The Ball State Cardinals hit the road to take on the Massachusetts Minutemen in MAC college football action tonight. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPNu. Currently the odds for the game have the Minutemen favored by about a field goal at home in this one.
These two teams haven't met on the gridiron since the 1988 season with Ball State picking up a 44-17 win. Things are a bit strange this season for Massachusetts as the Minutemen have stumbled to a 2-7 record on the season, with both of their wins coming in the MAC conference slate. Two of those wins came in their last three games overall, having beaten Kent State and Eastern Michigan by a pretty comfortable margin. They also nearly beat Toledo in their last game, losing by a touchdown, but that was nearly three weeks ago. Massachusetts hasn't gotten on the football field competitively since the 25th of October, spanning 18 days. Because of that they could be a bit rusty coming into this one, or they could be well rested.
Quarterback Blake Frohnapfel has thrown for better than 2,900 yards this season with 23 touchdowns. UMass ranks sixth best in the country at 331.2 yards per game this season through the air, but it hasn't equated to wins just yet. The Minutemen absolutely struggle to run the football, piecing together just over 100 yards on the ground per game, which ranks among the 10 worst in major college football. They don't have a single rusher over the 400-yard plateau on the season, either.
Coming in, UMass averages better than 30 points per game, but they give up 35 points per game themselves defensively. Not a good combination.
Ball State won double digit games last season, but they won't get there in 2014. The Cardinals have stumbled to just three wins this year, at one point losing five consecutive games overall. Two of those games in the MAC, but since then they've won two of three games. Even if they won their final three games of the season the Cardinals would finish at .500 for the campaign. It's been a tough year for Ball State. They started the year with quarterback Ozzie Mann but have had to hand the reigns over to Jack Milas because of injury. Milas has led the Cardinals to two wins this season, but did turn it over three times in the team's most recent loss to Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals average just over 26 points per game, but give up 28 points per game to opponents. That, like UMass, is struggling.
With both defenses not being able to stop opponents, there could be some points scored in this one. UMass and Ball State have both won two of their last three, but also are both coming off a loss. We'll take UMass, playing at home.
Free Pick: Massachusetts 31, Ball State 28
Handicapping Tips: Primetime Overs
Steve Fezzik, from Pregame.com, gives his tips and thoughts as to why there are so many overs in the primetime NFL games this year.
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