Ohio hosts Ball State on Thursday in the first game of mid-week MACtion this season for both teams. Thursday’s game is the first of three over 13 days, which will determine the outcome of the Bobcats’ season.
The Cardinals (3-5, 2-2 MAC) come to Athens for the first time since Nov. 17, 2015. It is the second of three games the Bobcats (4-3, 2-1 MAC) play against West division opponents.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday at Peden Stadium and can be watched on CBS Sports Network.
All-time series: Ball State leads 15-9.
Last time they played: Ohio beat Ball State 48-31 at Peden Stadium on Nov. 17, 2015. J.D. Sprague passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and A.J. Ouellette ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Chad Moore had seven tackles as the Bobcats held the Cardinals to just 10 points in the first half.
Ball State report: With an offense that’s explosive enough to cause havoc for the Ohio defense, the Cardinals are averaging 25 points per game. Ball State started the season with five straight games in the state of Indiana, and it’s coming off a 42-20 drubbing to Eastern Michigan.
Quarterback Riley Neal played the last time the two teams met. He sat out last season due to injury but has rebounded to throw for 1,841, 10 touchdowns and a 58.4 completion percentage.
Defensively, the Cardinals have struggled just like the Bobcats. They’ve allowed 405.9 yards per game and 26.1 points per game.
How Ohio beats Ball State: It’s pretty simple. Ohio keeps doing what it did against Bowling Green with an explosive offense and the ability to shut down the run. Force some turnovers and make sure the secondary does a decent job. The talent is there for the Bobcats, but they’ll just have to execute.
Player to watch: No. 34 Junior running back James Gilbert
He needs just 45 more yards to rank seventh place in the program’s all-time rushing list. So far this season, he’s rushed for 534 yards and five touchdowns, and he was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List. Before missing last season due to injury, he was named to the 2016 All-MAC First Team for leading the conference with 12 touchdowns.
