It’s not often the Ball State Cardinals (2-4, 1-1 MAC) and Akron Zips (2-5, 1-2 MAC) get to meet up, but with the end of divisions, the two will be getting more acquainted soon enough. This weekend’s matchup is the first time the team have met in four years, with Akron’s head coach Joe Moorhead in the midst of his first MAC season and Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich in the midst of his last season as a offensive assistant at Temple at the time.
Both teams are coming in off losses; Akron lost
20-7 to Miami in a game which was not as close as it appeared, while Ball State was tossed against a wall in a 42-0 blowout to Western Michigan.
Ball State needs a win to stay alive for the postseason and get to a winning record in league play, while the Zips are trying to offer a proof-of-concept with a competitive home game.
How do both teams look heading into this contest?
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, October 18th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana
- TV network options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing.
- Radio options: Mick Tidrow (play-by-play) and Chris Radican (color) will provide the Ball State call for WMUN-AM 1340; Dave Skoczen (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color) will provide the Akron call for WHLO-AM 640.
- Gambling considerations: Akron favored by 1.5 points, with an over/under 43.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: The series sits at a dead-even 12-12-1 tie over 25 prior meetings. Formerly in differing divisions, they have not played since 2021. Ball State took that one by a final score of 31-25.
About the Ball State Cardinals
The Cardinals have been one of the most unpredictable teams in the MAC through seven weeks. In back-to-back games, they’ve scored a major upset over the Ohio Bobcats in a one-score contest and then lost in brutal fashion to Western Michigan by six scores.
Ball State also has a last-minute loss to UConn, a hard-earned win over FCS New Hampshire and two closer-than-suggested losses to Power programs in Purdue and Auburn.
Under their first-year head coach Mike Uremovich, the Cardinals have really leaned upon the run game, with Kennesaw State transfer halfback Qua Ashley and quarterback Kiael Kelly effectively making up all of BSU’s rushing attack. The duo are amongst the top 20 individual rushers in the MAC, with Ashley (70 carries, 333 yards, three scores) sitting 10th and Kelly (95 carries, 273 yards, two scores) 16th. Through six games, the team averages 131.5 yards per game.
The Cards try not to go to the air terribly often, sitting 12th of 13 MAC teams in passing offense, but they do have three receivers to rely upon when the moment calls. Bucknell transfer Eric Weatherly is the receiver targeted for possession, with a team-leading 16 catches for 118 yards. Stalwart receiver Qian Magwood has been the deep play threat, with 200 yards on 11 receptions— including the game-winning 53-yard touchdown against Ohio two weeks ago. Donovan Hamilton (10 catches, 100 yards) has steadily climbed the depth chart as a redshirt freshman.
BSU’s defense hasn’t posted remarkable numbers, sitting at 10th in the league in total yards allowed (422.7) while allowing 31.5 points per game to opponents. They also lose in battle of possession, with opponents holding the ball for over 31 minutes on average, and sit in the bottom three in the MAC in leverage downs (third-and-fourth down conversions)— generally a losing combination for most teams.
All that said, they’re fairly effective when in red zone situations. On the year, the Cards have allowed points on 19-of-23 attempts, with 16 of those ending in touchdowns (69 percent of attempts)— good enough for fifth in the MAC.
EDGE rusher Nathan Voorhis, the transfer from FCS Bryant, has balled out in his six games as a Cardinal, sitting second in the NCAA in sacks (eight) and sixth in tackles-for-loss (nine) while third-highest on the team in total tackles (26.) UConn transfer Alfred Chea leads the team in tackles (30) from the linebacker spot. Corners Willizhaun Yates and Jahmad Harmon each have four pass breakups.
About the Akron Zips
The Akron Zips could really use a pick-me-up win here to validate some of their more recent results.
One point against the Zips this week are their horrendous road splits. Akron is 0-3 on the road, allowing 48 points per game to opponents on average while scoring just 10.3 points on average. (Curiously, Akron is the favorite despite these numbers.)
Akron’s performances at InfoCision Stadium are what currently keeps hopes of a .500 record alive; they’re 2-2 so far on home ground and have winnable games remaining against UMass and Kent State remaining. If they can steal even one road game, chances at a 5-or-6 win season are still possible.
The Zips sit above the Cardinals in total offense (311.7 yards per game; eighth in MAC) and are comparable in total defense (438.1 yards per game; 11th in MAC), specializing in situational football defensively. Through seven games, the Zips log in sixth in the MAC in opposing third-down conversions (41.1 percent) and second in opposing fourth-down conversions (27.3 percent.)
The offense rests on the health of quarterback Ben Finley. While his arm is not the most accurate (50 percent completion rating), it’s a live one, sitting fourth in the conference with 1,157 yards and a TD:INT ratio of 8:4 despite missing at least one start and parts of several games. When he’s in, the offense is able to move downfield pretty effectively. When he isn’t, the regression is fairly stark.
Akron has four passcatchers sitting at over 100 yards on the season, as they love to spread the ball around. Kyan Mason (20 catches, 318 yards, three touchdowns) is the leader in yards and catches. Israel Polk (18 catches, 221 yards, team-leading three TDs), Myles Walker (17 catches, 185 yards) and Marcel Williams (13 catches, 159 yards) are your other contributors.
Recent weeks have seen Jordan Gant emerge as the starting runner. Gant earned national acclaim for his performance against Central Michigan two weeks back, rushing for 176 yards and hauling in a receiving score. To this point, he has 97 carries for 511 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Six-foot-seven defensive end Bruno Dall is the star along the defensive line, with a team-leading 6.5 TFLs and three sacks on the season. On the opposite side, Arizona transfer Cyrus Durham has picked up 4.5 TFLs and two sacks of his own, and has emerged to make vital stops in recent weeks.
The defense’s main strength is the backfield, with several strong tacklers including DiMarco Johnson (39 tackles), Malcom DeWalt IV (34 tackles) and Alex Branch (31 tackles, four TFLs.) DeWalt has been a star in coverage as well, with a pick-six and seven pass break-ups on the season. Opposite DeWalt is Elijah Reed, a former Kentucky transfer who has two interceptions to lead the team.
Final Thoughts
It’s curious that Akron is the favorite in this one per oddsmakers. A quick look at the stat matchups indicate Vegas believes that Akron’s ability to get into the backfield against one of the worst offensive lines in college football will win the day.
If the Zips can maintain strong coverage and allow their edge rotation to get time around their assignments, it could very well play out that way.
Offensively, Akron will want to slice and dice in the passing game to open up rushing lanes. It will be important to pick and choose when to go deep; the Zips have tended to lose games by choosing the wrong points to try and find explosive plays.
Ball State does have to their advantage one of the conference’s better run games as well as their remarkable discipline. The Cards are the best team in the MAC at not getting flagged, with only 26 accepted penalties through six games. If they can establish the run early and find manageable passing downs, Ball State can establish the pace and force Akron to play their way.
A win here would put Ball State in potential MAC title territory with a 2-1 record. That’s not insignificant as we approach the end of October.
This won’t be pretty football by any stretch of the imagination. The winner will be the one which makes the least mistakes at the end of the day. The 2025 season thus far has shown Akron being prone to making mistakes, while Ball State has found ways to persevere despite them.
