Ball State @ Vanderbilt preview
FirstBank Stadium
Vanderbilt will look to build on rare momentum when it faces Ball State on Saturday night in a non-conference game in Nashville, Tenn.
The Commodores (4-2) followed a stunning upset of top-ranked Alabama with a 20-13 win at Kentucky last Saturday.
Vanderbilt, which did not trail in either game, has three upsets over Power 4 teams as double-digit underdogs this year. A 34-27 overtime win over Virginia Tech on Aug. 31 was the other upset.
The Commodores, who finished 2-10 last season, now will be in the unfamiliar position of being a heavy favorite over the Cardinals (2-4), who recorded a 37-35 victory at Kent State last Saturday.
Vanderbilt dual-threat quarterback Diego Pavia has completed 69.1 percent of his throws for 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns while running for 388 yards and two scores this season.
Pavia has helped the Commodores extend drives and enjoy a sizable advantage in time of possession.
"We need at least two first downs in a series to feel like we're playing within our strategy," coach Clark Lea said. "That involves staying ahead of the chains and getting into third-and-manageable. The runs that were 2 and 3 yards needed to become 5 and 6 yards, and they did against Kentucky. Avoiding third down becomes a really important way to extend possession of the ball. That's through both design and execution."
Keeping Pavia healthy could be a challenge. He went to the injury tent twice against Kentucky and returned with a knee brace for the first play of the fourth quarter.
Ball State, meanwhile, has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 46 points a game and 504.2 yards per contest. But there were bright spots in the Kent State game, including a three-sack performance from linebacker Brandon Berger.
The Cardinals present more of a challenge offensively. They're averaging 27 points and 339 total yards per game this season.
Quarterback Kadin Semonza and tight end Tanner Koziol connected eight times for 43 yards vs. Kent State.
"The qualities that he brings from a leadership standpoint, he's the same every day," Ball State offensive coordinator Jared Elliott said of Koziol.
Vanderbilt lost starting defensive end Miles Capers during the first half of the Kentucky game with a neck strain.
On Tuesday, Lea said Capers was questionable for Saturday.
--Field Level Media