Brady Hoke knows his team's No. 25 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll won't intimidate its opponent this week.
All four of Western Kentucky University's losses this season have come against BCS opponents, including No. 2 University of Alabama and No. 18 Virginia Tech. The Hilltoppers also lost 31-13 to Indiana University - a team Ball State University beat by 22 points on the road - in their season opener.
With Western Kentucky's experience against quality opponents, Hoke said, his team's national ranking won't give the Hilltoppers extra motivation.
"They're a very good football team that's played probably the hardest schedule of any team in this country," Hoke said. "I think Western is a very well-coached, hard-driven, tough-minded football team, and you can see that."
If Hoke was effusive in his praise for the Hilltoppers, Ball State's players followed suit.
Safety Sean Baker said he took note of Western Kentucky's solid performance in a 27-13 loss to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., Saturday. He said the players need to enter Saturday's game as focused as they have been in during the past six weeks.
"They've played one of the hardest schedules in the country so far," Baker said. "They're a good team. We better be ready, and we have to work hard and put our time in. We've got to be ready to go."
Despite a 35-12 win, Ball State didn't intimidate Western Kentucky in last year's Homecoming game. The contest featured rough play after the whistle and plenty of trash talk from both teams. Each side blamed the other afterwards.
Hoke called last year's game "chippy," but he said it's a part of the game.
"Chippy is playing hard, tough football, and I think that's what they do," Hoke said. "If you're on the sidelines enough you're going to have that in every football game. That's just part of the game. Is it a part I relish? No. But it's a part of playing football and competing. When you've got a bunch of guys who are going to compete hard together, that happens now and then."
Running back MiQuale Lewis acknowledged Western Kentucky's familiarity with playing some of the best football teams in the country. If Ball State focuses on what it needs to do to be successful, Lewis said, the Cardinals will have no problem continuing the Hilltoppers' struggles against quality opponents.
"If we come in focused and do our job on offense, defense and the kicking game, we'll be successful," Lewis said. "It's a dangerous game if we make it dangerous. But if we come in and do our job it won't be dangerous at all."
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