2026 MAC Football Week 10 Game Preview: Ball State Cardinals vs. UMass Minutemen

The UMass Minutemen (4-4, 1-3 MAC) prepare to host the Ball State Cardinals (3-5, 2-2 MAC) for a Wednesday night game, seeking to stop a four-game skid after a monstrous start to the 2026 campaign.

UMass needs only one more win to complete the best season in their FBS history, and three more wins to qualify for a bowl game (due to a scheduling quirk involving two FCS games.) A win here would go a long way towards reaching both those ambitions.

Ball State, meanwhile, is riding a two-game win streak and moving in the right direction after taking a lot of tough losses in the first half of the 2026 campaign. In their second year under head coach Mike Uremovich, BSU could qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2021 with two more wins.

Pride and ambition is on the line for both sides when the ball hits the crisp autumn air in Amherst.

Game notes

• Date and Time: Wednesday, November 4th, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time
• Location: McGuirk Stadium in Amherst, Massachusetts
• TV options: The game will be on ESPNU, part of the ESPN family of networks. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing.
• Streaming options: The game will be available for streaming on the ESPN App, ESPN Unlimited, or on applicable cable/satellite services. A valid subscription is required for viewing on any platform. Other streaming carriers include Sling, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV.
• Ball State radio: Mick Tidrow (play-by-play) and Chris Radican (color) will provide the Ball State call for WMUN-AM 1340.
• UMass radio: Jay Burnham (play-by-play) and Matt Goldstein (color) will provide the UMass call for 101.5 WHMP-FM.
• Gambling Considerations: UMass is a 3.5-point favorite; over/under is 48.5-49.5 by book, per Covers.
• All-time series: The series is tied at 2-2 in four meetings. The last time the two teams played was in 2015, when Ball State took down UMass 20-10 in Muncie.

Ball State outlook

The Cards are winners of their last two games, and looking to maintain that pace before the schedule toughens up with back-to-back games against Buffalo and Ohio.

Last time out, Ball State took care of business against Sacramento State on Homecoming Weekend, throttling the Hornet defense to the tune of 417 yards of offense and four touchdowns– including 20 points in the second quarter– to win 34-17.

Ball State is middle of the pack in the MAC in terms of total offense (337.5 yards per game), rushing offense (141.3 yards per game) and passing offense (196.3 yards per game), and have efforted well in recent weeks, with 32 points against BGSU and 34 points against Sacramento State.

However, they have major weaknesses. Their defense is the worst in the MAC, giving up over 35 points and 422.9 yards per game– a full field goal and 16 yards more than 12th place Akron in both categories. It's not an anomaly either; they're uniquely bad against both the pass and the run.

Understandably, this has resulted in a lot of uneven performances, with the offense creating mistakes trying to play the hero and putting the defense behind the eight-ball early in the season. Even the wins tend to be hard-fought due to this tendency.

That said, they're going to be an entertaining watch for lovers of mid-major football, rostering one of the most intriguing QBs in the league in Keldric Luster. The former Texas State gunslinger, who stands at five-foot-ten, 250 lbs., is a legitimate dual threat, second on the team with 257 net yards and two rushing touchdowns while also passing for 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns on a 63 percent completion rating. Luster does have six interceptions, including two last week, but has shown great potential.

The offense does a decent job of spreading the ball around, with eight receivers with 10+ receptions and nine receivers notching at least one touchdown apiece. Jamarion McDougle has started every game and is second on the team in catches (23) and yards (264) while leading the team in touchdowns (two). Donovan Hamilton leads in both catches (25) and yards (310) opposite, while Isaiah Thacker (16 catches, 217 yards, TD), Jabari Smith (15 catches, 140 yards, TD) and Johnny Thompson Jr. (11 catches, 75 yards) have shown promise in relief.

On the ground, a healthy dose of Luster QB runs and handoffs to TJ Horton help to manage the game. Horton (68 carries, 425 yards) has been one of the MAC's more underrated halfbacks, with nine touchdowns and a 6.2 yards-per-carry average. Jalen Bonds is BSU's third-down back, with 47 carries for 224 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while also fifth on the team in receiving (10 catches, 112 yards, TD).

Defensively, there are seven Cardinals with 30+ tackles and an additional threw which venture over the 20+ mark, with defensive back Stu Smith (tackle-for-loss, pass break-up) and linebacker Kaleb Stewart (3.5 TFLs, team-leading 2.5 sacks) sharing the lead atop the charts at 37 total tackles. Defensive back Anthony Pinnace is the team leader in pass break-ups (three) and has 4.5 TFLs from the slot. EDGE rusher Justin Thomas has five TFLs to lead the team.

UMass outlook

The Minutemen, who looked on the verge of a program-altering campaign at the end of September, are instead in the midst of a regression to the mean, losers of their last four games after starting 4-0.

Some of the reasons for the skid aren't their fault; significant injuries to contributors such as star receiver T.Y Harding (28 catches, 327 yards, two TDs) and transfer QB Pop Watson III had severely limited what they could run. They also lost several games with over half their starting offense unavailable– a tough ask of any team.

This week, then, is an opportunity to get back on track, with a hopefully-healthy Watson back under the controls. Through six games, the Virginia Tech transfer has 1.,025 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions on a 69.5 percent completion rate, while also third on the team in rushing (37 carries, 178 yards, four TDs).

Tight end Max Dowling has been a favorite target regardless of who's under center, leading the team with three touchdowns as the team's best redzone threat despite his modest receiving numbers (16 catches, 129 yards). Jabari Lewis has been the healthiest receiver, with 20 catches for 284 yards, while Joseph Griffin Jr. has stepped up recently in the absence of Harding, with 12 catches for 211 yards and a TD.

UMass likes to utilize a two-back rotation behind Watson, depending on both Elijah Faulkner and Curtis Kimmons IV to be just as capable catching the ball as they are running it. Kimmons is the more explosive back, averaging 5.6 yards per carry with 308 yards and four scores on just 55 carries, while Faulkner is a do-it-all back with 89 carries for 376 yards and one TD. The pair combine for 17 receptions for 120 yards and three scores.

Linebacker Timmy Hinspeter is third in the MAC in total tackles (73) and has an additional 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery, while defensive end William Depaepe leads the team with 3.5 TFLs and three sacks in only five games played (and could be eligible to return this week after missing the last three games), but the real strength of the UMass defense is in the secondary.

Defensive backs sit at #2, #4, #7 and #8 on the tackle chart, with corners Isaiah Reed (team-leading nine PBUs) and TJ Magee (seven PBUs) sitting second and third in the MAC in passes defensed, while Jahmad Harmon leads the MAC in interceptions.

UMass' 4-2-5 defense has settled in nicely after going through growing pains in the first year under coach Joe Harsymiak, and has caused headaches for their opponents in the league slate, as the Minutemen are fourth in the MAC in league play in scoring defense (22.3 points per game).

Game outlook

Despite the vibes around both teams, this should be one of the more entertaining games of the weeknight slate.

UMass with a fully-healthy Pop Watson is one of the most dynamic looks in the MAC, unlocking a variety of looks and formations they simply can't use with other quarterbacks under center. The run-pass option, zone runs, and play action all open up with Watson available thanks to his live arm and ability to scramble.

Ball State also has the capacity to wow offensively, thanks to the improvisational skill of Keldric Luster. His rushing numbers are hampered by several penalties calling back long conversion and/or touchdown runs; he's very much capable of leading the team in yards if so desired. The offense is adaptable to game state changes and have proven to be able to play both up and down tempo.

This game will come down to two factors: which offensive line can win at the line of scrimmage, and which defense can stiffen up when called upon.

Ball State has struggled to do the latter, often needing the offense to step up and help them in the end. UMass projects as the stronger defense in that sense thanks to their ability to turn the ball over.

If it comes down to special teams, UMass' Derek Morris has the stronger leg between him and Ball State's Brody Boehm– but is also more inaccurate.

These are two very evenly-matched teams who have a lot on the line. Odds have this as a slim UMass win, and it's hard not to agree. Buckle up; this'll be a fun one.