Week 2Home
vs Stony Brook
Stony Brook
Saturday, September 12 · 2:00 PM EDT- Venue
- Scheumann Stadium
- Model outlook
- Projected win
Saturday Index
Loading team intelligenceBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Saturday Index
Loading team intelligenceBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Mid-American · 2026 team profile
Program context and schedule for the Cardinals.
Photo: Temathews1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for display
2026 season probabilities
The highlighted finish is the single most likely record—not a fixed list of game results.
Season outlook
Opponent, kickoff, venue, and the latest game outlook.
vs Stony Brook
Projected 2026 finish
Where Ball State is projected to finish in the Mid-American.
Mid-American projected standing
#12
2-6 projected · 2.3 expected conference wins · #12 of 13.
Primary team read
How Ball State played in 2025.
2025 FBS percentile scale · 50 is average
Incoming class
National and conference recruiting ranks, confirmed commitments, and the highest-ranked recruits in this class.
Top committed recruits
Ball State2026 transfer movement
Incoming and outgoing transfer activity, with rated FBS-to-FBS moves below.
Incoming Transfers
Ball StateOutgoing Transfers
Ball StateSeason schedule
Projected record is the highest-probability season total across every possible outcome. Upcoming rows show each matchup’s win chance, not one locked sequence of wins and losses.
Detailed football intelligence
The full team identity, offense, defense, and supporting evidence.
Team identity
Last season, Ball State tried to lean on the running game; it rarely provided an easy foundation.
Why it matters
Neither offensive unit clearly carried the other, so first-down execution decides whether Ball State can stay on plan.
At a glance
The essential 2026 season outlook.
Profile high point
Big-play creation held the profile's highest percentile position.Profile low point
Passing held the lowest percentile position among the profile's strength measures.Ball State can lean on big-play creation when a drive slips off schedule, but the offense's down-to-down consistency still needs support.
Why it matters
The offense has its best route to changing field position without requiring flawless drive efficiency; offensive efficiency remains the first counter an opponent should test.
The offense's down-to-down consistency is Ball State's biggest concern, and opponents can test it immediately.
Why it matters
Opponents can demand long drives and make the offense recover from every empty possession; explosive-play creation has to keep that stress from setting the game plan.
Ball State's best path is to lean on the running game, then keep winning first down because neither the pass nor run can rescue the other; an average pace puts more weight on winning ordinary downs.
What matters
Ball State's run-first structure played at a balanced pace. Passing finished bottom-tier and rushing finished bottom-tier, without a clear split between them.
Inside the team
Open a section for the football detail and supporting numbers.
The down-to-down question that determines whether the offense can keep both the run and pass available.
Ball State must establish a first-down answer before opponents have to defend both the run and pass.
Why it matters
Without one part of the offense forcing an adjustment, opponents can keep the offense in long-yardage and play from a position of strength.
The pace, play selection, and methods this offense uses to stay on schedule.
Ball State played at a balanced pace in 2025.
Why it matters
At that pace, Ball State cannot count on extra possessions or expect to shorten the game.
Ball State's prior passing record was bottom-tier.
Why it matters
Ball State's offense needs protection, field position, or explosive variance when ordinary dropbacks do not create enough value.
Why it matters
When Ball State's run game cannot stay on schedule, protection and passing-down execution carry more of the offense.
Ball State's explosive-play results were mixed rather than a defining edge.
Why it matters
A big play can still flip a possession, but last season's results do not make explosiveness something this team can rely on.
How consistently the offense creates manageable situations and the defense prevents them.
Ball State's defense was more consistent down to down than its offense.
Why it matters
Ball State's success rate shows whether it can sustain drives and get stops without relying on sacks, turnovers, or isolated big plays.
Ball State's opponent-adjusted passing and rushing value were closely matched.
Why it matters
When the split is narrow, early-down execution matters more than steering the offense toward one obvious weakness.
Where the defense can create pressure, control the run, and end drives.
Ball State's prior defense was weak overall, with no clear separation among its main units.
Why it matters
An offense can keep both the run and pass available and test each unit until the defense proves it can win ordinary early downs.
Ball State's available disruption measures ranked in the lower national range last season; a charted pressure rate is not available.
Ball State's sack and disruption results were weak.
Why it matters
Ball State's disruption can hurry an offense; sacks do more by erasing field position and ending passing downs.
Ball State's prior run-defense results were weak.
Why it matters
If Ball State's front cannot control early downs, opponents can keep every offensive option open and protect their passing game.
