ASU Football: Ballage’s fast start a sign of things to come?
ASU football is benefiting from the fast start by junior running back Kalen Ballage, and it could only get better.
Through two games Kalen Ballage has already proved just how dangerous he can be, but have these past two performances the product of playing against bad defenses or is Ballage for real?
Ballage was sick/injured most of last season, but when he did play there were a few flashes of speed and down-hill running that had everyone excited for this season. So far he hasn’t disappointed, breaking the Pac-12 record for touchdowns by a player in a single game this past weekend against Texas Tech.
Ballage is a great red-zone threat due to his down-hill running and he can turn it on once he gets through the gap and sees open field ahead. In his 23 rushing attempts this season he has 198 yards, an average of 8.4 yards-a-carry.
But while all this success has been great for not only the team, but also the individual, ASU has faced some pretty poor defenses in the first two games.
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In the first game, Northern Arizona’s defense wasn’t equipped to stop an athlete like Ballage. As much as they proved that just because they are an FCS school doesn’t mean they can’t compete, Ballage averaged 5.6 yards-a-carry and also found the end zone in that game. He had no issue finding gaps and using his quickness to burst up field.
In the second game, Texas Tech’s defense came into Tempe on the wrong night. Ballage was on another level, rushing for 137 yards and finding his way into the end zone a total of eight times with seven of those times on the ground.
It is hard to make a conclusion about Kalen Ballage. His past two performances have been great, but he has also had the benefit of playing against less than stellar defenses. Looking at the schedule, ASU doesn’t play a team known for their defense until week 10 of the season when ASU will host Utah.
If I am Kalen Ballage, I am looking at the schedule and jumping for joy as this season could be a great season for showing just how special of a player I am.
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