Where: Yager Stadium (24,286), Oxford.
Coaches: Ball State Mike Neu, third season, 10-25, same overall Miami Chuck Martin, fifth season, 21-39 at Miami, 95-46 overall.
Last time: Gus Ragland threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers, Josh Allen returned an interception for a touchdown and Miami wrapped up the 2017 season with a convincing 28-7 win at Muncie, Ind.
Series notes: Miami leads the "Redbird Rivalry" 18-12-1 and has won two straight games after three straight losses … The winner takes home the "Redbird Rivalry" trophy, inaugurated last season.
Stat pack: Ball State RB James Gilbert 144 carries, 631 yards, 4.4 avg., 7 TD; QB Riley Neal 194-of-335, 1,917 yards, 11 TD, 4 int; WR Justin Hall 66 catches, 589 yards, 0 TD; LB Ray Wilborn 79 tackles, 43 solo.
Miami RB Alonzo Smith 123 carries, 539 yards, 4.4 avg., 6 TD; QB Gus Ragland 215-of-355 passing, 2,388 yards, 16 TD, 4 int.; WR Jack Sorenson 50 catches, 706 yards, 2 TD; LB Brad Koenig 88 tackles, 48 solo.
Local flavor: So. OL Chris Beech, Alter; Jr. safety Mitch Larsen, Fairfield; Fr. LB Trey Uetrecht, Clinton Massie.
Worth noting: Ball State is coming off a dramatic, 42-41 win over Western Michigan on Senior Night in the Cardinals regular-season finale on Nov. 13 … The upset cost the Broncos a chance at a MAC West championship … Third-year sophomore quarterback Drew Plitt stepped in for the injured Riley Neal and went 21-of-26 for 258 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions … Neal still ranked second in the MAC with an average of 252.7 yards of total offense per game through Nov. 16 … Hall ranked second in the MAC with an average of 6.0 receptions per game, just ahead of teammate Riley Miller, who was third with an average of 5.1 receptions per game … The Cardinals led the MAC with an average of 254.2 passing yards per game … They also were the MAC's most-effective team on fourth down, converting 15-of-23 tries (65.2 percent).
Quotable: Plitt, a Loveland graduate, on leading Ball State past Western Michigan: "It was needed for us. We have gone through some hard times, last year and this year, but it was a lot of fun to get a win. A win like that is big, especially on Senior Night."
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