Tennessee football returns in 58 days, just under two months against Ball State, in a Thursday night opener under the lights at Neyland Stadium on Sept 1.
Ball State football has been ranked twice in its 48-year history. The first time was in 2008, when the Cardinals reached as high as No. 12 in the AP Poll under the direction of Brady Hoke, once an interim coach for Tennessee in 2017 for two games, both of which were losses to No. 20 LSU and Vanderbilt.
The second time Ball State was ranked was two years ago, when the Cardinals finished the season at No. 23 in the final AP Poll. Those Cardinals won 7 of their 8 games in MAC play and captured the school’s first ever bowl victory.
And heading into 2021, that was the standard for Ball State. The Cardinals put up a good fight in the MAC, limping to a 6-6 record only to lose to Georgia State, 51-20 in the Camellia Bowl.
Ball State returns in 2022 chasing bowl win No. 2, with Tennessee being its hardest non-conference opponent. The Vols do not have a challenging non-conference slate this season, the toughest matchup is an away bout with Pitt in week 2 following their first game against the Cardinals.
But Tennessee of all teams should know not to take an early season opponent lightly, especially one returning as much experience on the defensive and offensive line as Ball State. The front 7 especially could pose a problem for Tennessee if Josh Heupel does not his unit prepared.
Off The Hook Sports had the chance to talk with Ball State beat writer Robby General of The Star Press to discuss just how potent that defensive line might be come Sept. 1.
“For the defensive side, it starts with that defensive line,” General said. “They run three linemen sets most of the time. What makes them so dangerous is that they don’t just have three, four or five guys. Last year they were rotating in nine or 10 guys.”
“If those guys can stay fresh and get a little momentum and keep up the pressure throughout the game, that would give them the best chance to where you’re not giving the safeties and the cornerbacks too much time in coverage. A lot of success is going to depend on that line.”
It will serve as a good Week 1 test for a Tennessee team looking to keep up its explosive ways on offense. The Vols were truly one of the most potent offenses in the country last year, and even with some missing pieces in NFL-bound Velus Jones, Cade Mays and starting wide receiver and Hendon Hooker target JaVonta Payton, Tennessee should retain most of that magic in 2022.
While the Cardinals have potential on the defensive side of the ball, the offense is a work in progress – much like Tennessee on the defensive side of things. Ball State loses its starting quarterback Drew Plitt and will hand the reigns over to Covid-senior quarterback John Paddock, who is still looking for his first touchdown pass in the Red and White.
And losing Plitt is a problem. He was a force during that 2020 season, throwing for 18 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. In 36 total starts, Plitt threw for 8,396 yards, 64 touchdowns, and just 25 interceptions.
But once again, it will be a good for the Vols to ease into the bulk of their schedule against Ball State. The Cardinal’s top threat on offense will be Cincinnati transfer 2021 Jayshon Jackson, who snagged five touchdown passes as Ball State’s No. 2 receiver last season. Jackson will prove a tough assignment for a Tennessee secondary heading into a new season without its top 2 defenders from a year ago, Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson.
Another interesting weapon Ball State has up its sleeve will be rising sophomore running back Carson Steele, who rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns for the Cardinals last season on 192 attempts.
