Ball State Cardinals vs. Miami Hurricanes Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 14th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The University of Miami, ranked tenth in the nation, will be led by transfers Cam Ward and Tyler Baron as they aim to maintain their undefeated record of 3-0 in their upcoming game against the underdog Ball State on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes, who have not been ranked in the top ten since 2020, are heavily favored to win by 36 points against the Cardinals who currently hold a record of 1-0.
Ward, who transferred from Washington State, has an impressive completion rate of 75.4% with 689 passing yards and six touchdowns so far this season. He has only thrown one interception.
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Considered a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, Ward also showcased his toughness and agility with an 8-yard touchdown run in Miami's dominant 56-9 victory over Florida A&M last week.
Miami's head coach, Mario Cristobal, praised Ward's performance stating, "It's good that everyone saw (Ward) take off with the ball. We don't want him jumping all over the place, but when you have to, you have to. He's not made out of glass. He throws his body around."
Baron, a transfer from Tennessee, currently ranks second in the nation with four sacks.
His contribution has been crucial since Rueben Bain Jr. has been sidelined with an injury since the beginning of Miami's season opener against Florida. Bain, who was named the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, recorded 7 1/2 sacks.
Miami has three other starters who are questionable for the game against Ball State due to injuries: cornerback Damari Brown, left tackle Jalen Rivers, and left guard Ryan Rodriguez.
However, freshman OJ Frederique Jr. has stepped up in place of Brown and has performed well. Matthew McCoy has also been a strong replacement for Rodriguez and has impressed with his performance. Additionally, the team is pleased with the performance of Markel Bell, a 6-foot-9, 340-pound left tackle who showed great potential in the previous game, despite one holding penalty.
Apart from Ward, Miami's key offensive players include running back Damien Martinez and wide receiver Xavier Restrepo.
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Martinez, a transfer from Oregon State, has rushed for 156 yards this season with an average of 6.0 yards per carry. Restrepo has been a standout with 11 catches for 216 yards, averaging 19.6 yards per catch, and scoring two touchdowns.
On the other hand, Ball State's head coach, Mike Neu, believes that the team's offensive line was the most impressive in their season opener against Missouri State, where they recorded 173 rushing yards.
Despite trailing twice and being behind until the third quarter, the Cardinals managed to pull off a 28-point fourth quarter to secure their victory.
Neu stated, "Great finish. But we've got a lot to work on."
This season, Neu has hired new coordinators for the offense (Jared Elliott) and defense (Jeff Knowles).
Elliott's biggest concern is the injuries to wide receivers Ty Robinson and Justin Bowick. The team also lost their top tight end from last season, Tanner Koziol, to the transfer portal (Louisville).
Moreover, running back Marquez Cooper, who had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, transferred to San Diego State.
However, Braedon Sloan has stepped up as Cooper's replacement and has performed well with 103 rushing yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and scoring one touchdown in the season opener against Missouri State.
The Cardinals' biggest hope lies in redshirt freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza, who had an impressive performance in the season opener, completing 28 out of 38 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns, with only one interception.