DEKALB, Ill. — Another week, another rivalry game and another must-win situation for Ball State (5-4, 3-2 MAC).
The Cardinals travel to Mid-American Conference West Division front-runner Northern Illinois (6-3, 4-1 MAC) Wednesday for a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.
Northern Illinois lost its first conference game last week in a 52-47 defeat against Kent State. Ball State outlasted Akron with a 31-25 win.
The battle for the Bronze Stalk Trophy is on the line as Ball State and Northern Illinois meet for the 49th time. Ball State beat Northern Illinois each of the past two seasons, but the Huskies hold a 24-22-2 all-time series record and have won 10 of the past 12 meetings between the two.