Columbus Standard

Cardinals begin season in Knoxville

Fresh off back-to-back bowl appearances for just the third time in program history, Ball State kicks off the 2022 season Thursday night at Tennessee.

The Cardinals fly in with a group that gained experience a season ago, despite losing 30 players to graduation from last season.

Out of the 112 players on the roster, 83 are classified as underclassmen. The 83 underclassmen total ranks as the 18th-highest in college football. In addition, Ball State's roster makeup of 74.1 percent underclassmen ranks as the seventh-highest in the FBS.

Even though the team has loads of youth, the mindset hasn't changed inside the walls of the Ron and Joan Venderly Football Team Center.

"All we're focused on is making sure we're keeping it simple," head coach Mike Neu said. "We've got to go out and take it one play at a time. We have a next-play mentality, no matter what happens. We've worked our tail off in conditioning during summer workouts and back in spring practice. It'll be a great challenge with the tempo that Tennessee plays with. I feel confident with the work the guys have put in."

Tennessee won seven games a year ago and featured a high-powered offense that was in the top-10 nationally and ran nearly three plays per minute, the fastest rate in college football.

In addition, the Cardinal offense, which will feature a new signal-caller under center in John Paddock, will be tasked with slowing down an aggressive Volunteer defense.

"They've got a great front and they return several starters in the defensive unit," Neu added. "It all starts with making sure we're able to slow them down up front. We've got to have a good game plan in place and give John (Paddock) – who is making his first start – a chance to go out and play, have some fun and take it one snap at a time."

Paddock, a redshirt junior, has patiently waited for his opportunity after serving as the team's backup for the last few seasons.

"I've just been sticking to my process one day at a time," he said. "I feel like I did a good job the past four years preparing like a starter, so I haven't had to change my routine. The offense is coming along well. I've just been continuing to study."

The good news for Paddock is that he'll have a slew of weapons to distribute the ball to, including returning playmakers on the outside Jayshon Jackson and Yo'Heinz Tyler and bulldozer Carson Steele in the backfield.

The long-anticipated return of Ball State football is set to kick off at 7 p.m. inside the 100,000-seat Neyland Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the airwaves with new Voice of the Cardinals Mick Tidrow, Haven Fields and Jack McMullen on the Ball State Gainbridge Radio Network, WLBC and SiriusXM 972. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic describing the action.

Season Openers

Ball State is 3-3 under head coach Mike Neu in season openers, which includes last season's 31-21 victory over Western Illinois.

Flying with a New Pilot

With former QB Drew Plitt graduating and  taking his talents to the next level, there's a new signal caller under center in John Paddock.

Paddock is the only quarterback on the roster to have seen game action entering this season. The Cardinals' quarterback room has a combined 34 passes (all Paddock), which is the second-fewest in college football.

Man of Steele

RB Carson Steele broke out in a big way during his freshman season last year. Steele totaled 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 192 carries and also added 157 receiving yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. Steele was one of only seven true freshmen in the country to eclipse 1,000 all-purpose yards.

In addition, he was one of only four true freshmen in the country to rush for a touchdown in six games during the season, joining Wisconsin's Braelon Allen, Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Houston's Alton McCaskill.

No Fly Zone

DB Amechi Uzodinma II has been a mainstay defending the outside for the Cardinals. He has 32 passes defended by way of seven interceptions and 25 pass breakups, which is tied for the second-most among active players in the FBS with Georgia State's Quavian White and one behind West Virginia's Charles Woods.

Degree in Hand

Ball State has 18 graduates on its roster entering the 2022 season in Jaquan Amos, Amir Abdur-Rahman, Casey Coll, Ben Egenolf, Trenton Hatfield, Jayshon Jackson, Will Jones, Kendal Kenrick, Malcolm Lee, Brandon Malkow, Brandon Martin, John Paddock, Jack Sape, Loren Strickland, Dean Tate, Jaylen Turner, Benjamin VonGunten and Chase Wyatt.

Original source can be found here.