by This is the last season as a Mid-American Conference (MAC) member for Northern Illinois, meaning the Battle for the Bronze Stalk between the Huskies and Ball State football is coming to a close.
Though they could be a non-MAC opponent for the Cardinals going forward, it’s likely that this season’s edition on Saturday, Oct. 25, will be the last for years to come.
And to add to the drama, the all-time series is tied 25-25-2.
“Every game is important and every conference game is really important,” Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich said. “When you’re playing for a trophy that gets attention, it’s something the guys know about. Obviously, it’s not something we’re going to run and hide from.”
A former assistant coach at Northern Illinois, Uremovich will make his MAC head coaching debut against the team where he first gained experience in the conference. Other Ball State staff members who have either worked or played for the Huskies include Ball State defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles and defensive backs coach Ray Smith.
“It’s been 20 years since I played,” Smith said. “The last time I played there, I was a winner. So I want to walk off the field again as a winner and to have that same feeling I had then.”
In the Red and White’s win over Akron last week, the secondary recorded two interceptions to seal the victory. While he understands the importance of this rivalry and wants to see the unit repeat that success, the Cardinals (3-4, 2-1 MAC) want it just as badly, as some of them have not given up a game to the Huskies (1-6, 0-3 MAC)in the last two years.
“We don’t know if we will play them in a decade or later,” redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Darin Conley said. “So it’s important to have this trophy in the building for as long as possible. I know we, as a team, are going to use that as motivation to keep that trophy here in Muncie.”
But if the Cardinals wish for this two-game winning streak to continue against the Huskies and want the Bronze Stalk trophy to remain in Muncie for the foreseeable future, their road struggles have to come to a halt.
The Cardinals are 3-0 at home, but they are 0-4 away from Scheumann Stadium. The statistics are lopsided as well, with Ball State averaging 32.0 points at home and 9.3 on the road (17.7 overall). On the other hand, the Red and White are allowing visiting teams to average 23.6 points in Muncie versus the 37.2 they give up away from Delaware County.
Uremovich said it comes down to one thing.
“It’s just part of growing up as a team, being mature and being able to handle different and changing environments. We need to do that this week,” he said. “We need to have a good week of practice, and it starts [Tuesday]. Then we gotta have a good Wednesday, a good Thursday and then a good Friday. Then go to bed and go out and play well on Saturday.”
Northern Illinois is the second to last team in the MAC, and the only conference team besides UMass that hasn’t won a conference game.
The Huskies are averaging just 12.3 points per game and have 10 total touchdowns to Ball State’s 16. They do lead the Cardinals in rushing yards — 1,079 to 1,005 — but trail in the passing department by 142 yards.
Northern Illinois has started two different quarterbacks, with sophomore Josh Holst getting the nod last week over freshman Brady Davidson. In the loss to Ohio, Holst was 21-for-29 with 161 passing yards and two touchdowns.
On the ground, the Huskies are led by sophomore running back Telley Johsnon Jr. as he has 481 yards and two scores on 78 carries. Defensively, the team ranks ninth in the conference for 24.3 points per game given up.
But despite the record and statistics, Conley said that aspect goes out the window as both teams want to be the one who receives the trophy once the clock hits zeros.
“Anything can really happen, so you have to attack practice like it’s a one-week season … It’s going to be a championship game because it’s super important, and it’s our rivalry game,” he said. “Northern Illinois is going to be putting their all into this game. They have a good team, and they’re ready to win.”
Some of the new Cardinals this season have yet to experience the rivalry, and redshirt junior running Back Qua Ashley said he wants to be ‘the best’ to help his team keep the win-streak alive. Yet, for redshirt junior wide receiver Ty Robinson, he’s watched his teammates beat the Huskies the last two years from the sidelines due to injuries.
This time, he’s ready to affect what happens on the field.
“The past few years have seen eventful endings from this rivalry,” he said. “These MAC games are down to the wire and are fourth-quarter games … We just gotta play all four quarters and do what we need to do.”
What could be the final installment between these two teams will start at 3:30 p.m. The game can be found on ESPN+.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
