Having a quarterback making only his fourth career start could be a disadvantage for an offense. For Ball State, specifically its defense, having Tyler Van Tubbergen start for Western Michigan could be a big advantage Saturday.
Van Tubbergen has been the starter since fifth-year senior Alex Carder went out with a finger injury in the team's win over Connecticut on Sept. 22. Saturday's game against Ball State will be Van Tubbergen's fourth career start and third this season. When it comes to the differences he has with Carder, the biggest is experience.
"You could see Carder taking almost total control of the offense," coach Pete Lembo said. "It seemed like he had a lot of flexibility to get them to the best play at the line of scrimmage. With [Van Tubbergen] it seems like every week he's started, they've asked him to do a little bit more."
He's likely to get more of the playbook opened up to him Saturday against Ball State, and since he is still getting used to playing a starting role, he could go with safer routes on passing plays.
If he does go with the safer routes, it allows Ball State's secondary to take a few more risks.
"For a new quarterback, I don't think they have that confidence to throw a post down the middle or in double coverage," Ball State safety Chris Pauling said. "We can jump a little more routes since he's going to take the safest route."
Pauling said he is confident that if he feels or someone else can get a jump on a route, they will. He also said another advantage he feels Ball State's defense has is the youth Western Michigan has at wide receiver.
But it won't just be taking risks in the secondary that Ball State can use to its advantage; the defensive line can also make Van Tubbergen feel uncomfortable throughout the whole game. In the first two games of the season, Ball State had yet to record a sack or even a turnover. But especially against Northern Illinois, the defensive line has improved in getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Defensive lineman Brandon Newman said the line has improved since the beginning of the season and at times, played tight because it had yet to record a sack.
"Getting that sack off our back was really big," Newman said. "It made us play more loose and play for fun. It electrifies everyone and that needs to happen on an every down basis."
Newman stressed that in any game if getting a sack isn't possible, at least putting pressure on the quarterback is a must. He said for any quarterback, making him feel the pocket closing around him and having to throw under pressure disrupts his rhythm and timing with his receivers.
With a quarterback making just his fourth start, it's even better to make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket.
"It's important to make him know we're going to be there all game," Newman said. "He's not going to scramble as much and they won't run the power with him. They're going to do three-step drops to protect him, but when they don't we need to get into his face and make him feel uncomfortable."
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