Cardinals backs get their opportunity

[Harry]

MUNCIE The Ball State football coaching staff prefers to look at its running game as component parts.

Where an outsider sees the final results yards, per-carry average, touchdowns coaches want to get to the film and see was it a great block, a back making a good move or something on the other side of the play that actually opened things up?

And that sort of study can take more meaning when one of those component parts is missing.

It was a big deal, but at times like that, you cant make it bigger than what it is, freshman tailback Teddy Williamson said. We prepared all winter, all summer, all spring when I got here last semester, thats what we prepared for, an opportunity.

Ball State faced Army last week without starting tailback Jahwan Edwards, a bruising yet fast All-Mid-American Conference player who remains questionable for this weeks game at North Texas. That changed the complexion of the Cardinal ground game as Horactio Banks and freshman Williamson, the only other scholarship runners, are smaller and quicker.

Their final output, the combination of all the components, was a modest 109 yards on 30 carries, not a particularly efficient number. But Cardinals coach Pete Lembo said the backs themselves played at an acceptable level for the most part.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/article/20130911/SPORTS06/309110013/Ball-State-football-Cardinals-backs-get-their-opportunity?nclick_check=1