FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: Cardinals Host Akron in 98th Homecoming Game

Ball State (2-4, 1-1 MAC) vs. Akron (2-5, 1-2 MAC)
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MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State battles the University of Akron for the first time since 2021. The Zips haven't visited Scheumann Stadium since homecoming in 2016. The Cardinals hope for their first home win over the Zips since 2014, when Akron visits Muncie as part of Ball State's 98th homecoming weekend.

-- Ball State seeks its fourth straight homecoming victory, having beaten Connecticut (2022), Central Michigan (2023) and Northern Illinois (2024) in the past three seasons. A four-game streak would be the Cardinals' longest since a seven-game run from 1992-98. Ironically, that seven-game streak was ended by the Zips (31-9 in 1999) who are, inconveniently, 3-0 all-time against the homecoming Cardinals (1976, 1999, 2016).

-- Fans are encouraged to WEAR RED this week to match the Cardinals on the field! Tailgate lots open at 11:30 a.m., with the Cardinal Walk slated for 1:15 p.m. and CharlieTown open for pregame festivities at 1:30.

-- The Cardinals stumbled during a 42-0 defeat last week at Western Michigan. With a four-game win streak under their belt and in first place in the Mid-American Conference, the Broncos scored 21 points in each half and limited Ball State to just five first downs.

-- Ball State defensive end Nathan Voorhis was stellar against Ohio two weeks ago and remains second in the country with 1.33 sacks per game. His 8.0 sacks overall are also second among total sacks, after registering 3.5 sacks and another QB hurry in the win over the Bobcats.

-- With six games remaining, Voorhis' eight sacks are within reach of Ball State's official single-season record of 11.5, and its all-time mark of 13. Voorhis also is third on the team in overall tackles (26), trailing Alfred Chea (30) and Ashton Whitner (27).

-- Offensively, Qua Ashley and Kiael Kelly remain the Cardinals' rushing leaders with 333 and 273 net rush yards this season. Kelly's 725 passing yards this season already have doubled his 608 career pass yards entering the season.

WHAT A WIN MEANS:
-- Ball State will run its homecoming win streak to four games, its longest since a program-record seven straight wins between 1992 and 1998..
-- Ball State will win three consecutive home games for the first time since a 2022 homecoming win over UConn capped a home streak beginning with Murray State and Northern Illinois.

INSIDE THE SERIES: AKRON
-- Saturday's visit by the Zips marks the fourth time that Ball State has hosted Akron as part of its annual homecoming festivities, including their last visit to Scheumann Stadium on Oct. 22, 2016. In fact, the Zips are 3-0 on Ball State's homecoming date, winning in 1976, 1999 and 2016.
-- Akron's 31-9 win in the 1999 Ball State homecoming snapped the program's longest homecoming win streak at seven games.
-- Ball State and Akron have played to a 12-12-1 stalemate over the first 25 games of their series.

TIGHT IN THE MAC
-- Ten of Ball State's past 14 games in the MAC have been decided by six points or less. Ten of the last 13 have been decided by seven or less.
-- Six out of eight Ball State games in the Mid-American Conference last year were decided by six points or less -- five of those by three points or less.
-- Last season's only games not decided by six points or less were the season's final two games following a coaching change.
-- The 2024 campaign marked the first time in program history with six or more MAC games decided by 6 points or fewer.

LIMIT THE FLAGS
-- Ball State is the MAC's leader in fewest penalties (26), fewest penalty yards (209), fewest penalties per game (4.33) and fewest penalty yards per game (34.83).

MAC Rk | FBS Rk
Fewest Penalties -- 1st | 12th
Fewest Penalties/Gm -- 1st | 12th
Fewest Penalty Yds -- 1st | 9th
Fewest Penalty Yds/Gm -- 1st | 11th

VOORHIS LEADING DEFENSIVE LINE SURGE
-- Nathan Voorhis (pronounced VORR-is) has had a sack in four of Ball State's six games, and boasts six sacks in the Cardinals' two home games, alone.
-- His 3.5 sacks against Ohio set a career-high and his eight total sacks through six games (1.33 per game) are tied for second among all FBS players.

CARDINALS' ALL-TIME SACKS LEADERS
-- Current sack leader Nathan Voorhis boasts 8.0 sacks on the year, already more than last year's leader, Riley Tolsma, who had 5.5.
-- Voorhis is already just the sixth Ball State player since 2000 to record at least eight sacks in a season. His current total of 8.0 matches the season total of All-MAC defender Sidney Houston in 2023.
-- Voorhis is on pace to challenge Ball State's all-time sack leaders. The stat has been an official NCAA statistic since 2000, placing Anthony Winbush as the Cardinals' "NCAA-recognized official" record-holder with 11.5 sacks in 2017.
-- Ball State has maintained sack statistics since 1978, however, with Kelly George (1982) and Craig Newburg (1981) both owning their place in the Cardinals' record book with 13 in those seasons.
-- Voorhis is one of 17 Ball State players ever to record at least eight sacks in a season -- though surely the first to do so in the season's first five games.

CARDINALS AMONG MAC & FBS SACK LEADERS
-- As a team, Ball State's 2.5 sacks per game (15 total) rank fourth in the MAC and 34th nationally.

BETTER CALL SAUL
-- Transfer punter Adam Saul ranks ninth in the MAC and 64th nationally with a 41.8-yard punting average.
-- Saul owns six punts of at least 50 yards this year, including a 55-yard boot at UConn, a 62-yard kick against Ohio and his career-long 67-yarder at Purdue.
-- Nine of his 38 punts have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
-- His 62-yarder against Ohio landed at the Bobcats' 1-yard line and on their first play from scrimmage after the punt, Ball State recorded a safety to pull within 14-12 in an eventual upset win.
-- Saul was called on for 10 punts twice this season, at Auburn and again at Western Michigan.

BALL STATE BY THE NUMBERS
4-4 - Kiael Kelly's record in the MAC as QB1. He was 3-3 during a six-game stretch in 2023, and 1-1 to begin the 2025 campaign.
8 - FBS-leading sacks by Nathan Voorhis, through six games, are the most by a Cardinal since Sidney Houston had eight in the 2023 season.
97 - Ball State is 57-38-2 in its 97-game homecoming history. The first homecoming game was played in 1926, with no games in 1929 or 1943.
193 - Kiael Kelly (1,171) is 193 yards from replacing Riley Neal (1,363) in second place among career rushing leaders by a Ball State QB.

FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: Cardinals Host Akron in 98th Homecoming Game

Players Mentioned

Qua Ashley

Alfred Chea

Kiael Kelly

Adam Saul

Riley Tolsma

Nathan Voorhis

Ashton Whitner

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