The Ball State football team will host in-state rival Indiana State on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Cardinals will be looking to improve to 2-1 on the season.
The Cardinals and Sycamores will be battling for the Victory Bell. It will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams and the first meeting since 2003.
“I think it’s great that we’re playing Indiana State,” head coach Pete Lembo said. “This is arguably Ball State’s biggest rival in football when you look at the 90-year history of our program.”
Offensively, Ball State is led by their two-headed rushing attack. Senior Jahwan Edwards is averaging 95 yards per game, while redshirt junior Horactio Banks is averaging 78.5. The pair has combined for 67 attempts and one touchdown.
Ball State will look to exploit the Indiana State defense that gave up 455 rushing yards to Indiana in week one.
Redshirt sophomore Ozzie Mann will look to lead the offense in his third game as the starter for the Cardinals.
Mann has thrown for 332 years with two touchdowns so far this season. He has a completion percentage of 56.5 percent.
Wide receiver KeVonn Mabon has been Mann’s favorite target this season. He has 14 receptions and a touchdown while averaging 77 yards per game.
Ball State will look to slow down the offensive attack of Indiana State that put up 49 points and 543 total yards in a win over Tennessee Tech last week.
“From an offensive standpoint, this is an impressive unit,” said Lembo. “It’s a very diverse, no-huddle attack with a lot of no-back sets.”
Quarterback Mike Perish, a transfer from Western Michigan, leads the Sycamore offense. He has yet to throw an interception through two games, despite playing a Big 10 opponent.
The Cardinals have only allowed 13.5 points per game this season, ranking in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense, fumbles recovered and red zone defense.
Redshirt junior linebacker Ben Ingle leads the team in total tackles with 20. Four other Cardinals have 10 or more tackles through the team’s first two games.
Ball State will look to drop Indiana State to 1-2 on the season while winning their seventh consecutive game in the series.
The Cardinals lead the all-time series between the two teams 39-24-1 dating back to 1924.
