The Cardinals open MAC play against the defending MAC Champions
Coming off of a bye week, an improving Ball State club (1-3) is rested and ready to kick off MAC play in 2025.
The Cardinals’ first test will be a tough one, as they take on a quality ‘Cats (3-2, 1-0 MAC) squad who got their first MAC win last week in dispatching Bowling Green at home by a score of 35-20.
What can we expect to see?
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday October 4, 2025, at noon Eastern time
- Location: Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana
- TV network options: CBS Sports Network (a valid subscription is required)
- Radio options: Mick Tidrow (play-by-play) and Chris Radican (color) will provide the Ball State call for WMUN-AM 1340, whileMarty Bannister (play-by-play) and Rob Cornelius (color) will provide the Ohio call for WXTQ-FM 105.5 and Varsity Network.
- Gambling considerations: FanDuel, Ohio are 14.5 point favorites, with an over/under of 51.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: Ball State is 15-13 all-time, though Ohio has won the last five in a row. The Bobcats won the last meeting between the two programs 42-21 on Nov. 29, 2024.
About the Ball State Cardinals
Ball State heads into the contest with the arrow pointing up under first year head coach Mike Uremovich.
After playing hard for four quarters in losses to Purdue and Auburn to open the season, the Cardinals dispatched New Hampshire (FCS) 34-29. In the last game of non-conference play, the Cards played their best game of the season, giving a solid UConn team all it could handle until the Huskies pulled it out in the fourth quarter, 31-25.
Now battle-tested, BSU looks to continue to build on its progress and start the MAC season 1-0.
Taking a look at the offense so far this season, the Cardinals feature the ground game, using packages from heavy to spread sets, running 73 times the last two weeks combined compared with 40 passes during that period.
Dual-threat QB Kiael Kelly is at the heart of the operation, and it wouldn’t be out of place for Kelly to tote the rock 10-15 times between designed runs and scrambles this week. BSU also has an explosive player in the backfield with Kelly in transfer RB Qua Ashley. The versatile runner from Dublin, Georgia leads the club in multiple categories including rushing yards (295), touchdowns (3 rush, 1 rec), and pass receptions (10).
For the Cards to make the deal work offensively, they continue to strive towards an efficient and explosive pass game to compliment the run. The game against UConn was a great sign of potential explosives in the pass game, as BSU threw for a season-high 228 yards while hitting five passes of 17+ yards, including a 53-yarder to Qian Magwood. Six-foot-three freshman WR Donovan Hamilton was a factor last week with a career-high seven catches for 61 yards, and has stepped up nicely with the departure of Cam Pickett to Kansas.
Defensively, the Cardinals have shown some regular explosive play ability, tying for 28th in the country with 11 sacks and 53rd in tackles-for-loss. Defensive end Nathan Voorhis leads the club with 3.5 sacks.
The last few weeks the run and pass defense has looked solid for stretches, while surrendering a manageable number of explosive plays, allowing them to keep games close into the fourth.
A point of emphasis the team has likely focused on is improving their turnover margin. The Cards sit 27th in the NCAA with four total turnovers lost through four games offensively, a notable improvement. However, the defense has not done the job on the other end, with only one fumble recovery on five forced fumbles and zero interceptions through the same four-game stretch.
Considering how close some of their losses have been in 2024, and Ohio’s penchant for turnovers in recent weeks, finding a loose or errant ball might well be a difference-maker.
About the Ohio Bobcats
The ‘Cats head into this one as clear contenders to defend their MAC title based on the potential we have seen so far this year.
Offensively, Ohio boasts a crew capable of scoring with regularity.
At a recent press conference, Ohio’s head coach Brian Smith shed some light on how his squad distributes the football, mainly taking what the defense gives them:
“..We have so many talented players on the offense..it’s very little let’s specifically get things for specific guys. So much of what we do, there’s RPO elements to it, there’s read elements to it, there’s full-field progressions, where it’s really based off of what’s the defense going to take away? What do they want to limit that allows other people to emerge…”
The offensive versatility Smith refers to is exactly what makes the assignment tough for Ohio’s opponents. The ‘Cats have a current or future All-MAC performer at all their skill position groups. Last week, Bowling Green tried some things to limit one of the nation’s top yardage receivers in Chase Hendricks (481 yards) and found some success; however, QB Parker Navarro had a field day anyways, with four total touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 passing) while tight end Mason Williams ran roughshod through the BGSU defense with eight catches for 93 yards and a score.
When you factor in an offensive line which is run blocking well for RBs Sieh Bangura and Duncan Brune (629 combined rushing yards), defenses are finding they lack enough fingers to stop the leaks in the dike.
Where Ohio continues to work on offense is cashing in for points on a few more drives per contest and limiting turnovers, where they rank 101st in the FBS with seven (albeit a few on fourth down were not detrimental in context).
The ‘Cats defense has come a long way towards gelling given where they started the 2025 season, replacing their entire front six starters in their base 4-2-5 defense along with developing new rotational players up front and a few new starters on the back end.
Ohio has accomplished this despite losing two starters for several weeks to injury, including linebacker Jack Fries and defensive lineman Pius Odjugo.
Players continue to emerge in that front six, including last week’s MAC defensive player of the week WILL backer Cam Hollobaugh, JACK end Jay Crable, and linebacker Michael Molnar. Crable’s day last week was historic, tying the Bobcat single-game all-time sack performance (three), while Molnar has double-digit tackles in back-to-back weeks, leading the club with 41 on the season.
New nickelback Jalen Thomeson has been an emerging presence the past few weeks and is now third on the squad with 30 tackles.
It hasn’t been all roses though, as the defense works towards more consistency in some areas. For instance, Ohio surrendered more explosive plays than they probably would have liked the past few weeks against Garner-Webb and BGSU, with a total of 14 run and pass plays of 17 yards or more allowed. When dialed in, however, Ohio’s defense is capable of dominance, as seen in the second half of last week’s game against Bowling Green. After going stride-for-stride with in the first half, the Falcons were limited to just 68 total yards by the Bobbies defense.
Special teams is an area to keep an eye on. Coach Brian Smith said recently that UCLA transfer David Dellenbach may get a shot at placekicking duties this week as their other kicker, Brack Peacock, has missed two extra points and a field goal attempt through five games.
Final Thoughts
Ball State has shown a lot of progress so far, but will need to play its best game of the year to win this one.
Based on the past few games for Ohio, Ball State may find some explosive plays in the run or pass game and will need to seize every one of those opportunities it has in order to score enough to win.
The Bobcats have shown dominance in stretches defensively throughout the year in most games, so it’s critical Ball State makes hay while the sun is shining because it can get cloudy in a hurry.
Offensively, Ohio has established it can probably move the ball between the 20s on most MAC teams, so BSU will need to play stout red zone defense and force some turnovers to prevent Ohio from scoring north of 35 points.
Category: General Sports
