WKU Football: Gameday Information for Game 4 Against Ball State
WKU came up just short against Louisville last week. Now, they’re in a do-or-die road trip against the Ball State Cardinals. A win and they…
WKU came up just short against Louisville last week. Now, they’re in a do-or-die road trip against the Ball State Cardinals. A win and they get their first victory of 2018 a loss and they’re 0–4.
If you need to know any of the game information, look no further — we have you covered.
Location
Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN
Time
2:00 p.m. CT
Weather Forecast
TV
TV — ESPN3
Stream — WatchESPN
Radio
Gameday Information
Ball State Football Game Day A to Z Guide
WKU Alumni Association Hilltopper Hangout at Ball State
Betting Lines from Sportsline.com
Ball State: -3
Over/ Under: 54
Moneyline : Ball State -150
Current Records
WKU: 0–3
Ball State: 1–2
Last Week
WKU traveled up I-65 and took on in-state rival Louisville. The Tops played well carrying a 14–3 lead into the locker room and entered the fourth quarter clinging to a 14–6 lead. After a Louisville score that cut the lead to one, Ryan Nuss nailed a 35-yard field goal to extend the lead by four with 8:14 remaining. From there it was all downhill for the Tops. Malik Cunningham would lead Louisville on a 75-yard touchdown drive to take the lead and Ryan Nuss would miss a 51-yard field goal as time expired as the Cardinals escaped with a 20–17 victory moving WKU to 0–3.
One week after playing Notre Dame tough, Ball State traveled to an in-state rival as well, playing the Big Ten’s Hoosiers in Bloomington. After playing the Hoosier to a 3–3 draw after the first quarter, it was all downhill for BSU as they gave up 457 yards of total offense in a humbling 38–10 Hoosier victory.
Coaches
Mike Sanford — 2nd season, 6–10 overall
Mike Neu- 3rd season- 7–20 overall
Series
Last Meeting
Last season, a hobbled Ball State team traveled to Bowling Green to take on the 1–2 Hilltoppers. After early season struggles, WKU’s offense came to life on the strength of touchdown drives of 58 & 47 yards capped off by a 2-yard touchdown by Marquez Trigg giving WKU a 17–7 halftime lead. The second half was a different story as turnovers, poor execution and sloppy play by Mike White allowed Ball State to rally and take a 21–20 lead with less than five minutes left. After losing the lead, Mike White rallied the Hilltoppers on an eight play 76-yard drive capped off by a six-yard Jakairi Moses touchdown. Ball State would have one final shot at winning the game but a Joe Brown pick-six would seal a 33–21 victory moving the Tops to 2–2 on the season.
Relevant Reading
Ranking The Non-Conference Road Trips Over the Next Decade; #8–14
The Towel Rack Mailbag: Eckles Latest, Ferby Injury and Sanford’s Safety
Injury Report from Don Best
For WKU:
QB Drew Eckles — Out: Upper Body
RB Jakairi Moses — Out: Knee
RB D’Andre Ferby — Questionable: Surgery
OL Cole Spencer — Questionable : Undisclosed
For Ball State:
DE Sean Hammonds Jr — Questionable: Undisclosed
OL Alex Joss — Out: ACL
CB Lamar Anderson — Out: Shoulder
S Mitch Larsen- Out: Shoulder
Excitement Level — 5
This game has much more anxiety than excitement. Playing a must-win toss-up game against a MAC team makes this game crucial. Sanford has to show that he can get his team to not only play consistently but also that he can finish games. A loss in Muncie and we’re back to the post-Maine sentiments of Sanford and his leadership. Let’s hope he takes two steps forward this week.
Go Tops! We’ll be providing live coverage of this crucial match-up. If you’ve traveled up to Muncie, please send us your tailgating and in-game pictures via Twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page and we’ll share.