For the second week in a row, Ball State finds itself on a road trip to Michigan on the cusp of bowl eligibility. Beat Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon and Ball State could find itself playing postseason football for the first time since 2008.
Or as coach Pete Lembo said this week, the Cardinals are close "to doing some pretty neat things."
Ball State failed to become the Mid-American Conference's first bowl-eligible team last week at Western Michigan, losing 45-35. The loss leaves the Cardinals needing to beat one of the three teams tied for first place in the MAC West to get its all-important sixth victory. Ball State no longer completely controls its own destiny in the MAC West, but can still assure itself of at least a share of the division title if it wins out.
A win against Eastern Michigan would keep Ball State's goals of a MAC championship and a bowl game in play. A loss, however, would all but knock the Cardinals (5-4, 3-2) out of the MAC title race and make getting to a bowl game much more difficult.
But two of Ball State's captains said they are not placing extra emphasis on the Eastern Michigan game.
"It's a must win because it's the game that we play this week," center Kreg Hunter said. "That's the way we've gone after every game."
If Ball State is to get to bowl eligibility this week, it will have to beat a much-improved Eastern Michigan team. The Eagles (5-3, 3-1) won a combined two games in the first two years of Ron English's tenure, but are now tied for first place in the MAC West.
Eastern Michigan relies on its run-heavy offense, which Lembo said was comparable to what Temple employs. The Eagles average almost 46 rushing plays per game, second only to the Owls in the MAC. In every other major rushing statistic, Eastern Michigan ranks third in the league, behind Temple and Northern Illinois.
"They'll be very patient with [their running game]," Lembo said. "A run that might get them three or four yards in the first half, they feel like if they run it enough times by the second half you'll be worn down and that run might get them seven or eight yards or it might spit for 50."
But that doesn't mean Eastern Michigan won't try to exploit the holes in Ball State's secondary that other teams have found. The Cardinals have allowed their opponents to throw for more than 400 yards and three touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.
So even though Eastern Michigan ranks last in the MAC in almost every passing statistic, safety Sean Baker expects quarterback Alex Gillett to break out of his running-quarterback mold and test Ball State's secondary.
"He just makes plays for them when they need them," Baker said. "He's a great football player."
Lembo said Eastern Michigan presents Ball State with a challenge this week. But his biggest task may be the balancing act of rebuilding the Cardinals while trying to keep all their goals alive for at least a few more weeks.
"You're trying to really challenge these guys and you're trying to get every ounce out of their potential," Lembo said. "Because we are, we're right there on the doorstep of some neat things, regardless of the fact that it's the first year of a rebuilding project."
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