Alright folks, I've navigated to the dark end of the internet to find the hidden communities of Ball State football fanatics.
From OverThePylon.boards.net, here's a selection of the finest comments from Cardinal faithful.
david75bsu: Tough game. Last time we played, I was there. Cards gave them a tough game. Radio announcers were almost laughing that their Wildcats would play the Cards. On the way home they were talking about how the Cards almost won the game! We showed that day that we belonged on the field with the Wildcats. Unless Neu changes direction, it could be a tough day for the Cards. If we use personnel as we should, open the game, and play tough defense, we could keep it close.
Under the same old Neu, I say it’s Kentucky 41 - 10.
A better use of our talent, I still say Kentucky in a dog fight 31 -24.
***
sdacardinal: Yardstick completely blank. Same old mundane boring football by the Cards will make the swan start singing for Neu.
***
bsu0: When will be able to look forward to a season without saying we hope Neu will allow the Cardinals to play to their potential and not call a game like he is Vince Lombardi in 1965?...Probably after he is fired and we are starting over again. Very sad considering the athletes are there but not given the opportunity to shine. Let us hope Neu will loosen the reins on this talent and let them play.
***
rmcalhoun: Ill be there for the beatdown 44-21 KY
***
cardfan: Semonza is the no. 2. Neu said it was a deadheat with Hatcher. (no way he was ever gonna NOT start Hatcher, even if Semonza beat him out.) Kelly is odd man out. Again. But, allegedly he'll be Inspector Gadget. Which, our opponents will know he's only in for a gadget play and will defend it accordingly. Because we can't think out of the box.
***
redbirdman: I think we beat the spread but the right game plan could do a lot better.
***
UHaveCardinalNV: Less than confident we can play well. I sincerely hope I am wrong:
Wild kittens: 69
1980’s cartoon birds: 3
***
00hmh: I do like the idea of (Kelly) being in the game as a wing back with a genuine threat as a receiver or to get the ball in the backfield and run or pass, rather than just run that sweep play. I got nothing against using our running game. We have a good back, and Kelly adds a speed back. If he's ever lined up in the backfield with a QB on long yardage it may make teams hesitate, and avoid all out pass rush. I want him on the field and getting touches
***
sdacardinal: Hatcher will have his day in the sun but Semonza's consistency will at some point win out.
***
CallingBS: I'd let Hatcher take a beating against UK and Georgia, then play Semonza the rest of the season. The treatment of and lack of use of Kelly is shameful.
The line is -26.5. I don't see us beating the spread.
***
rmcalhoun: I agree and have said all along you dont want semonza out there against Ky and GA. Now if it was truely a dead heat between a freshman and a grad transfer then you have to think semonzas ceiling is so much higher? Now the million dollar you have 4 games to use him till you burn the redshirt. If hes that good you cant **** this up and lose a year playing him a handful of plays here and there. If your going to do it you have to committ to it. If you do you take the good with the bad of a true freshman .
***
rmcalhoun: Not mentioned here yet Magwood is listed as a starting Wr. This is potentially huge. He has been injured forever and has not played real snaps in three years. This kid was as dynamic of a player we have ever signed coming out of highschool. It went down to the last week of recruiting between Ohio State and us they offered as a pref walked on and publicly said if he were an inch taller they would have offered
***
BSUMike: I am OK with starting with Hatcher in game one, but if Semonza is as good as Hatcher now as a freshman but has higher potential I’d much rather we just go with him. Sure he’ll struggle against SEC teams, but it would be a good learning experience and a show of confidence that we believe he is our QB short and long term. If we are scared the QB is going to get injured, let’s just not play the games.
I don’t believe that the staff truly believes Kelly is more dynamic than J Hall. You don’t let a player that talented waste away on the sidelines. I did see glimpses of what he can do running the ball last year, so I sure hope that if he’s not QB, which it appears he isn’t, he is on the field a lot as a RB/slot WR.
***
UniversityJim: This coaching staff couldn't put together a 10 win season with the Colt's roster.
Right now my season outlook stuck on 4 wins and that is the optimistic model.
***
david75bsu: Agree, he nailed it. Question: COVID saved Neu’s job in 2020. Will our new AD be soft on a football coach who has a terrible record in and out of conference if the record goes south of 500 this year! Like Neu, but he has an absolute terrible record as football coach.
***
cardfan: IMO the new AD will NOT be soft on Mike in terms of his record. New guy is very competitive and wants to win. Yes, he probably likes the "culture" of Mike's program but the bottom line will be results. Results get butts in seats and attract advertisers, donors, etc. I'm sure the contract will play into things given the Universities reluctance/inability to do big buy outs. Another big emphasis of Mitchell is community engagement. That means he's gonna want Neu to get out there and be visible and interact, which, is out of Mike's comfort zone/interest.
so we'll see. I can't imagine 6 wins this year, let alone 7 or 8. I really do think if we end up with 4 or so there will be changes of some kind.
From OverThePylon.boards.net, here's a selection of the finest comments from Cardinal faithful.
david75bsu: Tough game. Last time we played, I was there. Cards gave them a tough game. Radio announcers were almost laughing that their Wildcats would play the Cards. On the way home they were talking about how the Cards almost won the game! We showed that day that we belonged on the field with the Wildcats. Unless Neu changes direction, it could be a tough day for the Cards. If we use personnel as we should, open the game, and play tough defense, we could keep it close.
Under the same old Neu, I say it’s Kentucky 41 - 10.
A better use of our talent, I still say Kentucky in a dog fight 31 -24.
***
sdacardinal: Yardstick completely blank. Same old mundane boring football by the Cards will make the swan start singing for Neu.
***
bsu0: When will be able to look forward to a season without saying we hope Neu will allow the Cardinals to play to their potential and not call a game like he is Vince Lombardi in 1965?...Probably after he is fired and we are starting over again. Very sad considering the athletes are there but not given the opportunity to shine. Let us hope Neu will loosen the reins on this talent and let them play.
***
rmcalhoun: Ill be there for the beatdown 44-21 KY
***
cardfan: Semonza is the no. 2. Neu said it was a deadheat with Hatcher. (no way he was ever gonna NOT start Hatcher, even if Semonza beat him out.) Kelly is odd man out. Again. But, allegedly he'll be Inspector Gadget. Which, our opponents will know he's only in for a gadget play and will defend it accordingly. Because we can't think out of the box.
***
redbirdman: I think we beat the spread but the right game plan could do a lot better.
***
UHaveCardinalNV: Less than confident we can play well. I sincerely hope I am wrong:
Wild kittens: 69
1980’s cartoon birds: 3
***
00hmh: I do like the idea of (Kelly) being in the game as a wing back with a genuine threat as a receiver or to get the ball in the backfield and run or pass, rather than just run that sweep play. I got nothing against using our running game. We have a good back, and Kelly adds a speed back. If he's ever lined up in the backfield with a QB on long yardage it may make teams hesitate, and avoid all out pass rush. I want him on the field and getting touches
***
sdacardinal: Hatcher will have his day in the sun but Semonza's consistency will at some point win out.
***
CallingBS: I'd let Hatcher take a beating against UK and Georgia, then play Semonza the rest of the season. The treatment of and lack of use of Kelly is shameful.
The line is -26.5. I don't see us beating the spread.
***
rmcalhoun: I agree and have said all along you dont want semonza out there against Ky and GA. Now if it was truely a dead heat between a freshman and a grad transfer then you have to think semonzas ceiling is so much higher? Now the million dollar you have 4 games to use him till you burn the redshirt. If hes that good you cant **** this up and lose a year playing him a handful of plays here and there. If your going to do it you have to committ to it. If you do you take the good with the bad of a true freshman .
***
rmcalhoun: Not mentioned here yet Magwood is listed as a starting Wr. This is potentially huge. He has been injured forever and has not played real snaps in three years. This kid was as dynamic of a player we have ever signed coming out of highschool. It went down to the last week of recruiting between Ohio State and us they offered as a pref walked on and publicly said if he were an inch taller they would have offered
***
BSUMike: I am OK with starting with Hatcher in game one, but if Semonza is as good as Hatcher now as a freshman but has higher potential I’d much rather we just go with him. Sure he’ll struggle against SEC teams, but it would be a good learning experience and a show of confidence that we believe he is our QB short and long term. If we are scared the QB is going to get injured, let’s just not play the games.
I don’t believe that the staff truly believes Kelly is more dynamic than J Hall. You don’t let a player that talented waste away on the sidelines. I did see glimpses of what he can do running the ball last year, so I sure hope that if he’s not QB, which it appears he isn’t, he is on the field a lot as a RB/slot WR.
***
UniversityJim: This coaching staff couldn't put together a 10 win season with the Colt's roster.
Right now my season outlook stuck on 4 wins and that is the optimistic model.
***
david75bsu: Agree, he nailed it. Question: COVID saved Neu’s job in 2020. Will our new AD be soft on a football coach who has a terrible record in and out of conference if the record goes south of 500 this year! Like Neu, but he has an absolute terrible record as football coach.
***
cardfan: IMO the new AD will NOT be soft on Mike in terms of his record. New guy is very competitive and wants to win. Yes, he probably likes the "culture" of Mike's program but the bottom line will be results. Results get butts in seats and attract advertisers, donors, etc. I'm sure the contract will play into things given the Universities reluctance/inability to do big buy outs. Another big emphasis of Mitchell is community engagement. That means he's gonna want Neu to get out there and be visible and interact, which, is out of Mike's comfort zone/interest.
so we'll see. I can't imagine 6 wins this year, let alone 7 or 8. I really do think if we end up with 4 or so there will be changes of some kind.
