BALL STATE: 5 Days and Counting

The Toledo Rockets (2-2) travel to Muncie, Ind., to take on the defending MAC West Champion Ball State Cardinals (0-4) on Saturday afternoon. It's been a tough start to the 2009 season for the Cardinals, and RocketDigest.com starts to break down the Rockets MAC opener with five numbers to note.

Toledo takes aim at a 3-2 record with a trip to Muncie, Ind., to meet the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. RocketDigest.com starts its weekly coverage of Rocket Football with five notable numbers that could bear significant impact on the outcome of Toledo’s Mid-American Conference opener.

Five Numbers to Note

560 – Auburn Yards From Scrimmage Last Week Against Ball State
Auburn QB Chris Todd finished the game with an astounding 229.3 QB rating on 19-of-26 passing that accounted for 287 yards and five scores as the Tigers rolled past the Cardinals 54-30. It wasn't much better on the ground for Ball State. As the final seconds ran out in the lopsided loss, three Tigers players found themselves with at least 50 yards on the ground. A fourth back finished with 47.

117 – Ball State’s National Ranking in Total Offense
Of the 120 teams that compete in the Division I Bowl Subdivision, there are just three teams who have average less yardage per game than the Cardinals offense (New Mexico, San Jose State and UTEP -- for those with inquiring minds). In contrast, just last season, when the Cardinals finished the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 record, Ball State finished with the 17th best offense in the nation. The drop off from last season has been an average of 175 yards per game.

63% - The Percentage of Total Offense Nate Davis Accounted For Last Season
When Nate Davis bolted to the NFL following his junior season, the Cardinals lost more than just a quarterback. Nate Davis had been the heart and soul of the Ball State offense. The San Fransisco 49ers draft pick accounted for an astounding 63% of Ball State's MAC best offense. Not only did Davis account for over 3,500 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air, he also added 315 yards and five scores on the ground. In three years at Ball State Davis accounted for just less than 10,000 yards passing and 500 yards on the ground.

6 - The Number of Rockets losses in their last 10 trips to Muncie
Traveling to Ball State hasn't been kind on the Rockets during the past two decades. Despite UT's success in the Mid-American Conference, since 1991 the Rockets are just 4-6 in games played in Muncie, Ind. In the most recent trip to visit Ball State the Rockets were whipped 41-20. Toledo also lost in Muncie 38-14 in 2003, 24-20 in 2001, 35-3 in 1997, 24-14 in 1996, 31-30 in 1993 and 9-3 in 1991.

0 - Wins for BSU Head Coach Stan Parrish in His Last 27 Games as a Head Coach
It's been a struggle for new Ball State head coach Stan Parrish. Dating back to the 1987 season, the second year of Parrish's three-year stint as Kansas State's head coach, Parrish has tallied a record of 0-26-1 as a head coach in Division I. The lone non-loss of Parrish's career since 1987 came in a 17-17 tie against the Kansas Jayhawks on November 7, 1987.

Coming Up
On Monday – 5 Numbers to Note
On Tuesday – 4 Names to Know
On Wednesday – 3 Big Concerns
On Thursday – 2 Key Match Ups
On Friday – 1 Bold Prediction

Keep up with the Toledo Rockets for less than 25¢ per DAY!

Sign up for a 7-day Free Trial here at Rocket Digest.com to see what you've been missing. You'll get recruiting updates, recruit videos, coaches blogs, and breaking news -- everything you need in Toledo Rockets coverage! Try it for seven days FREE!