The Ball State Cardinals had a near dream season last year as they marched through their regular season schedule 12-0 winning the MAC West title with ease.

They did most of this without their star wide receiver Dante Love, who was leading the nation in both yards and catches before suffering a career-ending neck injury in Week Four against Indiana. He was perhaps the MAC’s top NFL prospect until the unfortunate injury.

However, they dropped the MAC Championship game in Detroit to another school that was having a special season in the Buffalo Bulls, 42-24, as 15-point favorites. They still received their bid to the GMAC Bowl, but were smacked 45-13 in a game the linesmakers had them as a small two-point dog. The bad news did not end there, as three-year starting quarterback Nate Davis left after his junior year to enter the NFL draft and was taken by the San Francisco 49ers and Head Coach Brady Hoke left his alma mater and headed to the Pacific coast to take the head spot at San Diego State.

Many bettors who played on the Cardinals throughout the 2008 season saw themselves taking in money as they covered eight of their first 11 lined games. However, with a new head coach and a new quarterback, it has not been good for the Cards’ in 2009. They have dropped three games to open the season. In the home opener against North Texas (1-11 SU last year) they lost 20-10 and then the next week (also at home) they lost to FCS New Hampshire 23-16. Then last week in their first road game they lost to Army, 24-17.

Stan Parrish, who was the Offensive Coordinator the last three years, took over the head coaching duties and he installed a new leader of his offense in redshirt freshman quarterback Kelly Page. Page has not been very good as he has completed just 45.7% of his passes for 408 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions through three games.

It also does not help much that four of the five offensive linemen from last year were lost to graduation.

Running back Miquale Lewis, who rushed for over 1,700 yards and 22 TD’s last year, has also been hampered by the new O-line as he has just 141 yards and one touchdown on 41 carries. That is two yards less per carry than he had one year ago.

They are awaited this Saturday by a hungry Auburn Tigers team in Alabama where the Cardinals are 33-point underdogs. With all that being said, it will certainly be a long year for Ball State’s football program.

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