Quarterbacks
Ball State – Sophomore Keith Wenning threw his first interception of the season last Saturday at No. 3 Oklahoma, snapping a streak of 185 pass attempts without one. Then he threw two more in his next three attempts. The good news for Wenning and the Cardinals is they aren't facing a top-five team in the country this week.
Temple – The Owls have taken to playing two quarterbacks this year, with senior Chester Stewart and junior Mike Gerardi splitting time. It appears Stewart's role in the offense has grown in recent weeks and he has become the starter. No matter who's under center, however, Temple doesn't throw the ball much.
Advantage: Cardinals – Wenning had been very consistent all season before running into Oklahoma. This week won't feature as tough of an opponent, and he should return to the form he showed in the season's first four games.
Defensive line
Ball State – After recording three sacks in the first three games, defensive tackle Nathan Ollie has gone quiet the last two weeks. But the game against Temple will mark a return to normal offenses after Army's triple-option and Oklahoma's dominant offensive line. Ollie and the rest of the line should be able to get after the quarterback again this week.
Temple – Senior defensive end Adrian Robinson is on the watch list for the Nagurski Award, given to the best defensive player in college football. He leads the Owls with four sacks and has 16 tackles. The Owls defensive line has been a key to their dominating run defense this season, holding opponents to an average of 91.6 rushing yards per game.
Advantage: Owls – Robinson may be the best defensive player in the MAC. He is a big pass-rushing threat, but Temple is also stout against the run. This is a tough test for the Cardinals' offensive line.
Running backs
Ball State – Freshman Jahwan Edwards extended his streak of leading the Cardinals in rushing to five games with 53 yards last week at Oklahoma. He has been Ball State's workhorse so far this season, but still has room for more carries, as he is averaging just 14.4 rushes per game.
Temple – Junior Bernard Pierce has been the best running back in the Mid-American Conference for three years. He has 571 yards and 12 touchdowns through five games this season and is averaging 5.14 yards per carry. Backup Matt Brown adds 207 yards and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Advantage: Owls – Temple started a Heisman campaign for Pierce last year. It proved to be premature, mostly due to his injury. As far-fetched as it sounds, that campaign might be needed sometime in the next two years.
Linebackers
Ball State – Junior middle linebacker Travis Freeman is back to full health after an ankle injury limited him in practice before playing Oklahoma. With Freeman hurting, junior Tony Martin has led the Cardinals in tackles in back-to-back weeks, and forced a fumble against the Sooners.
Temple – Senior middle linebacker Stephen Johnson leads the Owls with 36 tackles. He's already passed his total number of tackles last season, when he had 31, playing mostly on special teams. Sophomore Blaze Caponegro has 23 tackles and senior Tahir Whitehead has forced three fumbles and has three sacks.
Advantage: Cardinals – Ball State has plenty of experience at the position, and with Freeman fully healthy and Martin playing at his best, this is a strength for the Cardinals.
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