Ball State University Athletics
Saturday, September 19
Lynchburg, VA
4 p.m.
Ball State University
at
Liberty
Photo by: Samantha Blankenship / Ball State University
Cardinals Turn Attention to Road Test at Liberty
September 14, 2026 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State football travels this week to Lynchburg, Virginia, for a road contest at Liberty as the Cardinals look to build on last week's momentum-building win over Stony Brook. Head coach Mike Uremovich, TJ Horton and Layton Starks met with the media Monday morning to discuss the Cardinals' preparation for the Flames.
Uremovich expects a physical challenge from a Liberty team built around its rushing attack. He explained the Flames' use of motion, misdirection and option concepts as ways the team creates opportunities on the ground.
"[Liberty] is a run-heavy team," Uremovich said. "What they do differently is the eye candy with the orbit motions and misdirection stuff to run the ball, but it also sets up a play-action passing game for them and triple-option looks."
Ball State's defensive front will play a significant role in slowing down that attack. The Cardinals will rotate their arsenal along the defensive line to keep the unit fresh against an offense that wants to control possession and consistently move the chains.
Starks echoed the importance of discipline and attention to detail against the Flames.
"[Liberty] is a very run-heavy team," Starks said. "I feel like that comes with the D-line first. With a team that's running the ball, you really have to pay attention to the little details."
Offensively, the Cardinals will look to build on a productive rushing performance against Stony Brook while eliminating mistakes that can put the unit behind the sticks. Uremovich emphasized the importance of getting lined up correctly, avoiding turnovers and creating positive plays against a physical Liberty defense.
Horton credited Ball State's offensive line and receivers for his 125-yard rushing performance against Stony Brook and said another strong week of preparation will be important on the road.
"We've just got to keep on practicing hard because last week we had a very solid week of practice," Horton said. "We'll focus on the smaller details and things like that."
While Ball State continues its pursuit of its first road win under Uremovich, the team placed emphasis on keeping their attention on the present rather than previous or future results.
"The only road game we can affect right now is the one we're playing," Uremovich said. "Everything that happened before and after really doesn't matter. It's just about focusing on Liberty."
For the Cardinals, limiting turnovers and explosive plays will be two of the biggest priorities Saturday. Uremovich said Ball State will need defenders consistently pursuing the football against Liberty's physical rushing attack.
"We have to get them on the ground," Uremovich said. "We've got to have 11 hats to the ball."
Ball State travels to Liberty for the first time in program history on Sept. 19 for a road test slated for 4 p.m. ET. Broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and WLBC 104.1 FM.
Uremovich expects a physical challenge from a Liberty team built around its rushing attack. He explained the Flames' use of motion, misdirection and option concepts as ways the team creates opportunities on the ground.
"[Liberty] is a run-heavy team," Uremovich said. "What they do differently is the eye candy with the orbit motions and misdirection stuff to run the ball, but it also sets up a play-action passing game for them and triple-option looks."
Ball State's defensive front will play a significant role in slowing down that attack. The Cardinals will rotate their arsenal along the defensive line to keep the unit fresh against an offense that wants to control possession and consistently move the chains.
Starks echoed the importance of discipline and attention to detail against the Flames.
"[Liberty] is a very run-heavy team," Starks said. "I feel like that comes with the D-line first. With a team that's running the ball, you really have to pay attention to the little details."
Offensively, the Cardinals will look to build on a productive rushing performance against Stony Brook while eliminating mistakes that can put the unit behind the sticks. Uremovich emphasized the importance of getting lined up correctly, avoiding turnovers and creating positive plays against a physical Liberty defense.
Horton credited Ball State's offensive line and receivers for his 125-yard rushing performance against Stony Brook and said another strong week of preparation will be important on the road.
"We've just got to keep on practicing hard because last week we had a very solid week of practice," Horton said. "We'll focus on the smaller details and things like that."
While Ball State continues its pursuit of its first road win under Uremovich, the team placed emphasis on keeping their attention on the present rather than previous or future results.
"The only road game we can affect right now is the one we're playing," Uremovich said. "Everything that happened before and after really doesn't matter. It's just about focusing on Liberty."
For the Cardinals, limiting turnovers and explosive plays will be two of the biggest priorities Saturday. Uremovich said Ball State will need defenders consistently pursuing the football against Liberty's physical rushing attack.
"We have to get them on the ground," Uremovich said. "We've got to have 11 hats to the ball."
Ball State travels to Liberty for the first time in program history on Sept. 19 for a road test slated for 4 p.m. ET. Broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and WLBC 104.1 FM.
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