by MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football took the field for the last time at Scheumann Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Cardinals closed the 2025 homestand against Eastern Michigan.
Though the Cardinals looked to end the campaign undefeated at home, they did not, as the Eagles took the victory 24-9.
Here are three notes from the contest.
The first half belonged to Eastern Michigan
It did not take long for Eastern Michigan to wreak havoc on the Cardinals. Ball State opened the game with a three-and-out, which featured an incomplete pass and a sack on redshirt senior QB1 Kiael Kelly.
Following a Ball State punt, the Eagles took a 9-play, 53-yard drive to the house after QB1 Noah Kim scored on a quarterback sneak. On the ensuing drive, the Cardinals put together a solid run until Kelly threw an interception at the Eastern Michigan three-yard line.
However, the momentum shifted to the Cardinals as they forced a turnover on downs from the Eagles. After the change in possession, Ball State drove down the gridiron and set up a 43-yard kick for redshirt senior DC Pippin. He put it right down the middle, cutting Eastern Michigan’s lead to 7-3.
But the Eagles were not thrown off course by this, as J Wheeler made a 43-yard touchdown reception after freshman Ball State defensive back Tobi Adewoyin missed the tackle.
The Eagles ended the first half with a 43-yard field goal, sending them into halftime with a 17-3 lead.
Issues in the Ball State secondary
Though the missed tackle on the touchdown catch emphasised how much Ball State’s secondary unit struggles, there were other stats that proved that.
Kim ended the opening half going 14-for-20 with 182 passing yards and the one touchdown pass. Besides one interception by Ball State redshirt senior Michael Gravely Jr. in the second quarter, there were not many highlights for the unit.
The Eagles had seven different receivers make a catch in the first half, and the Cardinals could not stop any of them.
The second half opened with some positive play for the Cardinals’ secondary. Kim attempted to make a pass downfield, but sophomore defensive back Eric McClain tipped the ball in the air. Redshirt senior defensive back Muheem McCargo made the catch for the interception.
However, the unit continued to make mistakes as the Eagles passed and ran all over them. Eastern Michigan finished the game with 229 passing yards and 151 rushing yards.
Ball State’s offense was silenced
The Cardinals have struggled with the football on the road, but have done well at home when they hold the pigskin. Yet, that changed in Saturday’s game as Ball State never found the momentum they’ve seen in the past.
In the first half, the Cardinals only had 85 yards, with just 27 of those being through the air. They also punted four times and only scored once with the field goal from Pippin.
Throughout the rest of the contest, the Cardinals continued to play out of rhythm. Though they had a chance to score following the turnover in the early minutes of the second half, the unit stalled. Though Pippin hit his second field goal of the day — this time a 25-yard kick — Ball State never found the “big play” it needed to make a breakthrough.
Ball State did find itself with a chance to convert on fourth and two at the Eagles’ 19-yard line, which would have extended their opportunity to make it a one-score game. But Kelly was brought down for a turnover-on-downs instead at the 14:56 mark of the fourth quarter.
They faced another fourth down inside Eastern Michigan’s 20-yard line, but the Cardinals elected to kick a field goal, making it a 24-9 Eagle lead.
The Cardinals finished the game with 62 passing yards, 163 rushing yards, three field goals and zero touchdowns. It’s the fourth game Ball State hasn’t found the end zone this season.
Ball State will head on the road for a game at Toledo Saturday, Nov. 15. The game will begin at 2 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
