FOOTBALL: Ball State defense looks forward to matchup with Virginia

A confident team is a dangerous one.

Freshman linebacker Zack Ryan said the Ball State defense is feeling confident after its 31-24 victory over the University of Toledo. A good week of practice has players and coaches alike looking forward to Saturday’s non-conference matchup.

Both Toledo and Virginia are led by athletic quarterbacks and have strong running backs. The similarities stop there though, as Virginia’s offense is not nearly as productive.

“Virginia is still trying to figure out what they want to do offensively,” Ryan said. “Toledo knew exactly what they wanted to do; if you didn’t read your keys, it was going to be a big play for them.”

The Cardinals forced two turnovers in the win, and held the Rockets on two fourth down conversion attempts. One of those turnovers came at the hands of Ryan.

After a fumble by Toledo running back David Fluellen, there was just one thing on Ryan’s mind.

“I saw the ball get handed off, and [Fluellen] didn’t handle it well,” he said. “I saw it hit the ground and that was all I worried about. I didn’t worry about anybody from Toledo, I just took my steps and then jumped on the ball.”

Ryan and teammate Aaron Taylor were the first to dive on the loose ball. Ryan said they ran into each other in pursuit — even if he would have missed, Taylor would’ve been there to make the recovery.

It was the first fumble recovery of his career, making the game-changing play even bigger to the young linebacker.

“I was real excited,” Ryan said. “The team went nuts afterwards; it was a big play in the game.”

It certainly wasn’t the first for Ball State though. The Cardinals are ranked third nationally, and first in the Mid-American Conference, with seven fumble recoveries this season.

Head coach Pete Lembo said the team works on fundamentals three days a week. Defensive pursuit, tackling and creating turnovers are emphasized during those practices.

“We’re doing a much better job of [creating turnovers] this year,” Lembo said. “We have guys that have worked really hard in the weight room to get bigger, faster and stronger. When they come out here and run and hit, you’ve got a chance to create turnovers.”

Ball State is ranked 10th nationally with its 12 turnovers gained this season, and after five games, the team has nearly matched its total of 14 from one season ago.

Though Virginia scores just 20.2 points per game, Lembo said the matchup presents the Ball State defense with a “huge challenge.”

What the Cavaliers lack in offensive scoring, they make up for in defense.

Virginia’s opponents connect on just 38 percent of passing plays, and Virginia allows opponents just 299.2 yards per game.

“In a lot of games we go into, we feel pretty good that we can put some points on the board,” Lembo said. “This has potential to be a lower-scoring game, so there’s still a huge challenge on the defense.”