The Ball State football team is six weeks into the season, and this weekend they will face off against a Georgia State football team that is six years into their programs history.
The Panthers are one of the newest teams in division 1 college football, in its first five years of existence, they managed 12 total wins. In the past three years, they have only managed four.
Despite the Panthers 12-50 lifetime record, quarterback Riley Neal isn't taking them for granted.
“I don't think their record is reflective of how good they are,” Neal said. “I think they're still a really good team that's had some tough breaks.”
Tough breaks are something the Cardinal offense know all too well.
In last week's loss against Northern Illinois, Ball State gained 503 yards on offense with quarterback Riley Neal throwing 31-53 with four touchdowns and an interception, his first of the season.
It took Neal five games to throw and interception, showing his understanding of the importance of ball security.
“That's something we always talk about in the quarterback room is taking care of the ball,” Neal said. “Typically the team that has an advantage in the turnover situation is in a good position to win.”
As a team Ball State has done well in terms of turnovers, halfway through the season the offense only has six fumbles and three interceptions.
Now through three starts, Lembo continues to see steady progression from Neal.
“We feel better and better each week about how he's performing, how comfortable he is,” Lembo said. “He's handling a little bit more of the drop-back game which is good to see cause that's a big part of our offense.”
Georgia State's defense is giving up almost 500 yards a game in total defense, 290 of which come from the air.
Though the Panthers have been outscored 118-194 this season, two of their losses were within one possession. Their lone win came from a 34-32 performance against a still winless New Mexico State Aggies team.
Georgia State has averaged 23.6 points per game on the season while racking up 407 yards of total offense per game. The team's passing game controls the offense as 310 yards come from the air each game.
Head coach Pete Lembo knows their offensive potential.
“Very athletic,” Lembo said. “Very dynamic on offense, big play capability.”
Long passes are something that the Cardinals have struggled with this year on defense, which may be an issue when facing off against Panther quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who ranks 18th best in the country in terms of passing yards.
Big plays are something that the defense needs to minimize as a whole.
The Cardinals are 2-4, and linebacker Ben Ingle is treating this match up like any other.
“Absolutely every game is a must-win for us that week,” Ingle said.
Ball State will take on Georgia State at 3 p.m. Oct. 17 at Schuemann Stadium.
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