by The 2025 Ball State football season is over.
In the first year of the Mike Uremovich era, the Cardinals finished with a 4-8 overall record. They went 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), failing to compete for a league title or a bowl appearance.
“There are a lot of things we have to improve, and we know what those are,” Ball State’s head coach said. “It’s no different than any other season, and we have to start addressing everything we do as a program.”
Uremovich said he and the coaching staff plan to take as much time as they need to turn things around. One of the first things he mentioned that needs attention is the Cardinals’ winless road performance. Ball State did not win one game away from Muncie, going 0-7 in away games overall.
He said that the issue was due to many different things.
“If it was one thing in particular, we would have had it fixed,” he said. “From poor execution to bad play calling from me at times and slow starts, we’re going to look at everything we do on the road … It’s something we have to address.”
On the field, the Cardinals averaged 15.8 points per game, the second-lowest amount in the MAC, just ahead of UMass (11.1). Ball State was also one of the bottom three defenses, giving up 33.6 points per game.
Away from scoring, Ball State’s offense relied on the run game throughout the season. They were sixth in the MAC with 453 attempts for 1,604 yards. Redshirt senior QB1 Kiael Kelly led the way with 272 carries and had the most yards at 608.
But on the other hand, Ball State’s passing game was limited throughout the year. Kelly attempted 277 passes — the fourth lowest in the conference — and only completed 156, which was the third lowest in the league. Only averaging 6.0 yards per pass, Kelly finished the season with 1,560 passing yards.
Uremovich again reiterated that the on-the-field changes will be a process and are not something that can be changed in a few days. According to him, the staff is focused on recruiting at the moment. He said they should have ‘around 15’ high school signings this week.
Uremovich was asked about that process and what the rest of the Ball State coaching staff is looking for when trying to build a new roster. He said that the players’ skill level is just one of the attributes he wants in possible new Cardinals.
“I want guys who are serious about getting a degree and who want to graduate from Ball State,” Uremovich said. “I’m not coaching guys who aren’t serious about going to school. After that, they have to love football. We want to have guys who want to be in the building and who want to work hard regardless of the score … They’re going to play to our standard every snap, and we have to find more of those guys.”
Uremovich said the education aspect is just as important as anything else. He said that’s why he got into coaching, and no matter what, that mindset will never change.
“If I’m coaching them, I want to see them leave here a better person,” he said.
During his end-of-the-year press conference on Sunday, Nov. 31, Uremovich also hit on the transfer portal. Uremovich said he believed the Cardinals could retain players while adding new names to keep building off the foundation that was laid this year.
“Our goal is to be better at every position. I don’t care who’s coming back and who’s not,” he said. “Our job as coaches is to get the best players we can possibly get at Ball State. I’m going to tell my guys to be the best they can be because I’m trying to find someone who can take their job.”
Following that statement, Ball State saw multiple players hit the portal on Monday, Dec. 1. Some of those names included defensive tackle Darin Conley, running back Qua Ashley and wide receiver Eric Weatherly.
While some of those names may not have had the seasons they wanted or desired, others, like senior defensive end Nate Voorhis, did. He finished with 12 sacks and is now the third place for the state in program history.
Because of something like that, Uremovich said the Ball State brand is in a good place.
“We’ve shown transfers like Nate Voorhis that they can come in here and change their stock and get an opportunity to play in the NFL,” he said. “There are very few places that have a better opportunity in America for a kid to develop, a high school kid to get on the field early or a transfer to come in here and make a name for themselves.”
Though it will take time to see how the Cardinals build next year’s team and make changes that Uremovich sees fit, there are some things he has already seen. One was the timeline of his vision for the program.
“We’ve made great progress in a lot of things … There are a million different things you have to address and get changed in your first year,” he said.
He also said his confidence level is as high as the day he was hired. He credited Ball State Athletics and the direction the program is going, adding that there are ‘no shortcuts’ when it comes to success.
But he also spoke on another part of the program: the fanbase. Uremovich said at the end of the day, a football team makes a college campus better, and that is what the Cardinals plan to do as the 2026 season begins to take off.
“I want family weekend to be fun for the families, and I want homecoming to be great for our alumni,” Uremovich said. “I want them to see a product out there that they are proud of … It’s bigger than football. When your football team starts the school year off well and is doing well [overall], it just makes it a better year.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
