When Eastern Michigan (3-7, 2-4 MAC) heads to Ball State (4-5, 3-2 MAC) to tangle with the Cardinals, it will signal the renewal of a very familiar matchup.
The elimination of MAC East and West divisions last year snapped an incredible streak where the teams had squared off each year from 1973 to 2023.
However, the longtime combatants meet this week to revive the series as the MACs sole Saturday scrap to boot.
We take a look at some key aspects of where each stands heading into the affair.
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Last week, EMU sacked Bowling Green at the Eagles 36-yard line with six seconds to go to secure the win over the Falcons 27-21. In the aftermath of the victory, while the play-by-play announcer wrapping up the broadcast, you could see how much the win meant to the players in the midst of a joyous celebration of a hard-earned victory.
The year may not have played out in the standings how the Eagles desired, but there is no doubt they will come into this one hoping to turn a seasons worth of hard work and sacrifice into another celebration.
Offensively, EMU has a lot to offer as we saw last week. The operation begins with quarterback Noah Kim, who can beat opponents through the air and on the ground. The Eagles do not typically call designed runs as frequently as Ball State does for its quarterback, but Kim is athletic and can do damage by scrambling for first downs or in the red zone, as he has five rushing touchdowns.
Through the air, Kim is among the MACs leaders, currently second-best with 2,261 passing yards while ranking fourth in passing touchdowns with 15. Kim spreads the ball around but has found a breakout receiver down the stretch in Nick Devereaux, The 61, 190 pound, Troy, MI native is another Factory-forged player, as Devereaux started his career as a walk-on and matured into a key contributor for the Eagles during his time at Eastern.
Running back Dontae McMillan continues to shine this year, with a 100-yard effort on the ground last week against the Falcons to bring his season total to 823 yards rushing. Keep an eye on McMillan in the passing game too, as he is a regular contributor with 27 receptions in 2025.
Defensively, the Eagles would love nothing better to build off of last weeks effort, allowing just 259 total offensive yards and 21 points.
Some names to know leading the charge on defense begins with Bryce Llewellyn at the bandit position, who has done it all this year, leading the team in tackles (87), pass break ups (4) and interceptions (2).
Also someone to keep an eye on is linebacker Andrew Marshall, who has come on in recent weeks and is third on the squad with 57 tackles.
For all the offseason change, the Cardinals have gotten some things done so far under first-year head coach Mike Uremovich.
Ball State has won three of its last five games and is undefeated at home, notably besting perennial MAC contenders Ohio. The Cardinals remain in the hunt for bowl eligibility and can secure it in year one of the Mike Uremovich era if they win two of their last three games.
Last week they turned away Kent State 17-13 by winning the championship quarter (the fourth quarter) 7-0 to close things out.
Heading into this one, Ball States offense is pretty well defined to this point, featuring an attack keyed by quarterback Kiael Kelly. The Cardinals signal caller led the squad last week in both passing and rushing yards with 173 and 53, respectively.
The run game is the teams bread and butter and Kellys 470 rushing yards are second on the team while running back Qua Ashleys 525 lead the squad but its worth noting Ashley left the Kent State game in the fourth quarter due to injury. Like Kim, Kelly is also a viable red zone threat with five scores on the season.
When the Cardinals mix in the pass, wideout Eric Weatherly leads the club with 22 catches while fellow pass catcher Qian Magwood is always dangerous as we saw from his clutch performance in the win over Ohio. Ball States offense plays a lot around the line of scrimmage, so an excellent athlete like Ashley is always a factor in the passing game as seen by his 20 catches this year.
Defensively, Ball State has taken a major step forward this year, allowing just 27 points a game in MAC play compared to over 40 in conference games last year. Without crunching the numbers, the almost 14-point improvement from 2024 to 2025 appears due to an overall sounder defense that is surrendering fewer explosive plays. The aerial defense in particular seems to have improved, surrendering 222 yards passing this year in MAC games compared to 279 last year.
Personnel wise, the squad has standouts at all levels of the defense starting with defensive end Nathan Voorhis, who can build on his NFL interest, entering this contest ranked second in the nation with 11 sacks. Linebacker Alfred Chea continues to build on a fine season where he leads the club with 50 tackles. And on the back end, cornerback Joedrick Lewis has made some splash plays where he atop the team with three interceptions.
Close MAC games typically favor the home team this year. However, EMU will bring its signature hardhat and lunchpail mentality with it for this weeks road test that, if it goes to script, will likely be up for grabs in the fourth quarter. The team with the strongest finish should come out the winner here.