Ball State Cardinals at Northwestern Wildcats

·Oct 10, 2026·11:30 AM CT·BTN·Evanston, IL

By JR·2 min read

Ball State(1-4)

Northwestern(3-1)

11:30 AM

TLDR: Northwestern just ran for 413 yards on Penn State. Next up at the new Ryan Field is a 1-4 Ball State team that gave up 354 rushing yards to Toledo the following afternoon.

Week 6 · 10/10, SAT OCT 10, 11:30 AM CT

Ball State

(1-4)

LLLWL

Northwestern

(3-1)

WLWW

Kickoff76°

Northwestern (3-1) comes off a 34-13 win over Penn State in which it ran for 413 yards, and hosts Ball State (1-4), whose defense just allowed 354 rushing yards to Toledo. The game comes down to whether the Cardinals can slow the Komolafe-Himon backfield. Northwestern's thin tight end and corner groups are a side issue against a Ball State passing game that is missing 2 receivers. No odds have been posted yet.

Ball State Cardinals

Led Toledo for nearly the entire first half
Scoring up from 13 to 24 in last 2
Allowed 354 rushing yards at 7.2 per carry to Toledo
WRs Thacker and Talbert both out, no timetable
Allowed 26+ points in 4 of 5 games

Northwestern Wildcats

413 rushing yards against Penn State
Komolafe and Himon both topped 100 yards
Allowed 18 or fewer in 3 of 4

The opener at the rebuilt Ryan Field went about as well as Northwestern could have hoped. Caleb Komolafe ran for a career-high 188 yards and Joseph Himon II also cleared 100, so the Wildcats had 2 backs over the century mark in the same game, and Penn State finished with 48 rushing yards in a 34-13 loss. The Wildcats are 3-1 and 1-1 in the Big Ten. Their only loss is a 6-point game at Indiana, and they beat Colorado 41-7 at home. Saturday, October 10 is game 2 in the new building, and it's a much smaller assignment.

Ball State is 1-4 and 0-2 in the MAC, with 3 straight losses. It actually led Toledo for the whole first half except the last play, then fell apart. The Rockets ran 49 times for 354 yards and 3 touchdowns, at 7.2 a carry, and that is the problem going into Evanston. A defense that couldn't stop Toledo's run game now faces a backfield that just ran over a Big Ten defense. The Cardinals are also short on receivers, with I. Thacker and D. Talbert both out and no timetable for either.

Northwestern has its own list, and most of it is at tight end. L. Dehnicke, T. McGlinchey and C. Petrucci are all out, which makes it hard to field the multiple-tight-end looks a ground-first team usually wants. Corner is thin too, with J. Fussell and B. Turner both out. Ball State's passing game isn't in great shape to test that, though. Its only win is 41-17 over FCS Stony Brook. It managed 3 points at Ohio State and 15 at Liberty, and gave up 51 to the Flames.

Ball State's scoring has climbed a bit, from 13 at Kent State to 24 against Toledo, but it has allowed 26 or more in 4 of 5 games. Northwestern has allowed 18 or fewer in 3 of 4, and Indiana's 29 is the exception. It's a Big Ten team playing well at home against a MAC team that keeps losing up front. The usual risk here is a flat performance in the week after a big win.

The forecast looks fine for October football in Evanston: low 70s, clear skies and light wind, so weather shouldn't slow down either offense. The board hasn't posted a number on this one yet. Ball State needs to show it can hold up for 4 quarters, after leading Toledo at the half and losing by 15. Northwestern needs to stay sharp against a weaker opponent and get the second game at its new stadium done without much drama.

Ball State Cardinals at Northwestern Wildcats

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