FOOTBALL: Wenning’s hot start has Ball State offense rolling

As soon as Saturday, Keith Wenning could find himself atop another Ball State record.

After throwing for 335 passing yards in the 31-24 win against Toledo, Wenning needs 330 more to break the school’s record for most career passing yards. Nate Davis, who played from 2006-08, holds the current record with 9,233.

Since Wenning took over the starting quarterback position in his freshman season, he’s gained the respect of opposing coaches in the country and the Mid-American Conference.

“He’s a really good football player,” Toledo head coach Matt Campbell said at a press conference. “I thought we had a really good game plan for him. You have to disguise things with him or he’ll pick you apart. He’s got tremendous ability.”

His abilities have allowed Ball State to become one of the best passing offenses in the country so far this season.

Wenning’s 1,650 passing yards this season is second best in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He trails Oregon State’s Sean Mannion, who has 2,018 passing yards.

Ball State also is the only team in FBS to score touchdowns on its first drive in all five games this season. East Carolina University has scored touchdowns on the opening drive in all four of its games, while Baylor University has done the same in its three games thus far.

“That’s been a trend,” Ball State head coach Pete Lembo said. “I think that will be hard to continue. But it’s been a trend for us in the beginning of the season.”

The trend to the 2013 season for Ball State has been what the offense has been able to do.

Wenning has thrown for more than 300 yards in all five games this season. He and Mannion are the only FBS quarterbacks to accomplish that. The 200 points scored by Ball State this season is second most for the first five games in school history, trailing the 2008 team that scored 207 points.

Wenning has said consistently in the past that he doesn’t focus on the records and statistics he puts up each year — his primary focus is the next opponent and winning football games.

But whether he’s watching for it, Wenning is soon to be on top of the quarterback record book at Ball State.