Northwestern hosts Ball State

Northwestern hosted Ball State in a game on October 10 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Ball State was coming off a 1-4 record, while Northwestern was 3-1. The game took place at Northwestern's home field.

Ball State's defense had several notable weaknesses, ranking 125th in the FBS for defensive third down percentage, allowing opponents to convert 46.5% of the time. Northwestern, on the other hand, was ranked 68th in the FBS for offense, converting on 41.3% of third downs. Ball State was 92nd in the FBS with a -2 turnover margin, while Northwestern ranked 14th with a +5 margin.

Ball State was also 130th in FBS for red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on 95% of trips. Northwestern's red zone offense was ranked 18th, scoring on 94.7% of red zone opportunities.

In terms of passing, Aidan Chiles had 900 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 70.8 completion percentage. Caleb Komolafe had 290 rushing yards on 52 carries with 2 touchdowns. Keldric Luster for Ball State threw for 662 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. T.J. Horton rushed for 302 yards on 37 carries with 4 touchdowns, and Donovan Hamilton had 220 receiving yards on 20 catches with 1 touchdown.

In the previous game, Northwestern defeated Penn State 34-13 on October 2. Chiles passed for 93 yards on 10-of-14 attempts with no touchdowns and no interceptions, and added a rushing touchdown. Komolafe rushed for 188 yards on 25 carries with 1 touchdown and added 14 yards receiving. Griffin Wilde had 2 receptions for 36 yards.

Ball State's previous game was a loss to Toledo, 39-24, on October 3. Luster passed for 224 yards on 21-of-33 attempts with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. T.J. Horton had 90 rushing yards on 9 carries with 1 touchdown, and added 10 yards receiving. Donovan Hamilton had 6 receptions for 70 yards.

Looking ahead, Northwestern will play at Michigan State on October 17, while Ball State will travel to Bowling Green on the same date.