By late Saturday afternoon, one team's disappointing season will be just a little better.
Ball State (2-8, 2-5 Mid-American Conference) and Central Michigan (3-7, 2-5) meet at Kelly-Shorts Stadium at 1 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., both hoping to grab one last win and carry some momentum into the offseason.
While the Cardinals are already coming off a win -- a 21-17 triumph over winless Central Florida to snap a five-game losing streak -- the Chippewas are reeling from a 36-6 defeat at lowly Buffalo. That came a week after falling to Eastern Michigan, 61-58 in five overtimes.
"I guess you could use every excuse in the book," said first-year Central coach Brian Kelly about last week's debacle. "We just didn't take it to Buffalo. We don't have a mentally tough group of guys that just go out and take a football game."
On the other hand, BSU head coach Brady Hoke feels his team has made strides this season in that department, especially the past three games.
"Our kids are mentally and physically tougher than a year ago," Hoke said. "One thing we've emphasized is consistency in how we go to work every day. We didn't start like of ball of fire Saturday, but we kept fighting and won an ugly ball game."
Hoke plans to start sophomore Joey Lynch again at quarterback and hopes to have running back Adell Givens, a MAC Freshman of the Year candidate, behind him in the backfield. Givens, who has rushed for 816 yards this season, was suspended last week for academic reasons, and Hoke maintains that whether or not he plays "is up to Adell."
Lynch's top target, Dante Ridgeway, was named Tuesday as of the three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top wideout. The junior has 95 catches for 1,194 yards and seven touchdowns.
Central counters with last year's freshman of the year, mighty-mite tailback Jerry Seymour. The 5-6, 191-pound sophomore has rushed for 1,067 yards and just two touchdowns. He is also the team's leading receiver, with 43 catches for 378 yards.
Kelly said that with the several injuries to his team receivers, Seymour is a bit frustrated in trying to shoulder more of the load.
"There's seven, eight, nine guys in the box; they're not going to let Seymour beat them," Kelly said. He's responded like most kids would. He's trying to make too much happen."
At quarterback, Kent Smith has taken over the starting spot and has thrown for 2,076 yards and 14 TDs against seven interceptions.
"Kent's obviously developed into a solid quarterback in the league," Kelly said. "Our problem's at wide receiver. Losing three starters (to injury) has really stunted us. We're playing with some young guys out there."
Hoke said that even with Central operating out of a spread offense, Seymour is the kind of back you have to bring up extra defenders to stop. In doing so, he is comfortable with leaving his young cornerbacks -- Randall Means, Ryan Patrick and Ricky Rakestraw -- in man-to-man pass coverage.
"He's definitely a weapon we've got to keep an eye on," Hoke said of Seymour. "This is an outstanding offensive football team."
Eleven Ball State seniors will be playing in their final collegiate game at Central Michigan. Two of them -- safety Justin Beriault and punter Reggie Hodges -- are NFL draft prospects.
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