While in recent weeks the ground game has struggled, the passing game has stepped up, creating opportunities for the ground game to pick up yards when needed.
Tough opponents have been a reoccurrence for the football team this season, and in Lembo’s press conference on Oct. 13, he discussed how Georgia State is going to be no different.
Lembo’s definition of balance is dependent on what opposing teams give the Cardinals.
“Balance doesn’t mean equal yardage or equal play calls. That’s our philosophy,” Lembo said. “Earlier in the season, some of these teams were a little more willing to give us some good looks to run it.”
The success in the passing game allows the running game to open up, even if the statistics haven’t shown that.
The last time a Ball State running back rushed for more than 100 yards this season was Darian Green’s 164-yard effort against Eastern Michigan in week three.
Since then, the Cardinals have been stonewalled running the ball.
The Oct. 17 game will give the Cardinals an opportunity to revitalize their running game.
Georgia State allows over 200 rushing yards per game on the ground. Whether or not Lembo decides to focus on the run game is dependent on the front the Panthers show up with on Oct 17.
“A lot of that will be dictated by what Georgia State decides to do,” Lembo said. “I’d love to run it, we’ve had quite a history of great quarterbacks, … but deep down I’m an ex-offensive lineman who loves to run the football.”
The 59-41 loss against Northern Illinois on Oct. 10 marked the Cardinals' third straight loss, bringing their record to 2-4 halfway through the season.
The defense allowed the Huskies to score on nine straight scoring drives, but the offense kept the Cardinals competitive throughout the game.
“Offensively, we went in with a really aggressive plan,” Lembo said. “[We] were going for it on fourth down, up-tempo, and I thought we executed well.”
The aggressiveness allowed the Cardinals to remain in the game even while trailing Northern Illinois for a majority of the game.
Freshman quarterback Riley Neal led the offensive charge, finding eight different receivers on 31 completions for 393 yards and four touchdowns.
This upcoming game will mark the final non-conference game on the Cardinals' schedule. Lembo is taking it like any other game, despite the fact that the Panthers are 1-4 this season.
“This is a really important game, but it’s no more or less important than any other,” Lembo said. “They all count the same. They’re all going to count in the win-loss column, and they’re all going to count towards bowl eligibility.”
Georgia State will come in after suffering a 3-37 loss against Appalachian State, and it has already played top-ranked competition in No. 12 Oregon earlier this season.
Becoming bowl eligible requires six wins, and the Cardinals may not be able to afford another loss to remain in post-season contention. The Cardinals will take on the Panthers at 3 p.m. Oct. 17 at Scheumann Stadium.
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