The Essential Game Information
Indiana vs. Ball State
Date: Sept. 10, 2016 (Saturday)
Site: Memorial Stadium (52,929 capacity)
Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
Television: ESPNEWS
Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on the IU Radio Network
Series Facts: This is the eighth meeting between in-state rivals Indiana and Ball State. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series 4-3 but have lost the last three match-ups, including a 41-39 loss at home in 2012.
Coaches: Indiana — Kevin Wilson (27‑48, sixth season); Ball State — Mike Neu (1-0, first season)
Indiana Last Week: The Hoosiers defeated Florida International 34-13.
Ball State Last Week: The Cardinals beat Georgia State 31-21.
New head coach Mike Neu passed his first test
Sophomore quarterback Riley Neal threw for just 130 yards and threw two interceptions last week, but that was enough to lead his Cardinals to a win that gave new head coach Mike Neu his first victory.
The Cardinals defeated Georgia State on the road 31-21 to open the season last Friday. The Cardinals and Panthers were tied 14-14 midway through the third quarter before BSU rallied for a 17-7 run to put the game away.
Ball State relied heavily on its rushing attack, racking up 325 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore running back James Gilbert did the bulk of the work, taking 29 carries for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
Ball State's defense, which last year was among the worst in the country, allowed Georgia State just 272 total yards and two offensive touchdowns.
Can the Hoosiers end their losing streak against the Cardinals?
There have been two distinct halves of the Indiana-Ball State rivalry.
The Hoosiers won the first four games, but the Cardinals have owned Indiana lately by winning three games in a row. Two of those wins, including the last one that ended in a game-winning field goal in the dying seconds, came at Memorial Stadium while the middle of the three wins came at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ball State is the closest thing to a competitive in-state rivals IU has outside of Purdue, a conference rival already.
The Hoosiers already have scheduled games against their MAC counterpart lined up in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to continue a rivalry that athletic director Fred Glass said was beneficial for both programs when the agreement was announced in 2015.
"We are thrilled to continue this series with Ball State," Glass said in a news release then. "It's great for the fans of both programs and playing another state school has the added benefit of our financial support remaining within the state of Indiana."
IU's defense looks to maintain its momentum
Indiana wouldn't still be undefeated if not for Tom Allen's defense playing one of its best games in the Wilson-era against Florida International.
So what's next?
Judging teams off single games is dangerous and oftentimes pointless work. But Allen came into the new season stressing takeaways and got three interceptions to show for it.
When IU's offense was struggling to find its gear late in drives, the defense was there to pick it up. No, Florida International isn't an elite offense. And no, neither is Ball State.
But a repeat of last week's performance would go a long way toward the Hoosier defenders establishing confidence on that side of the ball. The quicker they flip the switch from thinking "here it goes again" to "we can win games for this team," the better.
