined. Sophomore Ryan Hartke filled in Thursday night, but made a costly mistake. Hartke was called for holding, which nullified a Ball State touchdown. The Cardinals eventually settled for a field goal.
"I don't know who my no. 1 tight end is," Parrish said. "Your options are to play 2 backs or 4 wide receivers or moving someone to tight end. We'll probably do all of the above. Hartke had never played the position and he cost us a touchdown."
Hartke and freshman Zane Fakes will compete this week for a starting spot. Fakes is a converted running back who has been moved to the varsity practice field. Parrish also said he can use wide receiver Dan Ifft as a tight end.
"He played quite a bit Thursday," Parrish said. "He played standing up with his hands on hips [instead of a three-point stance]. They like that better I think, it's less violent."
Quarterback Kelly Page said he would miss Grant.
"Madaris is a phenomenal player," Page said. "He's a huge asset to our team, and we've got to overcome that adversity."
Grant likely won't be the only player replaced in the starting lineup. Parrish said there would be a major shake-up on both sides of the ball. Asked how many of those would come on defense, the veteran unit that allowed 512 yards of total offense, Parrish replied "Mucho."
"We're going to see how we practice and who brings it," Parrish said. "We're not going to play like that again. Offensively, it's the same thing. We've got a lot of guys that are equal and newcomers and we've got to find out very quickly what they can do. There's no entitlement on this team."
One of the players Parrish held up as an example for the kind of play he's looking for was sophomore cornerback Brandon Carnegie.
"He's never been way up on my list," Parrish said. "He made a couple real good plays. He's going to play a whole lot more this week."
The Cardinals have depth at linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver and offensive line, Parrish said.
"We've got to put the most aggressive guys on the field," Parrish said. "When you don't play aggressively, you're going to have a hard time winning."
If the team makes the switch to 4 wide receivers, Page will be ready. During high school he played with 4 wide receivers and is now bonding with all his receivers.
"There aren't specific people that I look for," Page said. "All our receivers and our whole offense have a bond."
Parrish also wants to run the ball more, a task that won't be easy without the strong blocking Grant provides.
"I'll have to get that pencil sharpened," Parrish said. "We just have to give him the ball more."
No matter where the changes come from, Parrish is sure the play will be better.
"I was bitterly disappointed with our defensive effort," Parrish said. "You can't fumble the ball and throw an interception offensively. We'll have a long week of practice and we have to come out and play aggressive Saturday night."
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