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The Ball State Cardinals and the Northern Illinois Huskies are set to square off in a Mid-American matchup at 2 p.m. ET Oct. 1 at Scheumann Stadium. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W.'
Ball State was hampered by 85 penalty yards against the Georgia Southern Eagles last week. The Cardinals came up short against Georgia Southern, falling 34-23. A silver lining for Ball State was the play of WR Jayshon Jackson, who caught ten passes for one TD and 122 yards. That receiving effort made it the first game that Jackson has posted more than 100 yards receiving.
Special teams collected 11 points for Ball State. K Ben VonGunten delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, it was all tied up 14-14 at halftime, but NIU was not quite the Kentucky Wildcats' equal in the second half when they met last week. The Huskies took a 31-23 hit to the loss column. TE Tristen Tewes put forth a good effort for the losing side as he snatched two receiving TDs.
NIU's defense was a presence as well, as it got past the Wildcats' offensive line to sack QB Will Levis five times for a total loss of 21 yards. It was a group effort with seven guys contributing.
The Cardinals are expected to lose this next one by 3.5. Those betting on them against the spread shouldn't have high expectations for them since the team is 0-2 ATS when expected to lose.
The losses bumped both teams down to an identical 1-3. A couple offensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Ball State comes into the game boasting the 31st most passing yards per game in the nation at 283.8. NIU has displayed some offensive firepower of their own as they rank 38th in the nation when it comes to passing touchdowns, with nine on the season.
