2026 MAC Football Week 6 Game Preview: Ball State Cardinals at Northwestern Wildcats

As we prepare for Week 6 of the college football season, it's also time to officially switch into fall mode as we play our first weekend of games in October. We've had a couple weeks of quality conference games to measure who could be early favorites to win the MAC. We also have been able to see if the lower-tier teams will be able to improve this season. So far, there's been slight but small improvements by the Ball State Cardinals. They come into Week 6 with a 1-4 record.

It's going to be a tough one on Saturday for the Ball State Cardinals. They come into Week 6 having lost three consecutive games to Liberty, Kent State, and Toledo. Last week against the Rockets, Ball State fell 39-24 at home.

This week, the Cardinals will head to thew newly-opened Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois and prepare for a 3-1 Wildcats team that is coming off an impressive 34-13 victory over Penn State. On opposite sides of the spectrum, we will see if Ball State will be able to compete.

Game notes

Date and Time: Saturday, October 10th, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois
TV options: Big Ten Network
Gambling considerations: Northwestern sits as a -35 point favorite
All-time series: Northwestern beat Ball State in their one and only meeting back in 2019 with a 24-19 victory

Ball State Cardinals outlook

The question is, can Ball State stay competitive in this game? This is a much different Northwestern program than back in 2019.

The Cardinals had a tough schedule to start the season. After opening the year with one of the best teams in country, Ohio State in Week 1, Ball State was able to secure a victory at home against FCS Stony Brook. Since then, the defense has really struggled to slow down opposing offenses. Liberty put up 51, Kent State scored 26, and Toledo scored 39 points against the Cardinals.

Through the first five games, Ball State’s defense ranks last in the MAC and among the bottom 10 in FBS in both points (37.8) and yards (473.6) allowed per game. This was a problem that head coach Mike Uremevoich previously addressed in Week 2. In addition, they have not been able to stop the run, allowing 229.8 rushing yards per game. Uremovich knows this week won't be easy against a talented Wildcats team.

“They have good talent, but they’re really schematically sound and they play really disciplined football on defense. We gotta stay ahead of the chains, because we can’t be in third-and-long against what they do. They give you different stuff every single week,” Uremovich told the Ball State Daily News. “You gotta prepare for what they’ve shown you but you’ve also gotta have your rules down because they’re gonna test your rules."

There have been a few bright spots on defense for the Cardinals, including senior defensive back Sterling Smith. He has been flying to the football on defense and leads the team in tackles with 35 total tackles. Sophomore defensive back Kamron Chamble has also been impressive in coverage with his team-leading two interceptions.

Offensively, Ball State has shown a few flashes of potential behind quarterback Keldric Luster (622 passing yards, 5 TD, 3 INT) and running T.J. Horton (301 rushing yards, 4 TD). Luster's returned from injury last week against Toledo and put together a solid 224-yard and 2-touchdown performance. It'll be interesting to see how he performs against a Northwestern defense that allowed only 13 points last week to the Nittany Lions and is surrendering just over 15 points per game.

Northwestern Wildcats outlook

Although its defense is allowing 385.8 total yards per game, teams are struggling to score on Northwestern. They've secured three victories already this season over South Dakota State, Colorado, and Penn State, and their one loss was two weeks ago to the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers. But, Northwestern took the Hoosiers to the limit and only lost 29-23 on the road.

Northwestern hired former NFL head coach Chip Kelly as its offensive coordinator prior to this season, and the move is looking more genius by the day. Senior quarterback Aidan Chiles has looked extremely comfortable in Kelly's system so far, throwing for over 900 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. His primary target has been Griffin Wilde, who has 281 receiving yards for two touchdowns.

Caleb Komolafe is their leading rusher with 290 rushing yards for two touchdowns and 5.6 yards per carry. But he's not the only back to watch. Joseph Himon II has been sneaky in his 20 carries for 277 yards (13.8 YPC), and three touchdowns. Both accrued over 160 rushing yards last week against Penn State, and Northwestern finished with 413 on the ground as a unit.

Defensively, the Wildcats have a few guys that have been solid for them in the first four games. Defensive back Robert Fitzgerald leads the team in tackles with 42 total tackles and also had an acrobatic interception to seal the Penn State. Senior linebacker Braydon Brus helps keep things grounded in the middle of the field for Northwestern with his 30 total tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

Although they allow a lot of yards, Northwestern ranks amongst the top of the conference in points allowed per game. On paper, it seems like an easy week for the Wildcats, but can Ball State find a way to stay in the game?

Prediction: Northwestern 41, Ball State 10