Even as Brady Hoke greeted the football fans he attends church with Sunday, he couldn't escape the hype surrounding Saturday's game against Indiana University.
"I had a guy at church ask me for four tickets," Hoke said.
For Ball State University's football coach, it was a reminder of how big the in-state rivalry with the Hoosiers is to the Cardinals' fan base. The importance of Saturday's matchup extends to his program.
As the program has improved in Hoke's time at Ball State, his team has been unable earn an upset against a BCS program or defend scrambling quarterbacks. The Cardinals have the chance to end both nagging issues when they play against Indiana.
"It means a lot to go down on the road and play a Big Ten team in their house," senior tight end Darius Hill said, "especially a team like IU that we've played the last couple years and haven't been able to beat."
Saturday's game is the third time in three years Ball State has played the Hoosiers. Two years ago, the Cardinals looked like they were primed to earn their first win against a BCS program.
Ball State led 23-7 at halftime in 2006, but the Hoosiers rallied for a 24-23 victory. Since that time, the Cardinals have had chances to get their elusive victory against a BCS team, including an eight-point loss to the University of Michigan in 2006 and a one-point loss last year at the University of Nebraska.
Their streak against BCS opponents stands at 0-42. Hoke said the record isn't weighing on his mind, but many of his players talked about taking advantage of their chance to beat a BCS school.
"It would be, in a way, pushing us over the hump to where we've been trying to get to the past couple years," senior cornerback Trey Buice said. "Winning the BCS game - beating a BCS opponent - that's up there with the big time."
Sophomore linebacker Davyd Jones knows stopping quarterback Kellen Lewis from directing Indiana's offense with his feet will be an important key to getting the first victory against a BCS team. Playing in his first college game at Ball State in 2006, Lewis rushed for 88 yards on 12 carries, most of which came in the second half.
Since that time, the Cardinals have allowed numerous quarterbacks to have big games running the football. Jones said Ball State's defense is better equipped to contain Lewis from running rampant.
"It's all about getting 11 helmets to the football," Jones said. "During the past games, it's not just one man tackling someone. It's four or five guys around or at least in the area of the tackle. So the more people get to the ball, the more likely he's not going to get away."
Buice said he's not only confident the defense is ready to stop a mobile quarterback but also get a win in Bloomington.
"I really haven't watched a lot of film," Buice said Monday, before he had a chance to study reels of Indiana game film. "But yes sir, I know we're the better team."
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