Central Michigan Chippewas at Ball State Cardinals

Two MAC programs headed in opposite directions after 2025 close out the regular season in Muncie, and one side has a lot more to feel good about than the other.

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SAT NOV 28 · 11:00 AM CT

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Central Michigan

Ball State

Both sidelines walk into this one with brand-new quarterback rooms. Ball State's answer is a portal duo — Tyler Mizzell, who's jumping up from Division II Concord, and Texas State transfer Keldric Luster, with Mizzell currently projected to win the job. Central Michigan lost Joe Labas and hands the keys to some combination of Angel Flores, Jadyn Glasser and Marcus Beamon, with Glasser the closest thing to a known commodity after going 48-of-85 for 517 yards and 4 interceptions in spot duty back in 2024. Neither team is walking in with a proven starter, which says plenty about where both programs are.

Central Michigan has the better recent track record to lean on. Matt Drinkall's first season in Mount Pleasant ended at 7-6 with the program's first bowl trip since 2021, and 5 starting offensive linemen are back to keep building on it. Ball State's floor looked a lot shakier in year one under Mike Uremovich — a 4-8 finish where the 5 MAC losses came by an average of 24.2 points. The Cardinals leaned hard into the portal this offseason, bringing in 29 transfers, and Uremovich's staff is selling a program with something to prove.

Records aside, this is a rivalry-week type environment for two teams jockeying for MAC positioning, and the roster overhauls on both sides make it a tougher projection than the 2025 results alone would suggest.

Central Michigan Chippewas

Ball State Cardinals

Central Michigan's defense has its own questions after losing NFL-caliber lineman Michael Heldman along with Jordan Kwiatkowski and Dakota Cochran up front, though coordinator Sean Cronin restocked the secondary with experienced transfers from Wyoming and Northern Colorado that looked sharp this spring. Ball State's defense is the bigger concern of the two — just 2 starters return from a unit that gave up 30 points a game in 2025, even with the offensive side of the ball taking a step forward in year two of Uremovich's system.

Central Michigan Chippewas

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Fully healthy — no injuries to report

Ball State Cardinals

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Fully healthy — no injuries to report

Ball State's locker room is selling belief — linebacker Justin Thomas said this group feels "primed to be in position for a bowl game and even a MAC title," and teammate Joey Stemler talked about playing with an extra chip on the shoulder. Talk is cheap in July, but continuity on offense and a defense that can only take a step forward gives Muncie a reason for actual optimism heading toward this one.