Ball State was a weird, weird team in 2024.
They didn’t do well, going 3-9 (2-6 in conference play) and firing Mike Neu halfway through the season. They posted a Pythagorean expectation of 2.64 wins, so the math didn’t like them much, either. They had the MAC’s second-worst defense in conference games, behind moribund Kent State. There’s a significant gulf between them (37.25 points allowed per game) and 10th place Eastern Michigan, who allowed 32.13 points per MAC game.
But, bizarrely, they had the conference’s
fifth-most productive offense in league play, at 30.13 points scored per conference game, trailing only Miami, Western Michigan, Ohio, and Buffalo, in ascending order. The worst of those four teams had three more conference wins than the Cardinals.
However, it wasn’t enough to overshadow their miserable defense, and Ball State was one of the conference’s four teams who lost by an average of a score or more per game, alongside Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and the aforementioned Kent State (who, quick aside, lost their conference games by an eye-watering 24.75 points per game).
Obviously, when you’re in the same statistical conversation as a program who was in a dogfight in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings for most of last year with a Division III school (a dogfight they won, but not convincingly), upward trajectory is the goal of the offseason. Unfortunately, that was made exponentially more difficult due to forces beyond their control, or indeed anyone’s save those who wear much more expensive suits than they.
Who’s New?
When hiring a new coaching staff, Ball State decided to do as had been done to them, and raided Butler.
Uremovich brings with him eight assistants from that staff, including defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles, defensive line coach Adam Siwicki, offensive line coach Alex Barr, tight ends coach Sean Chase, inside receivers coach Ray Holmes, safeties coach Rory Mannering and SNIPERs coach Jalen Moss. He will also bring with him an up-tempo, run-heavy offense he rode to great success with Butler. Last season, the Bulldogs finished at 28th in the FCS in total offense (407.8 yards) and seventh in rushing offense (214.4 rush yards per game), and scored over 35 points per game.
MAC fans will likely recognize Mike Uremovich from his time as an NIU’s special teams coordinator and running backs coach (2012) and as NIU’s offensive coordinator under Rod Carey (2016-18). Uremovich followed Doeren to NC State in 2013 to coach offensive line before going back to NIU in 2016. Uremovich followed Carey to coordinate Temple’s offense for two seasons before being hired on at Butler.
Outside additions to the staff include Madison Bunch, Southeast Missouri State’s running backs coach, hired for the same position; Ray Smith, Kennesaw State’s defensive backs coach, also hired for the same position along with defensive pass game coordinator; Nick Fiacable, a special teams analyst at Connecticut, hired as special teams coordinator; and as offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Craig Harmon, the head coach at Benet Academy, a Chicagoland high school more known for basketball and volleyball success (although the football team isn’t bad, either.)
Of note to MAC football fans is the retention of former Eastern Michigan running back Shaq Vann, who was kept on to coach receivers after Malcom Gillie and Cam Pickett earned all-conference honors in 2024.
Offense
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Yards Avg. | 245 | 2 | 43 |
| Passing TDs | 26 | 2 | 24 |
| Completion % | 63.8 | 3 | 35 |
| Rush Yards Avg. | 102.8 | 11 | 121 |
| Rushing TDs | 10 | 12 | 127 |
| Total Offense Avg. | 347.8 | 9 | 103 |
| Points Per Game | 25.3 | 7 | 88 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 5 | 28 |
| Sacks Allowed Avg. | 2.75 | 11 | t-108 |
| Tackles-for-loss Allowed Avg. | 6.17 | 10 | 97 |
| Third-down % | 42.4 | 2 | 48 |
| Fourth-down % | 55.2 | 7 | 99 |
- Departing: QB Kadin Semonza (Tulane), HB Braedon Sloan (NFL Draft), HB Vaughn Pemberton (Boston College [as LB]), TE Tanner Koziol (Houston), TE Christian Abney (Illinois), WR Cam Pickett (Kansas), WR Justin Bowick (Illinois), WR Malcolm Gillie (Coastal Carolina), OC Ethan Crowe (graduation), OL Jon Mucciolo (graduation), OL Kevin Meeder (graduation), OL Taran Tyo (Cincinnati), OL Damon Kaylor (graduation)
- Arriving: QB Walter Taylor (Colorado), HB Qua Ashley (Kennesaw State), WR Eric Weatherly (FCS Bucknell), TE Drew Cassens (FCS Butler), OG Otto Hess (Cincinnati), OT Adam Dolan (FCS Butler)
- Staying: QB Kiael Kelly, WRs Qian Magwood and Ty Robinson, OT Chris Hood
Everyone and the family dog left Ball State’s offense this offseason. So long, and thanks for all the fish. To make matters worse, they did not onboard as many people as they lost, meaning that Ball State will potentially have to front an offense with a handful of walk-ons getting snaps. But enough dooming, let’s look at who they did get.
The Cardinals didn’t keep many people, but very thankfully, Kiael Kelly was one of them, with Kelly returning to the quarterback position in 2025 after starting 2024’s spring camps as a defensive back and then easing back onto offense as a running back and receiver. Kelly was also brought in as a change-in-pace option quarterback in 2024 to spell the now-departed Kadin Semonza, collecting 91 yards and a touchdown on the season— but we would be remiss not to point out his success as a full-time QB in 2023, with 724 yards rushing, 577 yards passing and nine total touchdowns (seven rushing, two passing) in six starts. Kelly will be an established presence on the team, whose leadership and continuity is going to be important for a team made up almost entirely of newbies.
Walter Taylor III comes to Ball State after riding the pine behind Shedeur Sanders last season. The starting position is Kelly’s to lose after his re-conversion back to the passing position, but Taylor can be a decent bullpen arm behind Kelly if the latter gets injured during the season.
Qua Ashley is a fun add. He wasn’t a super bruising running back at Kennesaw State, totaling 409 yards on 122 attempts (3.4 yards a carry) and a touchdown, but that’s also not where he’s most effective; Ashley was a strong receiving threat, with 255 receiving yards on 28 catches (averaging 9.1 yards a catch) and a touchdown. That kind of swing-out slotback type could provide much-needed excitement to the Ball State offense.
Eric Weatherly comes to the Cardinals fresh off a solid two seasons at Bucknell, where he totaled for 1,438 yards on 115 receptions, featuring 15 touchdowns. In fact, his 2024 campaign saw him finish with four less receiving yards than Ball State’s #1 receiver, tight end Tanner Koziol (who left in the portal for Houston) on 21 fewer receptions, and just as many touchdowns. Replacing Koziol is an absolute need, and Weatherly clearly has the juice to be that guy who can get big yards when needed. Drew Cassens wasn’t thrown to a lot at Butler (only 10 receptions) but he did a lot with them, getting 126 yards in the process. Ball State’s hope is that he can complement Weatherly and be a big body compliment in two tight-end situations.
Qian Magwood (23 catches, 207 yards, four touchdowns) and Ty Robinson (69 yards on five receptions) were sixth and ninth for Ball State in receiving yards, respectively, but both had good reception efficiency and are hopefully up to the task of taking the next step towards being regular features in the lineup.
Defense
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Yards Allowed Avg. | 279.6 | 13 | 130 |
| Passing TDs Allowed | 37 | 13 | 133 |
| Completion % | 62 | 10 | t-88 |
| Rush Yards Allowed Avg. | 175.3 | 9 | 100 |
| Rushing TDs | 24 | 10 | 103 |
| Total Defense Avg. | 454.9 | 12 | 125 |
| Points Per Game Allowed | 40.1 | 12 | 132 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 6 | t-77 |
| Sacks | 20 | 9 | 92 |
| Tackles-for-loss | 55 | 11 | 111 |
| Third-down % | 48.6 | 13 | 130 |
| Fourth-down % | 50 | t-6 | t-43 |
- Departing: SNIPER George Udo (graduation), LB Keionte Newsom (graduation), EDGE Riley Tolsma (graduation), DT Nathan Rickert (graduation), EDGE Brandon Berger (graduation), DB DD Snyder (UMass), DB Jordan Coleman (FCS Illinois State), DB Myles Norwood (South Carolina), DB Thailand “Thai” Baldwin (Charlotte)
- Arriving: EDGEs Nathan Voorhis (FCS Bryant) and Micah Wing (Dodge City [KS] CC), DL Scott Hudson (D2 St. Francis [PA]), SNIPERs Ashton Whitner (Old Dominion) and Alfred Chea (UConn), LB Roman Pearson (FCS Bucknell), SAFs Deondre Shephard (Coastal Carolina) and Michael Gravley (Western Michigan)
- Staying: DE Sam Feeney, LBs Joey Stemler and Jack Beebe
Fortunately, there really isn’t much lower for this unit to fall, as the 2024 edition of the Cardinals could charitably be described as Swiss cheese. Unfortunately, eight of their top 10 tacklers on defense are gone, creating a vacuum of senior leadership. So, who will Ball State be fronting on defense in 2025?
Ball State will reportedly shift to a three-man base look for the upcoming season, making edge-setting a priority.
Incoming EDGE rusher Nathan Voorhis comes to Muncie from FCS Bryant, on the back of a 16-tackle, 3.5 sack campaign. Fellow EDGE Micah Wing makes his NCAA debut after grabbing 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 5.5 tackles for a loss for the Dodge City Community College Conquistadors. With such a gutted defense, this is an opportunity for both players to make a name for themselves in the (comparatively) big leagues.
Ashton Whitner and Alfred Chea join the Cardinals and will most likely be slotted into Ball State’s unique SNIPER position, a hybrid position that combines a linebacker and a safety. Neither player put up popping stats at their previous stops, so this new position could be a good opportunity for them to find a spot in the backfield where they can excel. Linebacker Roman Pearson snagged two interceptions and batting down another nine passes, on top of 31 solo tackles for Bucknell last season, a quality add to the defensive midfield.
Secondary look to be a complete reset, alas, with all four of last season’s starters departing via transfer portal. They’ll likely depend on a few prospects to battle at corner, including true sophomore Willizhuan Yates (17 tackles, two PBUs with five starts in ‘24), Eric McClain (six starts, 24 takcles in ‘24), and Bucknell transfer Roman Pearson, who had 40 tackles and 11 PBUs last season for the Bison.
The Cardinals didn’t lose all their defensive production. Linebacker should be in decent enough shape between Feeney (who has primarily played on the edge), Stemler, and Beebe. Combined, the three returning defenders logged 87 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble.
It’s a very stripped-down defense, but there’s a foundation to build off there. So long as they’re not treating passing defense like a bullfight, BSU should see some improvement here.
Special Teams
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 86.7 | 3 | 21 |
| Extra Point % | 97.2 | 8 | 90 |
| Punts Per Game | 4.7 | t-5 | 31 |
| Yards Per Punt | 40.3 | t-9 | 114 |
| Kickoff Return Avg. | 22.7 | 4 | 30 |
| Punt Return Avg. | 1.7 | 12 | 132 |
Departing: PK Jackson Courville (Ohio State), P Brian Cooey (graduation)
Arriving: PK Brody Boehm (Missouri), PK DC Pippin (FCS SE Missouri State), P Adam Saul (Washington)
Staying: PK/KOS Carson Holmer, P Cole Stambaugh (redshirt freshman), LS Caden Britton (backup in ’23-’24)
The only platoon that weathered the raid relatively well was special teams, although it did take a pound of flesh out. Losing Jackson Courville is going to hurt; he only missed one extra point in 2024 and went 11-of-13 on field goals. Courville’s backup, Carson Holmer (2-of-2 on field goals in career), was the team’s kickoff specialist in 2024 and should figure into the starting placekicker battle. His rival in that respect will be late arrival DC Pippin, who has caught the eyes of coaches in camp. The former FCS All-American and Placekicker of the Year finished 2024 with a 26-of-34 mark on field goals, with a long of 53 yards. Adam Saul and Cole Stambaugh will vie to replace the graduated Brian Cooey.
Qian Magwood returns as a potential starter on returns, but was primarily a fair catcher on punts in 2024. It’s to be determined how the staff will handle kickoffs and punts as of now.
Outlook
Ball State will look to mount a meaningful campaign after getting pillaged like an eight-century English monastery in 2025.
Excepting 2020, when they won the conference and finished the shortened campaign ranked for the first time in program history, the last time the Cardinals finished the season with a winning record was 2013, when they went 10-2 under Pete Lembo (who’s now busy working miracles at Buffalo) and lost the GoDaddy Bowl to Arizona State.
Ball State does have some favorable draws on the schedule, with an early FCS game against a rebuilding New Hampshire sqaud in the non-conference season and the luck to host both Akron and Kent State in conference play. However, the rest of the slate is pretty brutal, with three of their first four games on the road— including Power program bouts with Purdue and Auburn— and getting two of the three top projected teams in the MAC on the road (Toledo and Miami) while hosting the other (Ohio.)
While this year’s calendar does present a few opportunities for wins, trying to immediately get back to the highs of the 2020 or 2013 campaign is not the primary goal for Ball State this season. The goal is improve on last year’s performance with completely new parts, which, it should be noted, is also a tall order considering the state of the roster. But, critically, it’s a much more achievable goal. Getting to five wins would be a pretty good sign something is working in Muncie, but 3-4 is closer to reality.
Schedule
All dates and times are current as of publication. Asterisk (*) denotes a Homecoming game.
| Week | Opponent | Date | Time (All ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @ Purdue | Sat. Aug. 30 | Noon | Big Ten Network |
| 2 | @ Auburn | Sat. Sept. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| 3 | New Hampshire (FCS) | Sat. Sept. 13 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| 4 | @ UConn | Sat. Sept. 20 | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| 5 | BYE | |||
| 6 | Ohio | Sat. Oct. 4 | Noon | CBS Sports Network |
| 7 | @ Western Michigan | TBA | TBA | |
| 8 | Akron * | Sat. Oct. 18 | TBA | TBA |
| 9 | @ NIU | Sat. Oct. 25 | TBA | TBA |
| 10 | BYE | |||
| 11 | Kent State | Wed. Nov. 5 | 7/7:30/8 p.m. | Choice (ESPN Networks) |
| 12 | Eastern Michigan | Sat. Nov. 15 | TBA | TBA |
| 13 | @ Toledo | Sat. Nov. 22 | TBA | TBA |
| 14 | @ Miami [OH] | Sat. Nov. 29 | TBA | TBA |
| 15 | MAC Championship | Sat. Dec. 6 | Noon | ESPN |
