The Cards face their last out-of-conference match-up this week, taking on a hot team from Nashville.
For one last time in 2024, the Ball State Cardinals (2-4, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) hit the road to take on a non-conference opponent.
They’ll be hosted by the red-hot Vanderbilt Commodores (4-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference), who hope to land on the Associated Press Top 25 poll with a big win to validate their most recent successes against a pair of tough league opponents.
Let’s set up for a night game at the home of country music:
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 at 7 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
- Viewing options: The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and SEC+. A valid subscription is required. Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Charles Arbuckle (color) will commentate.
- Radio options: Mick Tidrow (play-by-play) and Chris Radican (color) will provide the Ball State call for WMUN-AM 1340.
- Gambling considerations: Vandy is a 26.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 57.5, per DraftKings.
- All-time series: First meeting
Getting to know the Cardinals
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The Cardinals had to scrape and claw for a win against the Kent State Golden Flashes, escaping a furious comeback rally to steal away a 37-35 victory late in the proceedings at Dix Stadium.
BSU led by as much as 27-7 at one point in the second half, but a few big Kent State plays on offense allowed the Flashes to get back in it and force the Cards to keep pace. They ultimately would figure it out, finishing the game with seven sacks and 67 rushing yards allowed on the day while rushing for 191 yards and maintaining possession over 33 minutes.
It was a much-needed win, as it snapped a four-game losing streak and gave BSU their first FBS win on the season— staving off postseason elimination for at least one more week.
They’ll need to be basically perfect for any shot of a win this week, and if their prior performances vs. Autonomous conference opponents has been any indication, that’s going to be a tough hill to climb. BSU is one of the worst statistical teams in the country, ranking 107th in total offense (339.0 yard per game, 20 total touchdowns) and 133rd of 134 eligible teams in total defense (504.2 yards per game, 38 opposing touchdowns.)
Kadin Semonza (138-of-208 passing for 1,338 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions) is the likely starter at quarterback, with Kiael Kelly (16 rushes, 40 yards) getting change-of-pace looks on the option.
Tight end Tanner Koziol, who eschewed a transfer to Louisville to return to Muncie, is the team’s leading receiver with 46 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns. His 46 catches nearly doubles the next leading receiver (Cam Pickett; 27 receptions for 231 yards and a touchdown.) Qian Magwood has also been a reliable target, with three touchdowns on 16 catches for 159 yards.
The heart of the offense, however, is running back Braedon Sloan. The former Eastern Kentucky product has lit up the stat sheets for BSU, leading the way in rushing with 99 carries for 423 yards for four touchdowns while also sitting third on the receiving charts with 19 catcvhes for 222 yards and a score.
Defensively, there’s not much to write home about as a unit, but there are some talented individuals who hope to make a name for themselves here.
The linebacking corps of Keionte Newsom (34 tackles, three TFLs, two pass break-ups), Riley Tolsma (26 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks) and Joey Stemler (25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks) are the strength of the defense, proving to be perfectly capable in both the run and pass games. Tolsma has been especially intriguing as a Division II transition player from Hillsdale College. Edge rusher Sam Feeney, a former track star with a 10.67 second 100-meter mark, has three TFLs and three sacks in a pass rushing edge role as well.
The linebackers should make for an interesting positional matchup in the open field against SEC-level running backs.
Getting to know the Commodores
Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images
It’s the Year of the ‘Dore in 2024.
Vanderbilt, perpetually the obligation of the Southeastern Conference, has jumped up and punched their peers in the teeth twice over so far, taking back-to-back wins over #1 Alabama and Kentucky to stake their claim in the SEC title race.
The Commodores didn’t trail in either of those games, putting the foot on the gas from the word go, never going three-and-out in 120 minutes of game action, while quarterback Diego Pavia completed 80 percent of his passes, had at least two passing touchdowns and 50+ yards passing in both victories.
It’s the first time Vandy has led the entirety of two-straight league games since 1960, and the first time since 2002 the ‘Dores haven’t surrendered a lead in two-straight league games.
Suffice to say, they’ll be looking to make a statement against the Cardinals to earn the eyes of pollsters.
The aforementioned Pavia, formerly of New Mexico State, has been the catalyst for the program’s renaissance, leading the team in both passing (85-of-123, 1,116 yards, 10 touchdowns, one interception) and rushing (105 carries, 388 net yards, two scores) through six games. He’ll be a tough cover for a team which previously had difficulty containing Cam Ward.
Sedrick Alexander is the main man behind Pavia in the backfield, with 83 carries for 339 yards and five touchdowns. AJ Newberry is the teritary rushing option with 29 totes for 144 yards and three scores, and also sits sixth on the receiving charts with 101 yards and a score on five receptions.
The passing game spreads the targets around to maintain possession and not to single in on a particular guy; in fact, there are nine different Commodores with at least one touchdown reception so far in 2024, with only Junior Sherrill (11 catches, 172 yards) nabbign multiple scoring receptions (2). Eli Stowers has been the most reliable of the pass-catching options with 25 catches for 333 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Commodores have relied on stout run defense and winning game states to make teams one-dimensional. Vanderbilt has allowed an average of 122.7 yards per game on the ground (47th in NCAA), while also maintaining a +6 turnover margin, good for 10th in the country.
Bryan Longwell leads Vandy with 41 total tackles, including a team-leading 4.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Miles Capers has been a veritable jack-of-all-trades as well, matching Longwell in TFLs, sacks and interceptions while collecting 25 tackles and three pass break-ups.
Hybrid back Randon Fontenette leads the secondary with 32 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, an interception and three pass break-ups. Three other Commodores have also plucked interceptions as well in the young season to give Vandy one of the most dangerous ballhawking defenses in the SEC.