KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan football team visits Ball State on Saturday, Dec. 12, with the Mid-American Conference West Division title and a spot in the MAC Championship game on the line. Kickoff at Schuemann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana, is set for Noon ET on ESPN+ and the Bronco Radio Network.
|| GAME INFORMATION
- Saturday, Dec. 12 | Noon ET
- Scheumann Stadium (22,500/SprinTurf), Muncie, Ind.
|| BROADCAST INFORMATION
- ESPN+ (Joel Godett & Jay Walker)
- Bronco Radio Network (Robin Hook & John Creek)
|| SERIES HISTORY
- Saturday marks the 47th meeting between the Broncos and Cardinals, with WMU holding a 26-20 advantage in the series.
- WMU has won five of the last six meetings between the teams, including two of the last three contests in Muncie.
- Tim Lester is 2-1 against Ball State during his time as head coach of the Broncos, having won both meetings in Kalamazoo while suffering a one-point loss at Schuemann Stadium in 2018.
|| BY THE NUMBERS
- Redshirt sophomore QB Kaleb Eleby has thrown at least three TD passes in each of the last three games and four of five on the season. His 16 TD passes on the year lead the MAC.
- RB La'Darius Jefferson had his first multi-touchdown game in the set-back to Eastern Michigan last week. He ran for 121 yards against the Eagles, his second 100-yard performance as a Bronco.
- Jaylen Hall has recorded a TD reception in each of WMU's five games this season, with six total on the year.
- WR D'Wayne Eskridge has exceeded that total with seven TD receptions on the year. With 69 receiving yards against EMU, it was the first time on the season Eskridge was held under 100 receiving yards in a game.
- Eskridge's 432 kick return yards this season rank second in the MAC. With a 100-yard TD return of a kickoff in the win over Northern Illinois, Eskridge is one of just two players in the MAC this season to return a kickoff for a TD. Last week against Eastern Michigan, the Eagles did not record a single touchback in their efforts to kick away from Eskridge.
- Earlier this week, WMU senior OL Mike Caliendo was named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football's top award for community service combined with academic and athletic excellence. Caliendo looks to join a pair of Broncos who previously won the Wuerffel Trophy in Jon Wassink and Tim Hiller. WMU is joined by only Oklahoma as schools with multiple Wuerffel Trophy recipients.
