By: Dane Massey
Ball State Sports Link
This week marks the second matchup of a two-week road trip for the Cardinals, as they travel to Laramie to take on the undefeated Wyoming Cowboys in a non-conference matchup.
Coming off a tough loss against No. 11 Penn State at Happy Valley, the Cardinals look to bounce back against another tough non-conference opponent. While the Cowboys are not a top-25 unit, Ball State is not looking past them.
“They play complete football, if you will. They’re good defensively, they’re good offensively, they’re good on special teams,” said Head Coach Mike Neu. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us, going on the road, but it all starts with us making sure we have a better week of preparation.”
The Wyoming Cowboys have had a good start to the year coming off wins over Georgia Tech and Northern Illinois. However, both victories were one possession games.
Sophomore quarterback Sean Chambers led the Cowboys offense throwing for 400 yards and three touchdowns, leading the team to 69 points over two games.
While it will be another tough test for the Cardinals on the road, here are some key things to keep on the watch list for this matchup.
Redemption for the Offense
Going up against one of the top defenses in the country, Drew Plitt and the offense struggled, scoring only three points in the first half. While they picked it up in the second half, it proved to be not enough.
With the game out of hand, Cardinals’ star QB Drew Plitt was pulled late in the 4th quarter in the 44-13 loss alongside Justin Hall. Both Plitt and Hall will look to rebound this game after rough outings against the Nittany Lions.
Cardinals Flying Around
Although the Cardinals’ defense gave up 44 points to Penn State, senior safeties Bryce Crosby and Brett Anderson II had a field day. Racking up 21 tackles combined, both ballhawks saw plenty of action as Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford threw for over 200 yards. With the Cowboys having a pass-heavy offense, expect to see these two involved a lot once again.
The Wall in the Middle
The linebacker core was equally as impressive on Saturday. Junior Cole Pearce lead the way with eight tackles, while senior Jaylin Thomas came in a close second with seven. The linebackers have been a crucial part to the defense thus far, so you can expect their consistency to continue against the Cowboys.
