Junior D'Andre Peyton has experienced the long-running rivalry between Butler and Ball State as a face in the crowd.He witnessed the action from the stands at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse while on break from Vincennes University last year. Peyton watched Butler guard A.J. Graves scorch the Cardinals for a career-high 29 points as the Bulldogs captured the victory 74-68. Even though the Cardinals lost, Peyton said picking which team to cheer for was an easy choice. "Come on, of course I rooted for Ball State," Peyton said. "I'm into the rivalry since I'm at Ball State now, so it's a part of me now. I know it's a big deal."The big deal is that this Saturday's game will be the 97th meeting between the teams.This year's game means even more to Ball State, which is trying to get back on the winning track against Butler and will be playing its first game without point guard Peyton Stovall.Defense will be the key for the Cardinals. Butler is a team that relies on its 3-point shooting and pick and rolls, the same things Oakland City did to nearly upset Ball State in the team's first regular season game. "They play their style, and they have the perfect personnel for that style of play," coach Tim Buckley said. "[Butler] is very good at the drive and kick. They can shoot the 3, and they can make shots."Butler (3-3) has played better than what its record shows this year. It pushed Ohio State into overtime before losing by 10 points and came within four points of toppling Michigan. Either way, both Ball State and Butler seem to bring their best against each other. Butler upset Ball State in 2001 after the Cardinals returned from the Maui Invitational ranked 21st in the nation, and the Cardinals pulled off an exciting 63-61 win in 2003. That Cardinal win, however, has been the only bright spot for the team in the rivalry in recent years.Without Stovall in the lineup, only four players on Ball State's squad have played in the rivalry but Buckley said the rivalry isn't something you have to tell new players about."I don't think it's anything you particularly have to talk about, especially with the Indiana guys or the Indianapolis guys," he said. "We try to educate them with that, but our motivation is to come in here and get better."
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