Ball State football may avoid having to prepare for one of the better quarterbacks in the Mid-American Conference.
According to Michigan Live, quarterback Alex Carder, who has missed the last two games with a finger injury, had the pin removed from the middle finger on his throwing hand Monday and will start rehabilitation. But the pin removal doesn't mean he will play against Ball State at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit said quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen is more likely to get the start. There is no specific date for Carder's return, and how his hand responds to rehab will determine how soon he returns to action.
Before Carder suffered the finger injury against Connecticut on Sept. 22, he had 1,049 passing yards in four games with eight touchdowns. He was also completing 60 percent of his passes and averaging 262 passing yards per game.
Last season against Ball State, Carder threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns but had three interceptions. He also ran for 36 yards and had a touchdown run. Western Michigan won 45-35 last year in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Ball State also played its Homecoming game against Western Michigan in 2010 - a 45-16 loss. In that game, Carder threw for 265 yards and one touchdown. He also led the Broncos in rushing with 66 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
His backup has had mixed results in his two games as starter. The first was a 37-17 loss to Toledo and the second a 52-14 win over UMass, Van Tubbergen is averaging 99 passing yards per game with six touchdowns. He also has four interceptions, three of which came in the loss to Toledo.
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