Aside from it being the seniors' final game to put on a Cardinals uniform, the Ball State University football team will be playing for something it hasn't accomplished in several years.
A win against Central Michigan this Saturday will give the Cardinals their first four-game winning streak and winning record in the Mid-American Conference since 2001.
Ball State finished that season 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the MAC, including a 4-1 record in the West Division.
"It'd be great for our seniors," coach Brady Hoke said. "We're always going to play for our seniors, and whatever affect that has after that."
One of those seniors, defensive end Blair Kramer, said the team is on this three-game winning streak because they've bought into Hoke's philosophy of having a never-quit attitude.
"If we can do this and finish the season off with a win, it'll definitely be something for our program," Kramer said.
The Cardinals' three-game winning streak has come after two last-minute wins against Akron and Eastern Michigan and a 31-17 upset over heavily-favored Northern Illinois.
"Coach Hoke always stresses playing 60 minutes of football; it's not over until its over," quarterback Joey Lynch said on the team's latest two wins.
The Cardinals and Chippewas will both be playing for winning records in the conference, each holding 4-3 records. Central Michigan has the better overall record, however, at 5-5. Ball State is 4-6 overall.
"Anytime you want to get a program back on track, you've got to win," Lynch said. "Wining cures a lot of things and it's kind of contagious. Once you win and you expect to win, and you learn how to win, you just go from there and the last few weeks we've been able to do that."
Lynch said the team never lost confidence after an 0-4 start to the season.
"To be in the position we're in right now, it's a tribute to coach Hoke in keeping this team together and then the seniors in leading this team and getting us back on track," Lynch said.
Central Michigan made a comeback of its own last season against the Cardinals. At one point, Ball State led, 27-0 in the first quarter, before the Chippewas tied it by halftime. The Cardinals re-took the lead in the third quarter, scoring 10 points, and added three in the fourth, but the Chippewas snuck away with the 41-40 win when Jerry Seymour scored the winning touchdown with 4:57 remaining.
"I hope it lingers," Hoke said. "I remember it. They came back and made plays. We didn't make plays."
Chippewas quarterback Kent Smith has the most rushing yards (383) by a quarterback in the MAC and the most total yards (2,855).
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