MAC Info

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Game: Western Michigan at Ball State (-10.5, OFF)

All-time series: The Broncos lead 19-15-0, but trail at Schuemann Stadium 7-9-0. The road team has won the past three meetings overall.

What’s at stake: A win earns Ball State a trip to the MAC title game and a chance to play in the Motor City Bowl. With some many desirable non-conference champs available, the chances are next to nil the Cardinals will get an invitation to one of the BCS bowl games. Ball State’s schedule is pale in comparison to a team like Utah but the Cardinals remain just one of five unbeaten I-A teams. WMU needs a win here and an Eastern Michigan upset of Central Michigan to reach the MAC championship game. The Broncos also are looking for the first 10-win season in school history.

Some offensive heavyweights: You’ve read about Ball State QB Nate Davis in this space many times, but WMU’s Tim Hiller has been flying under the radar. Hiller, who is also from Ohio, leads the MAC with 307.5 yards passing per game and 33 touchdowns. The junior has five straight 300-yard games and just six interceptions in 448 attempts. He has completed more passes than Davis has attempted. Hiller was picked off three times in a loss to BSU last year.

WMU’s Jamarko Simmons has 92 receptions this year, becoming only the second Bronco to top 90 catches joining current Packer Greg Jennings, who holds the school record with 98. Meanwhile, this will be the first game since the beginning of November that WMU’s top three wideouts are all healthy at the same time.

Davis gets all the headlines for Ball State but running back MiQuale Lewis is what keeps this offense rolling. He has topped 100 yards in three straight games and nine overall, totaling 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is 169 yards shy of breaking the single-season school mark of 1,618 and needs three rushing touchdowns to also break the single-season Cardinals record. Lewis wore Central Michigan down with a season-high 177 yards last week.

A few numbers: Ball State leads the conference in scoring offense and scoring defense, passing efficiency and passing defense efficiency and third-down conversions. The Cardinals haven’t allowed more than 24 points in any game and is winning their games by an average of 20 points.

If the Broncos can stay close in the first quarter that bodes well: They have outscored opponents in each of the second, third and fourth quarters this season. Both of WMU’s losses have come on the road this season.

Game: Navy at Northern Illinois (-3, OFF)

All-time series: It’s the second meeting and first in DeKalb; last year, NIU allowed 359 yards rushing in a 24-18 loss to the Midshipmen.

What’s at stake: Navy is playing the first Tuesday night game in its storied history (the school will not move home games from Saturdays, incidentally). The Midshipmen already are headed to the EagleBank Bowl, while NIU must win to have any real shot at a bowl.

A new skipper for offense: In its last game, Navy punted nine times against Notre Dame and finished with a season-low 178 yards rushing. The Midshipmen managed only 11 first downs and were 1 of 15 on third and fourth down conversions.

Sophomore Ricky Dobbs will get his first career start at quarterback on Tuesday in hopes of getting the triple option back on track from that Irish debacle. Dobbs had played in relief of QBs Jarod Bryant and Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada in the past three games. Dobbs led the Midshipmen to wins against SMU and Temple, rushing for 224 yards and three TDs against the Mustangs and spearheading a 20-point fourth-quarter rally against the Owls. Overall, Dobbs has run for 369 yards and seven touchdowns while connecting on eight of 15 passes for 180 yards, a touchdown and interception.

“He makes plays and moves the team," Navy coach Ken Niumataolo said of his decision.

Kaheaku-Enhada, who starred last season, has missed most of the season with an injured hamstring, but hopes to play against Army on Dec. 6.

A few numbers: NIU has outscored its opponents 149-69 in its five home games. The Huskies surrendered eight less points at home than away from their cozy confines. Central Michigan is the only foe to score more than 13 points vs. NIU in DeKalb.

Navy is second in the country in rushing (it has won the national rushing title the past three seasons) and ahead of only Army in the national passing rating. In fact, the Midshipmen’s leading receiver has just 17 catches (Navy has thrown only 74 times); no one else has more than four catches.

In NIU’s last game, an impressive 42-14 win over Kent State, QB Chandler Harnish ran for 117 yards and added 173 through the air. The freshman also had four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing). His 1,640 total yards of offense this season is a school record for a freshman.

Raji

[Raji]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Brady Hoke has used the same mantra all season.

Forget about records, rankings or the excitement surrounding Ball State. Ignore the discussion about perfect seasons or rumors Hoke could be headed to another program next year. Just keep playing football.

Why change now?

With the 15th-ranked Cardinals still chasing a perfect season and a conference championship game bid Tuesday night, Hoke has reverted to the same, steady them to keep his players focused for their regular-season finale.

''Our goal has been to win the championship since we came here in 2003, so when we meet at the beginning of the year, we talk about our expectations and what investment we're going to make as a team,'' he said Monday. ''Believe me, it's been a conversation. But I like our team because of how they care about each other and how they play for each other, and that's what we're going to do on Tuesday.''

Clearly, this is not just another Senior Day at Ball State.

The Cardinals are 11-0 for the first time in school history, one win from reaching their first Mid-American Conference title game. They have been ranked seven consecutive weeks after never being ranked previously, are 15th in the BCS standings and remain among a handful of unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision - a list that does not even include perennial powers such as Florida, Oklahoma, Texas or Southern Cal.

Plus, there's still hope, albeit a longshot, they could sneak into position for a BCS bid.

But any chance of that must start by beating a Western Michigan squad that envisions pulling a major upset on national television.

''I think our kids are really excited about the game,'' Western coach Bill Cubit said. ''It will probably be the marquee matchup in our league, so it's good for our guys. I tell them all you can control is what you're doing, take care of business.''

For the Cardinals, this season has been all business.

They've won week after week despite playing a schedule designed to get them maximum exposure. Midweek games have become the norm, and last week's 31-24 victory at Central Michigan, the two-time defending league champs, was the highest-rated college football game ever shown by ESPN2 on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.

But the Cardinals are all about winning.

Ball State (11-0, 7-0) has not produced a perfect conference record since 1978, when Hoke played for the Cardinals.

And while emotions will be high as the teams says goodbye to a host of seniors, including receiver Dante Love, who sustained a career-ending spinal cord injury in September, most fans will show up expecting to see win No. 12.

The Cardinals, winners of seven straight home games, are 10 1/2-point favorites.

But Western Michigan could force a three-way tie atop the MAC West, and the Broncos (9-2, 6-1) could turn the game into their own audition for bowl representatives.

''I think it's good for the league,'' Cubit said. ''When you look at what the league has done, and I'm sure they didn't do it purposely, but they've got a lot of good matchups this week. For me, personally, I like it because it keeps the kids' attention.''

Hoke, however, hasn't wavered from his regular routine.

His biggest concern Tuesday is slowing down Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller, who leads the conference with 307.5 yards passing per game and 33 touchdowns.

''Tim's decision-making is something we're really impressed with as a staff,'' Hoke said. ''That's going to be a big challenge for us. We've got to play a lot tighter coverage than we have been if we're going to be successful.''

Cubit has other problems to contend with.

Ball State leads the conference in scoring offense and scoring defense, passing efficiency and passing defense efficiency and third-down conversions.

And he gave his team a much-needed two-day respite last week to help them heal and get a short mental break.

''I think they needed to get away and catch their breath,'' Cubit said.

Ball State doesn't have that luxury, not that Hoke's team needs it.

He simply wants Nate Davis, MiQuale Lewis and the rest of his Cardinals to continue doing what they've always done best - play football and ignore the rest.

''We have a lot of work to do,'' Hoke said. ''They have a tremendous offense. This is going to be a huge test for us.''


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