Ball State University Athletics
5 Things: Ball State and Northern Illinois
October 07, 2015 | Football
Ball State and Northern Illinois meet yet again on the gridiron Saturday in a Mid-American Conference West Division showdown. Ball State All-Access host Joel Godett gives you the rundown on five facts to know ahead of time.
1. The Bronze Stalk
The series between these schools dates to 1941, when the Cards and Huskies played to a 6-6 tie, but more recently the rivalry has taken a new meaning. Since 2008 the schools have competed for the Bronze Stalk trophy. Sculpted by DeKalb area artist Renee Bemis, the trophy represents the agricultural landscape of both Indiana and Illinois, homes to two of the MAC's 'westernmost' teams.
2. Ball State's Schedule
The Cardinals have had a brutal run of opponents in the early going. Ball State sits at 2-3, with three losses to unbeaten and ranked teams. Texas A&M, Northwestern and Toledo are a combined 14-0 and at the tops of their respective leagues.
For further consideration...Ball State is one of 19 FBS schools to have lost multiple games to current unbeatens and one of only nine to have lost only to current unbeatens. Only the Cardinals and Texas have had to face three currently unbeaten teams.
3. The Teddy and the Hare
There are usually some ties between teams in college football, especially in confernece season. This week is no exception. Both Ball State running back Teddy Williamson and NIU quarterback Drew Hare hail from Fort Zumwalt West High School in the St. Louis, MO area. The pair were high school teammates and good friends. In fact, Williamson lived with Hare for a while and the QB told us at MAC Media day that Teddy even dated his sister for a time. Williamson had 1,721 all-purpose yards playing with Hare as a senior.
4. NIU's Tough Schedule
Like Ball State, NIU has had a tough run of it early. The Huskies also sit 2-3 with non-conference losses to Boston College and No. 1 Ohio State. With a loss to Central Michigan last week, Northern has now dropped three straight for the first time since 2009. The Huskies last got beat in four straight games in 2007! The DeKalb boys haven't lost back-to-back divisional games in consecutive weeks since 2000.
5. NIU's Historic Effort
The Huskies dropped their bout with No. 1 Ohio State 20-13. The seven point loss is the closest any non-Power 5 school has come to knocking off the No. 1 team in the land in any non-conference, non-bowl game in at least the last 10 years. It's the second closest any team has come, trailing only Oklahoma State's six point loss to No. 1 Florida State last season.
So there's five facts to impress your friends in the car on the way up to DeKalb this weekend. If you can't make the game, join us on the radio at 2:30 for the Mutal Bank Countdown to Kickoff on 104.1 WLBC! For more information on the Cardinals you can follow the team on twitter @BallStateFB or @BallStateSports.
