by The first season of the Ball State football Mike Uremovich era is coming to a close as the Cardinals head to Miami (OH) Saturday, Nov. 29, for the Red Bird Rivalry. This year’s edition will kick off at noon.
Ball State heads into the game as the No. 8 team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) while Miami is the fifth seed.
“This is our last game as a collective group,” Uremovich said. “These guys have put a lot of work in since the time I got here … It’s something we have talked about and something I’ll bring up throughout the week.”
It is another road game where the Cardinals (4-7, 3-4 MAC) will try to end their struggles away from Scheumann Stadium. So far, Ball State is winless in enemy territory as the team is 0-7 in road contests. Uremovich said it is about getting off to a ‘quick start.’
“We have to get a fast start,” Uremovich said. “I’m actually glad our last game is on the road because it’s one more opportunity to go try and play better.”
The Redhawks (6-5, 5-2 MAC) come into the game with senior QB1 Henry Henson, who took over for senior starting quarterback Dequan Finn. Finn left the team Nov. 14 to focus on the NFL, according to ESPN. Henson is 32-for-78 and has 489 passing yards and three touchdown throws.
On the ground, Miami is led by senior running back Jordan Brunson. On 127 carries, he has recorded 611 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Redhawks’ defense is No. 3 in the conference for sacks. They have brought opposing quarterbacks down 32 times this season. Ball State senior QB1 Kiael Kelly has been sacked 43 times in 2025.
“They don’t have many weaknesses offensively,” Uremovich said. “They have two big running backs … They have good players at every level.”
In Ball State’s last game — a 38-9 loss to Toledo — the Cardinals allowed the Rockets to hurt them in every facet of the game. Uremovich said the team didn’t help their chances.
“There were a lot of things we could have done better, but we also played a really good football team,” he said. “We cannot beat ourselves, and we did that in several cases … We have to get ahead of the sticks [this week. When it’s third and eight or third and nine, you won’t get a lot of opportunities.”
With this being the Cardinals’ final game of the season, it will mark the end of multiple careers, such as Kelly’s. Uremovich said that if players wanted advice on how to handle this moment, he would be there to prepare them for it.
“There’s no doubt it’ll be on their mind,” he said. “Some of them might get to the NFL, and some of them might not ever put a helmet on again. You want them to have a great memory of their last game … I would tell them they shouldn’t run from any emotions or feelings that you have. Some of them have put in five years here. I want them to think of all the good things and the things they have overcome here.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
