Matchup Preview: Who has the edge?

Purdue vs. Ball State, from a matchup perspective.

Date/Time: Saturday, August 30, Noon EDT

Location: Ross-Ade Stadium

Surface: Bermuda Grass

Capacity: 61,441 (tickets)

2025 schedules: Purdue schedule  | Ball State schedule

Series notes: Despite sharing a telephone area code, Saturday will mark just the ninth meeting between Purdue and Ball State. The Boilermakers remain undefeated, holding an 8-0 record with an average margin of victory of 21.6 points. Purdue last welcomed Ball State to Ross-Ade Stadium in 2010, a 24-13 Purdue win. Every meeting between the two programs has taken place in West Lafayette.

TV: BTN (PxP Jason Ross Jr., Analyst Anthony Herron, Sidelines Dannie Rogers)

Radio: Purdue Sports Properties (PxP Tim Newton, Analyst Mark Herrmann, Sidelines Kelly Kitchel)

Line: Purdue -18.5, O/U 50.5

Weather: High of 75 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze

Purdue Roster | Purdue Game Notes

Ball State Roster | Ball State Game Notes

Pregame: First and 10: Ball State at Purdue | First Look: Ball State | Barry Odom: ‘Deep responsibility to get Purdue football back to winning for the people of Purdue’ | The 3-2-1: Talking scripts, captains, OC location and more as kickoff looms | Purdue punts on issuing depth chart prior to opener |

Ball State running game versus Purdue against the run

Head coach Mike Uremovich wants to run the football. A season ago at Butler, his offense finished seventh in the FCS in rushing yards per game. Now, he inherits a dynamic athlete at quarterback to center his run game around. Kiael Kelly started six games at quarterback in 2023 before spending 2024 moving between defensive back, wide receiver, running back and quarterback. He’s a run-first guy under center, and now that he’s again focused on the quarterback position, Ball State will build the run game around his athleticism.

Transfers highlight the running back position. Qua Ashley earned honorable mention all-Conference USA honors at Kennesaw State a season ago, and he figures to play a key role. Purdue transfer Elijah Jackson showcased some speed on a long touchdown run for the Boilermakers. TJ Horton returns after showing promise as a redshirt freshman in Muncie last fall. But, the run game will depend on a new-look offensive line coming together. Only one starter returns, and there is very little FBS experience on the line.

Purdue’s front seven looks much different from a season ago. Transfers litter the unit, though CJ Madden, Trey Smith and Chops Harkless will play roles on the defensive line. Expect Purdue to deploy multiple looks defensively, mixing up personnel packages across all three levels. UNLV transfer linebackers Mani Powell and Charles Correa will lead the middle of the Purdue defense, playing a key role in attacking downhill to stop Ball State’s multidimensional run game. Their familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Scherer’s defense should help settle Purdue in early on. Keep an eye on Auburn transfer TJ Lindsey at defensive tackle. Just a redshirt freshman, Lindsey’s potential raised eyebrows immediately.

Ball State passing game versus Purdue against the pass

While Kelly enters the season as an accomplished runner, his passing stats don’t jump off the page. He’s attempted 129 passes over three seasons in Muncie, completing just 53% of those. He averages just 4.7 yards per attempt and holds a two touchdown to three interception ratio. After focusing on the quarterback position for an entire offseason, Uremovich and company expect growth as a passer. Expect Purdue to make Kelly prove his growth as a passer and force the Cardinals to beat Purdue over the top.

Only Qian Magwood returns to the wide receiver room with experience at Ball State. In fact, most of the wide receiver room enters the season with little on-field experience at the FBS level. Bucknell transfer Eric Weatherly earned all-league honors a season ago, but at 5-8 and 173 pounds, he’ll need to prove it at the FBS level. The same goes for the offensive line, where just one starter returns. Will the line hold up against a power conference defensive line and give Kelly time and space to operate?

Scherer wants his defense to play aggressive. He’s said he wants to play offense on defense. Over the past two seasons, his UNLV defenses picked off 34 passes (second-most in America) and racked up 67 sacks (top 25 in the nation). Replicating that type of disruption starts with the pass rush, where holdovers Madden and Smith will join forces with Michigan transfer Breeon Ishmail and Akron transfer CJ Nunnally coming off the edge.

The defensive backfield is littered with new faces, though some veteran players will line up for Purdue. Former five-star recruit Tony Grimes will serve as the top corner, and Tahj Ra-El comes in with four years of experience at safety. After struggling mightily to force turnovers in 2024, the new-look secondary must make plays on the ball and help put the offense in good positions.

Purdue running game versus Ball State against the run

Very little about the Purdue football program looks or feels the same as it did in 2022. The lone constant in a stretch defined by turmoil and turnover? Devin Mockobee. Now a senior, the former walk-on that burst onto the scene in 2022 sits ninth on Purdue’s all-time leading rushing list. He needs just shy of 1,200 yards this season to take the top spot, but more than anything, he’ll look to put up numbers closer to his 2022 campaign than the last two. He’ll serve as Purdue’s top tailback, but a mix of Antonio Harris, Malachi Thomas and Jaheim Merriweather will take carries behind him. The pecking order remains to be seen, but Harris turned heads in spring practice.

Purdue’s offensive coaching staff wants to run the football. A major part of the run efforts will come from the quarterback position. Ryan Browne won the starting job in part because his legs can help provide a second dimension to the quarterback spot. At 6-4, he’s a long-striding athlete. Browne demonstrated his ability to run when he scampered for 118 yards at Illinois last season. Expect an offense centered around the run game early on in the season.

Ball State fielded one of the nation’s worst defenses last season. Despite the coaching change, Uremovich elected to keep defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles around for a second season in Muncie. Knowles came to Ball State a season ago to patch together a defense with 11 new starters and a coaching staff on the hot seat. Now, with a handful of returning starters and more familiarity with the scheme, the defense should improve at least marginally in year two. Early reports out of Muncie indicate that the defensive line emerged as the strength of the defense during fall camp. If Purdue’s offensive line can perform at a decent level, the Boilermakers should run the ball on Ball State.

Purdue passing game versus Ball State against the pass

Browne entered the quarterback battle as the most experienced option. He started two games in 2024 and played extensively in a 2023 contest at Northwestern. Past that? He’s taken snaps in garbage time. The time is now for the third-year signal caller, who will look to make Purdue’s offense dynamic in 2025. In his limited action, he’s shown positives and an ability to challenge defenses down the field. He’ll need to do so consistently this season to help Purdue’s offense reach the heights it needs to for it to exceed expectations.

Who will Browne throw the ball to? Michael Jackson III, formerly of USC and Georgia, emerged as one of the top targets during fall camp. A fifth-year senior, he’s worked in high-powered offenses and will provide a veteran presence. UCF transfer Chauncey Magwood figures to slot into a key role after following quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw to West Lafayette. Tight end George Burhenn’s status remains murky after an injury in spring practice. If he can’t go, expect Purdue to focus heavily on receivers in the passing game. Can highly-touted Georgia transfer Nitro Tuggle make his presence felt from day one? Purdue feels good about its brand new offensive line which will need to keep Browne protected as he looks to become Purdue’s first quarterback since 2016 to start all 12 regular season games.

Opponents averaged 280 passing yards per game and more than three passing touchdowns per game against Ball State. The defensive line will look to get after Browne and put him in uncomfortable positions. The projected top EDGE rushers come from the FCS and JUCO levels and will need to show proof of concept against stiffer competition. The secondary looks brand new with all four of last season’s starters gone, replaced by a combination of Group of Five and FCS transfers. Unless vastly improved, Ball State’s defense should give Browne a chance to get comfortable with this cast of wideouts in a game setting.

Special teams

Spencer Porath experienced the ups and downs of placekicking during his freshman year. He started out strong, but he struggled down the stretch. Now, with a year of college kicking under his belt, he’ll aim for more consistency in year two. One of Purdue’s bigger transfer portal losses came when punter Keelan Crimmins took I-74 over to Champaign. But, with three-year Washington starter Jack McCallister in the fold, Purdue should remain strong in the punting game.

For years, return game has been a non-factor for Purdue. Rule changes in recent years have led to fewer return opportunities, but a spark on special teams can change a game. Purdue’s new coaching staff places a strong focus on the third phase of the game. Could this become Purdue’s most-improved area?

Ashley returned two kickoffs for touchdowns for Kennesaw State last season and should be a threat in the return game for Ball State. However, how much will Ball State risk him taking hits on special teams? Magwood also returned kicks at times last season, but he mostly called for fair catches. Kicker DC Pippin transferred in from Southeast Missouri State, where he earned FCS Placekicker of the Year honors in 2024.

Intangibles

Both coaches will make their debuts at their respective schools in this one. Both coaches took a step up from a successful tenure at their previous stops. Odom set a UNLV program record for wins in a two-year span during his two seasons in Sin City, while Uremovich won 23 games in three seasons at Butler, leading the Bulldogs to their first-ever appearance in the FCS Coaches Poll.

Both programs saw a massive roster overhaul, too. 83 of Purdue’s 120 rostered players will suit up in black and gold for the first time on Saturday. 54 of Ball State’s 108 players didn’t play for the Cardinals last season. Which coach will have his team more cohesive from day one? The answer to that could decide Saturday’s contest.

Purdue aims to break a school-record 11-game losing streak. After dominating Indiana State in the season opener, the Boilermakers dropped their last 11 games last year, six of which were by 35 points or more. Everything looks different on the Purdue sidelines, and Odom hopes for immediate results in changing the trend of wins and losses.

While Ball State did win two games in 2024, the vibes are similar. Since 2013, the Cardinals have mustered just two bowl appearances and finished with a record above .500 just once. Uremovich aims to bring the Cardinals back to a competitive level in the MAC. A strong showing against a power conference opponent would make for a great starting point of his tenure in Muncie.