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2024 Ball State Cardinals football
2024 Ball State Cardinals football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	1–3 (0–1 MAC)
Head coach	Mike Neu (9th season);
Offensive coordinator	Jared Elliott (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Jeff Knowles (1st season)
Home stadium	Scheumann Stadium
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

2024 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Eastern Michigan	1	–	0	4	–	1
Buffalo	1	–	0	3	–	2
Central Michigan	1	–	0	3	–	2
Ohio	1	–	0	3	–	2
Toledo	0	–	0	3	–	1
Bowling Green	0	–	0	1	–	3
Miami (OH)	0	–	0	1	–	3
Western Michigan	0	–	0	1	–	3
Northern Illinois	0	–	1	2	–	2
Ball State	0	–	1	1	–	3
Akron	0	–	1	1	–	4
Kent State	0	–	1	0	–	5
Championship: December 7, 2024
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant As of October 2, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024 Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University as a member of the Mid-American Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinals are led by Mike Neu in his ninth year as the head coach. The Cardinals play home games at Scheumann Stadium, located in Muncie, Indiana.^[1]

Preseason

Preseason polls

On July 19 the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Ball State was picked to finish ninth in the conference. They received zero votes to win the MAC Championship.^[2]^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
MAC Coaches poll
1	Miami	119 (9)
2	Toledo	109 (3)
T3	Bowling Green	92
T3	Northern Illinois	92
5	Ohio	81
6	Eastern Michigan	64
7	Western Michigan	60
8	Central Michigan	59
9	Ball State	42
10	Buffalo	37
11	Akron	24
12	Kent State	13

Predicted finish	Team	Votes
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
1	Miami	10
2	Toledo	2

Schedule

Unusually, Ball State did not play a game on "Week 1" of the season; they were the only idle FBS team on the traditional start of the season. Army, their original Week 1 opponent, dropped out after joining the American Athletic Conference. Ball State replaced Army with an October 19 game against Vanderbilt.^[4]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 7	2:00 p.m.	Missouri State*	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	ESPN+	W 42–34	10,018
September 14	3:30 p.m.	at No. 10 Miami (FL)*	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL	ACCN	L 0–62	51,564
September 21	1:00 p.m.	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN+	L 34–37	18,011
September 28	1:30 p.m.	at James Madison*	Bridgeforth Stadium Harrisonburg, VA	ESPN+	L 7–63	25,786
October 5	2:00 p.m.	Western Michigan	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	ESPN+
October 12	12:00 p.m.	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN+
October 19	7:00 p.m.	at Vanderbilt*	FirstBank Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN+/ESPN+
October 26		Northern Illinois	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN (Bronze Stalk Trophy)
November 5	7:30 p.m./8:00 p.m.	Miami (OH)	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	ESPN2/ESPNU
November 12	7:00 p.m.	at Buffalo	UB Stadium Buffalo, NY	ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN
November 23		Bowling Green	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN
November 29	12:00 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPNU/CBSSN
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[5]

Game summaries

Missouri State (FCS)

Game One – Missouri State Bears (FCS) (0–1) at Ball State Cardinals (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears (FCS)	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0

at Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN

Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
Game attendance: 10,018
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Statistics	MSU	BALL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Missouri State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 10 Miami (FL)

Game Two – Ball State Cardinals (1–0) vs No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
No. 10 Hurricanes	10	21	10	21	62

at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL

Date: September 14, 2024
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game attendance: 51,564
TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), and Coley Harvey (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter

(6:15) MIA – Andres Borregales 30-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:10; Miami 3–0)
(1:25) MIA – Xavier Restrepo 21-yard pass from Cam Ward, Andres Borregales kick (Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:34; Miami 10–0)

Second quarter

(4:46) MIA – Chris Johnson Jr. 37-yard pass from Cam Ward, Andres Borregales kick (Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:51; Miami 17–0)
(1:53) MIA – Elijah Arroyo 21-yard pass from Cam Ward, Andres Borregales kick (Drive: 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:16; Miami 24–0)
(1:30) MIA – Xavier Restrepo 20-yard pass from Cam Ward, Andres Borregales kick (Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:12; Miami 31–0)

Third quarter

(12:26) MIA – Jacolby George 17-yard pass from Cam Ward, Andres Borregales kick (Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:27; Miami 38–0)
(3:24) MIA – Andres Borregales 32-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:54; Miami 41–0)

Fourth quarter

(14:49) MIA – Ajay Allen 56-yard run, Abram Murray kick (Drive: 2 plays, 90 yards, 0:23; Miami 48–0)
(11:46) MIA – Elija Lofton 40-yard pass from Emory Williams, Abram Murray kick (Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:14; Miami 55–0)
(6:40) MIA – Jordan Lyle 7-yard run, Abram Murray kick (Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:10; Miami 62–0)

Statistics	BSU	MIA
First downs	9	31
Total yards	115	750
Rushing yards	6	243
Passing yards	109	507
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–32–1	30–40–0
Time of possession	27:01	32:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing	Kadin Semonza	16/26, 111 yards, INT
	Rushing	Braedon Sloan	5 carries, 13 yards
	Receiving	Braedon Sloan	4 receptions, 41 yards
Miami	Passing	Cam Ward	19/28, 346 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Ajay Allen	7 carries, 104 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jacolby George	6 receptions, 109 yards, TD

at Central Michigan

Game Three – Ball State Cardinals (1–1) at Central Michigan Chippewas (1–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Chippewas	0	0	0	0	0

at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Date: September 21, 2024
Game time: 1:00pm
TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Cardinals	Chippewas
First downs
Plays–yards	–	–
Rushes–yards	–	–
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int	––	––
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Central Michigan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at James Madison

Game Four – Ball State Cardinals (1–2) at James Madison Dukes (3–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Dukes	0	0	0	0	0

at Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA

Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
Game time: 1:30 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): Curt Dudley (play-by-play), Brian Barlow (analyst) and David Hulvey (sideline)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	BALL	JMU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
James Madison	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Western Michigan

Game Five – Western Michigan Broncos (1–3) at Ball State Cardinals (1–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0

at Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN

Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
Game time: 2:00 p.m.
TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Tyoka Jackson (analyst)

Statistics	WMU	BALL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Michigan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Kent State

Game Six – Ball State Cardinals (0–0) at Kent State Golden Flashes (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Golden Flashes	0	0	0	0	0

at Dix Stadium • Kent, OH

Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	BALL	KENT
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Kent State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Vanderbilt

Game Seven – Ball State Cardinals (0–0) at Vanderbilt Commodores (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Commodores	0	0	0	0	0

at FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, TN

Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
TV: SECN+/ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	BALL	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Vanderbilt	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Northern Illinois

Game Eight – Northern Illinois Huskies (0–0) at Ball State Cardinals (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0

at Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN

Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
Game time: TBA p.m.

Statistics	NIU	BALL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Ball State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

^ "2024 Football Coaching Staff". Ball State University Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ Helwick, Steve (August 27, 2024). "Ball State is the only FBS team with a Week 1 bye: Here's why". Hustle Belt. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^ "2024 Ball State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[1] "2024 Football Coaching Staff". Ball State University Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[2] "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[3] "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[4] Helwick, Steve (August 27, 2024). "Ball State is the only FBS team with a Week 1 bye: Here's why". Hustle Belt. Retrieved September 12, 2024.

[5] "2024 Ball State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

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