If the lack of size at the wide receiver position wasn't a big enough problem, dealing with tall cornerbacks makes the problem worse.
That's exactly what Ball State's challenge will be when it takes on No. 12 Clemson on Saturday afternoon.
Among Clemson's cornerbacks in Darius Robinson, Bashaud Breeland, Garry Peters and Cortez Davis, the average height is just more than 6 feet. For Ball State's wide receivers, the average height is 5 feet and 10 inches. The average is surely affected by wide receiver Jamill Smith and his 5-foot-8-inch structure.
With the size differential, the Cardinals will need to be precise with game preparation for Saturday.
"[Clemson] brings back a majority of their secondary," wide receivers coach Keith Gaither said. "They've got two experienced corners with good size and good speed. We've got to have a much better practice on Wednesday and get better on Thursday. By Friday, we should be polished up, and that should give us the best chance to have a chance against Clemson."
Because of the size and speed the Clemson cornerbacks possess, coach Pete Lembo said he expects the Tigers to play more man coverage against his wide receivers, but admitted he didn't know for sure.
If Clemson does stick to man coverage, especially on the outside receivers in Connor Ryan and Willie Snead, the key will be creating separation for deep plays. Ryan and Snead aren't as fast as Smith or wide receiver Jack Tomlinson, but Gaither said it'll still come down to speed to create the separation.
"They've got to be fast and they've got to be quick," he said. "We have some down-the-field separation techniques that we teach every day. If they do the daily fundamentals, it gives them a chance to get open. But it basically comes down to quickness and speed."
The Clemson secondary limited Auburn's Kiehl Frazier to 194 passing yards in the team's 26-19 at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. If Ball State wants to keep pace with its 267 yards that quarterback Keith Wenning threw for in the win over Eastern Michigan, he'll need his receivers to be open.
"We just have to have our technique down," Snead said. "They're really fast and we just have to make sure we're polished up."
From the game film he's watched, Snead was reminded of the cornerbacks he faced against South Florida and Oklahoma last season. He said he thinks the defense he lined up against in Tampa, Fla., and Norman, Okla., were probably better than what he will see Saturday, but that doesn't mean he can let up in his preparations.
"They're good corners, I just don't think they're as good as the Oklahoma corners," Snead said. "They're still good and we still have to respect them and come with our 'A' game."
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