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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Brady Hoke (4th season, 10-24) 2005 record: 4-7 MAC finish: 4-4 (5th West) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 98th (110.0 ypg) Passing: 93rd (189.0 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 105th (202.3 ypg) Passing: 95th (256.6 ypg) Date Opponent Aug. 31 Eastern Michigan Sept. 9 Indiana Sept. 16 at Purdue Sept. 23 North Dakota State Sept. 30 Northern Illinois Oct. 7 at Buffalo Oct. 14 at Central Michigan Oct. 21 Western Michigan Oct. 28 at Miami (Ohio) Nov. 4 at Michigan Nov. 14 at Toledo Nov. 24 Kent State Depth Chart: Offense 10 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 2 Terry Moss Sr. 18 Bryan Williamson Sr. WR 81 Louis Johnson So. 83 Dan Dunford Jr. LT 79 Andre Ramsey So. 76 Justin Schneider Sr. LG 76 Justin Schneider Sr. 75 Eric Larrimer So. C 52 Dan Gerberry So. 50 Dustin Brown Jr. RG 50 Dustin Brown Jr. 78 John Purdy Fr. RT 71 Robert Brewster So. - Lance Helton Fr. TE 84 Michael Steinhaus Sr. 88 Darius Hill So. QB 9 Joey Lynch Sr. - Nate Davis Fr. FB 38 Brad Salyer Sr. 37 Brenton Martin Sr. RB 3 B.J. Hill So. 19 Larry Bostic Sr. Depth Chart: Defense 4 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 97 Riley Larimore Sr. 65 Drew Duffin Fr. DT 93 Amara Koroma Jr. 98 Temidayo Macarthy Jr. NT 92 Tom Kellar Sr. 74 William Wise Sr. DE 44 Cortlan Booker Jr. 99 Kenny Meeks So. SLB 11 Wendell Brown Jr. 51 Anthony Corpuz Sr. MLB 28 Mike Dorulla Jr. 48 Martin Dunbar Sr. WLB 49 Bryant Haines So. 28 Mike Dorulla Jr. CB 8 Trey Buice So. 34 Lavell Mosley So. CB 29 Ricky Rakestraw Sr. - Terrell Johnson Fr. SS 7 Erik Keys Sr. 21 Chris Allen Jr. FS 12 Trey Lewis So. 1 Eddie Burk Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 20 Brian Jackson Sr. P 35 Chris Miller So. KR 86 Dante Love So. PR 3 B.J. Hill So.

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A 2005 season that started in turmoil - with player suspensions contributing to four lopsided losses - ended on a positive note for Ball State. The Cardinals won three of their final four games, including two on the road, and ended with a .500 mark in conference play.

The 2006 season can't come fast enough for coach Brady Hoke and his players. The Cardinals return 10 starters on offense and finally have some depth on the offensive line. Defensively, four starters return, and there is more size in the trenches.

If Ball State can get better play out of both lines, there are enough playmakers at the skill positions to make the Cards a real factor in the West Division race this November.

OFFENSE

Joey Lynch returns as the starting quarterback after passing for over 1,982 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2005. A better word to describe his 2005 season may be survived; Lynch and the Cardinal quarterbacks were sacked 43 times last year. Even with so much pressure, Lynch threw only seven interceptions and completed 63.1 percent of his passes. Highly recruited incoming freshman Nate Davis has a legitimate chance to emerge as Lynch's backup.

Leading rusher Charles Wynn graduated, leaving B.J. Hill and Larry Bostic as the only running backs with significant playing experience. Both are in the 5'7" 185-pound range, and they both have good speed and proven endurance. Hill earned three starts last year and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

The Cardinals return over 80 percent of their receiving production. Expected starters Terry Moss and Louis Johnson combined to catch 64 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns. Dante Love, a former option quarterback in high school, is a talented playmaker who can line up in the backfield as well.

The Cardinals will lean heavily on tight end Michael Steinhaus and his backups, Darius Hill and Kyle Cornwell.

Coach Brady Hoke knew there were going to be some issues on the offense line when two true freshmen were pressed into starting at Iowa to open the season last year. "That's not the situation you want against a team like that," he says. But now, Hoke has some experienced young players at his disposal on a unit that returns all five starters.

DEFENSE

Ball State's defensive turnaround will need to start up front. "We need to be consistent on defense and create more sacks and quarterback pressure," says Hoke. The Cardinals recorded just 16 sacks last season, which ranked 99th nationally, while giving up over 200 yards rushing per game. There is finally some size in the trenches, with three players in the 300-pound range.

The Cardinals' linebacking corps took a hit in the spring when Brad Seiss, the starter in the middle, tore ligaments in his knee. The other two starters, Wendell Brown and Bryant Haines, will be back. Even without Seiss, this should be a team strength.

Ball State's inability to get pressure on the quarterback was a problem, but there is no denying that the Cardinals ranked 95th in the country in pass defense due to suspect play in the defensive backfield.

Both starting cornerbacks are in the 5'10", 170-pound range, putting them at a disadvantage against bigger receivers. The safety positions are solid with Erik Keys (69 tackles) and Trey Lewis (74 tackles, team-high three interceptions).

SPECIALISTS

Ball State has a history of producing quality punters, and you can add Chris Miller to that list. Miller led the MAC in punting last season and ranked 12th nationally with a 43.8-yard average. Brian Jackson returns at placekicker, and he has a 54-yarder on his résumé.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The 2006 season can't come fast enough for Hoke and the Cardinals, who ended the '05 campaign with three wins in their final four games. They return 10 starters on offense and finally have some depth on the offensive line. Defensively, four starters return, and there is more size in the trenches.

If Ball State can get better play out of both lines, there are enough playmakers at the skill positions to make the Cards a real factor in the race for the Western Division title.