Sacramento State (1-6, 0-4 MAC) at Ball State (2-5, 1-2 MAC). Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET, Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, ESPN+.
Your hosts are Gus Ponder, a Ball State fan who charts special teams on a garage whiteboard and tells one dad joke per punt, and Mateo Villaseñor, a Sacramento State fan and farm-to-fork chef who explains defense like a recipe.
Gus: Welcome to Muncie, chef. Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It felt crummy.
Mateo: Happy 100th homecoming, my friend. I brought dessert. I'm hoping my defense brings the heat.
Players to watch
Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster has 1,066 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 64.7% of his passes. Running back T.J. Horton has 393 yards and seven touchdowns on 59 carries. Wide receiver Donovan Hamilton has 22 catches for 273 yards.
Sacramento State wide receiver Matthew Coleman has 36 catches for 473 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Jackson Sharman has 1,070 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Safety Boogsie Silvera has 42 tackles and an interception. Running back Isaiah Ene has 246 yards on 48 carries.
Mateo: Silvera is a top-shelf ingredient. Season him with turnovers and watch out.
What happened last week
Ball State won 32-31 at Bowling Green. Luster threw for 195 yards and a touchdown and ran 17 times for 125 yards and another score. Horton added 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Sacramento State lost 48-7 to Ohio. Backup quarterback Brian Salazar went 4 of 5 for 71 yards and a touchdown, and Ene ran for 59 yards on seven carries.
Gus: A one-point road win in the MAC? Now that's a joke with a happy ending.
Injuries and availability
The MAC doesn't publish an official availability report, and no injury news had surfaced for either team as of Oct. 18. Check the schools' channels on game day.
What the coaches are up to
Mike Uremovich is in his second season as Ball State's 19th head coach. At Butler he led the Bulldogs to three straight winning seasons, their first such run in nearly four decades. He also spent six seasons as a Northern Illinois assistant and helped win MAC titles in 2012 and 2018.
Alonzo Carter is a first-time head coach. Sacramento State hired him on Dec. 15, 2025, after eight seasons on Brent Brennan's staffs at San José State and Arizona. He's leading the Hornets through their first FBS season. Sacramento State joined the MAC as a football-only member on July 1.
Player storylines
The ground game should decide this. Ball State's run defense allows 201.6 yards a game (131st), and Sacramento State's allows 176.1 (107th). Coleman faces a Ball State pass defense allowing 243.7 yards a game, 112th in FBS. Turnovers are the Hornets' problem. They're minus-10, 137th in FBS. Flags could be a factor too. Ball State averages 70.3 penalty yards a game and Sacramento State 77.1.
What's happening on campus
Ball State is celebrating 100 years of homecoming this week. The theme is "Chirping Through the Decades". The first homecoming was held Nov. 18, 1926, with a bonfire, pep rally and dance. Friday at noon brings the 47th annual Bed Race on Riverside Avenue. Saturday starts with the Chase Charlie 5K at 8:45 a.m. and the parade at 9 a.m. Then come Reunion Row and the CharlieTown Tailgate from 1 to 3 p.m. The Homecoming King and Queen will be announced during the game.
Anything else fun and true
This is the first meeting between the schools. The homecoming parade dates to 1939, and Air Jam, a week highlight held this year on Thursday at Emens Auditorium, began in 1987. Sacramento State went 7-5 in the Big Sky in 2025, its last FCS season.
Gus: Why did the punter bring string to the stadium? To tie the game. I'll be here all week, chef.
Mateo: And I'll be at the tailgate, plating hope with a side of Hornets.
The Cover Window
My call: Ball State Cardinals 32, Sacramento State Hornets 22.