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The Central Michigan Chippewas are 4-1 against the Ball State Cardinals since October of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. CMU and Ball State will face off in a Mid-American battle at 5:30 p.m. ET at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Chippewas strut in flaunting some offensive muscle with an average of 36.25 points per game.
CMU picked up a 31-23 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles last week. The win came about thanks to a strong surge after the third quarter to overcome a 20-6 deficit. CMU's RB Lew Nichols III was on fire, rushing for two TDs and 196 yards on 29 carries. Nichols III's performance made up for a slower matchup against the Western Michigan Broncos two weeks ago. Nichols III's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
CMU's defense was a force to be reckoned with, as it collected three interceptions and two fumbles. Those interceptions were spread across their defensive unit.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals came out on top in a nail-biter against the Toledo Rockets last week, sneaking past 27-24. Ball State's success was spearheaded by the efforts of QB Drew Plitt, who passed for two TDs and 304 yards on 35 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown, and WR Yo'Heinz Tyler, who was on the other end of those TDs and tacked on 79 yards receiving.
This next game is expected to be close, with the Chippewas going off at just a 1.5-point favorite. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (2-0), so they might be worth a quick bet.
The wins brought CMU up to 3-1 and Ball State to 3-1. Two defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: CMU is 15th worst in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, with 288 on average. Ball States have had an even harder time: they are stumbling into the contest with the sixth most passing yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 311.3 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
