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After two games on the road, the Central Michigan Chippewas are heading back home. CMU and the Ball State Cardinals will face off in a Mid-American battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Ball State will be strutting in after a victory while the Chippewas will be stumbling in from a defeat.
Things couldn't have gone much worse for CMU as they lost 38-17 to the Toledo Rockets last week. CMU was in a tough position by the half, with the score already sitting at 31-3. One thing holding CMU back was the mediocre play of RB Lew Nichols III, who did not have his best game: he rushed for 32 yards on 17 carries.
Meanwhile, it may have taken double overtime to finish the job, but the Cardinals ultimately got the result they were hoping for last week with a 44-38 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge after the half to overcome a 24-7 deficit. Ball State's RB Carson Steele was one of the most active players for the squad, punching in three rushing touchdowns. Ball State's win came on a one-yard rush from Steele with only 0:00 remaining in double overtime.
The Chippewas are the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
CMU is now 1-4 while the Cardinals sit at 2-3. Two offensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: CMU ranks 26th in the nation when it comes to passing yards per game, with 292 on average. But Ball State is even better: they come into the contest boasting the 17th most passing yards per game in the nation at 307.6. We'll see if that edge gives Ball State a route to victory.
