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Ball State, Central Michigan set to collide

Nov 18, 2008 - 4:50 PM (16) Ball State (10-0) at Central Michigan (8-2), 7:00 pm EST

MT. PLEASANT, Michigan (Ticker) -- Ball State and Central Michigan have been on a collision course for most of the season.

The 16th-ranked Cardinals and the upset-minded Chippewas finally meet Wednesday night in what could be the game of the year in the Mid-American Conference.

Still, the showdown at Central Michigan might not decide the winner in the MAC's Western Division, which is still a three-team race with only two games remaining in the season.

While Ball State (10-0, 6-0) and Central Michigan (8-2, 6-0) are the only unbeaten teams in conference play, Western Michigan (8-2, 5-1) also remains in contention for the division title.

After Wednesday's showdown, Ball State, which has matched a school record for wins, hosts Western Michigan in its regular-season finale on November 25.

If Ball State beats Central Michigan but loses to Western Michigan, the teams could finish in a three-way tie, and it would be up to the conference tiebreaker to determine the division winner.

But Central Michigan's two-year reign as MAC champions could be on the line Wednesday, and the clash is being billed as one of the biggest games in the history of Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Ball State is the highest-ranked opponent to ever play at Central Michigan.

With their two-pronged attack of quarterback Nate Davis and running back MiQuale Lewis, the Cardinals will try to exploit a Chippewas secondary that looked vulnerable in the second half last week against Northern Illinois.

Central Michigan allowed Northern Illinois to erase a 24-point deficit in the final 16 minutes before surviving, 33-30, in overtime on Andrew Aguila's 40-yard field goal.

Ball State has not faced a close game this season, winning all 10 contests by double figures, including a 31-16 win at Miami of Ohio last week. It is the longest such streak in the country.

Davis, ranked eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency, threw for 289 yards and a touchdown. Lewis, who is fifth in the FBS in rushing, ran for 165 yards and two scores.

The Cardinals improved to 10-0 for the first time in school history and matched the 1978 team (10-1) for most wins in a season.

However, Ball State has to contend with Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour, who ran wild in the Chippewas' 58-38 win over the Cardinals last season. He passed for five touchdowns and rushed for another score while accumulating more than 500 yards in total offense.

One of the top dual threats in the country, LeFevour's numbers are off from last season because he missed two games earlier in the year due to a sprained ankle.

In 2007, he accounted for nearly 5,000 yards of total offense, passing for 3,652 yards and rushed for 1,122. This year, the junior has passed for only 1,808 yards and rushed for just 450.

Still, Ball State knows how dangerous LeFevour, last season's MAC Offensive Player of the Year, can be. He ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns last week against Northern Illinois.

The biggest concern for Central Michigan has to be a secondary that allowed Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish to pass for 288 yards last week - most of it in the second half.