FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: Ball State Homecoming Celebration Welcomes Sacramento State to Muncie

Ball State (2-5, 1-2 MAC) vs. Sacramento State (1-6, 0-4 MAC)
Game 8 - vs. Sacramento State	Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET Live Stats \| ESPN+
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TOGETHER - A Ball State Sports Link Documentary Series	Episode 1 \| Episode 2 \| Episode 3 \| Episode 4

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State welcomes the newest member of the Mid-American Conference, Sacramento State, into Scheumann Stadium this week as the Cardinals celebrate 100 years of homecoming. The Hornets make their first visit to Muncie while trying to capture their first MAC win. Ball State, meanwhile, hopes to ride the momentum of last week's overtime victory at Bowling Green, seeking wins in consecutive weeks for the first time under coach Mike Uremovich.

** Ball State University honors 100 Years of Homecoming in 2026, commemorating annual homecoming celebrations over the past century. The first homecoming football game took place exactly 100 years ago when Ball State downed Hanover College, 13-0, on Nov. 13, 1926. The Cardinals have hosted 97 homecoming battles over the past century, counting every season but 1929 (no record of a homecoming game), 1943 (WWII) and 2020 (Covid).

** As part of this week's homecoming tribute, Ball State's 1976 team celebrates the 50th anniversary of its MAC championship season. Team members will be honored during the first quarter of Saturday's game. Similarly, members of the Cardinals' 1996 MAC championship team will be honored during the second quarter, on what is the 30th anniversary of their league crown.

** Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee takes part in a MAC Food Drive this week and will collect donations between 2-4 p.m., outside Gates 1 & 4 prior to Saturday's game. Donated funds benefit Muncie Mission. Donated food benefits Second Harvest.

** Ball State enters this week's game on the heels of a thrilling, historic, emotional road win at Bowling Green that erased a 14-game road losing streak. The Cardinals led nearly the entire contest but surrendered the lead for the first time with only a minute to play in regulation. Keldric Luster found Eli Hohlt for a 20-yard TD pass as time expired and the subsequent PAT knotted the score. Then, after the Falcons took a 31-24 lead on the first possession of overtime, TJ Horton skipped into the end zone from a yard out for a 31-30 score. Not to be denied their victory, Uremovich and the Cardinals went for 2, and Luster scrambled free to find Alex Scherle in the front corner of the end zone for a 2-point exclamation.

** The MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time, Luster ran for a 28-yard touchdown and collected 125 rushing yards, the fourth-best figure ever by a Ball State QB. He threw for 195 yards on 16-of-24 passing with his lone passing TD, as time expired, the dagger that thwarted Bowling Green's last-minute comeback. His 2-point conversation pass sealed Ball State's first road win since 2024.

** The Ball State defense was just as influential in the historic win as its offensive teammates, limiting Bowling Green to only 98 rushing yards, contributing four sacks and collecting the Cardinals' first takeaway -- an interception by Will Yates -- since a Week 3 fumble recovery at Liberty.

WHAT A WIN MEANS:
** Ball State will earn its 60th homecoming victory and Mike Uremovich will remain perfect (2-0) in Ball State homecoming games. The Cardinals will record their fifth straight homecoming win, and their sixth in seven games since 2019.
** The Cardinals will beat consecutive MAC opponents for the first time since 2024, with a loss at Vanderbilt wedged between wins over Kent State and Northern Illinois. Ball State will win consecutive games for the first time since beating Northern Illinois and Kent State in 2023 (separated by 11 days in MACtion). The Cardinals will win two games in a 7-day span for the first time since besting Central Michigan and Connecticut in October 2022. The 25-21 win vs. UConn was Ball State's 2022 homecoming.

BY THE NUMBERS:
20+ -- It has been six years since the Cardinals amassed 20+ first downs on the road in consecutive weeks (at Toledo & Central Michigan in 2020).
98th -- Saturday is Ball State's 98th homecoming football game. It is the 100th anniversary of Ball State's first homecoming football game in 1926.
240 -- Ball State's 240 rush yards at Bowling Green were the most by the Cardinals in a MAC game since posting 274 in the final game of 2023 vs. Miami.
326 -- With 370, 360 and 435 yards in total offense the past three weeks, Ball State has raised its season average to 326.1 yards of offense per game.

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Players Mentioned

Eli Hohlt

TJ Horton

Keldric Luster

Alex Scherle

Ball State University Athletics