GAME NOTES: The second-ranked Michigan Wolverines take a break from their Big Ten schedule to play host to the Ball State Cardinals this Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Ball State, which plays its football out of the Mid- American Conference, is 3-6 on the year and an even 3-3 in league play. The Cardinals snapped a brief two-game slide with a 20-17 win at Miami-Ohio last weekend and it was the team's second triumph on the road this season. This contest marks the second of a three-game road trip for BSU, which will play at Toledo on November 14th. Ball State is coached by Brady Hoke, who served as defensive line coach for the Wolverines from 1995-2002. Michigan continued its perfect season by beating Northwestern last Saturday, 17-3. The Wolverines are 9-0 on the year and 6-0 in Big Ten Conference action, and a win here followed by a victory over Indiana next week will set up a Big Ten championship showdown with top-ranked Ohio State on November 18th, provided the Buckeyes don't falter down the stretch. Michigan has allowed a total of nine points in its last two outings and an average of only 6.3 ppg over its last three. Ball State and Michigan are meeting for the first-time ever.

Despite being outgained by more than 230 yards, Ball State managed to slip past host Miami-Ohio last week, 20-17. The Cardinals amassed just 226 yards of total offense, with the passing game yielding a mere 98 yards. BSU won the game despite two turnovers and a dismal 5-of-16 third down conversion effort, making the most of its opportunities in the red zone, scoring on all four visits. As mentioned, the pass game left quite a bit to be desired as QB Nate Davis completed just 11 throws, but two of them did result in TDs -- one to Terry Moss and the other to Madaris Grant. Larry Bostic put his best foot forward in an effort to get the Cardinal offense moving, rushing for 85 yards on 16 carries (5.3 ypc), while B.J. Hill added 45 yards on only 10 totes. For the season, Ball State is averaging a solid 27.8 ppg, getting very good results from the passing attack (264.7 ypg). Both Davis and Joey Lynch have seen time under center this season, and the two have combined for 23 TDs passes while completing better than 65 percent of their passes. Darius Hill has 10 TD receptions and Terry Moss has six. The Cards have just seven rushing scores this season, three of which belong to Hill.

The Ball State defense bent at times last week, but made enough big stops to keep the Miami offense at bay. The RedHawks finished with 359 yards, but turned the ball over twice and failed to score on more than one visit to the red zone. Brad Seiss led the BSU stand with eight tackles, and he, Wendell Brown and Alex Knipp all had five solo stops on the day. The Cardinals posted six TFLs in the game, including a pair of sacks. Opponents are averaging 450.2 ypg against the Ball State defense, and scoring 28 ppg. The Cards have come up with 15 turnovers, but have notched just 15 sacks despite making 62 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Erik Keys leads the team with 68 total tackles, while Cortlan Booker has 10 TFLs and four sacks to his credit. Knipp has a pair of INTs, while Keys has pounced on four fumbles. Trey Lewis has been the club's most effective pass defender, breaking up seven passes, his closest teammate claiming just three. Ball State's inability to stop teams from marching down the field will surely be it's Achilles' heel against a Michigan squad, that while better defensively, certainly has the playmakers on offense to exploit the Cardinals' glaring weaknesses.

It wasn't the most explosive offensive performance, but Michigan did enough to knock off Northwestern last week. The Wolverines managed 318 total yards, with 202 coming on the ground. Mike Hart led the UM charge with 95 yards and a TD on 20 carries, while Jerome Jackson powered his way to 59 yards on only nine totes. Quarterback Chad Henne completed just 10 passes on the day for 116 yards, but threw a TD pass to Adrian Arrington. Hart is the Big Ten's second- leading rusher this season, averaging 125.2 ypg. He has scored nine times on the ground and is averaging nearly five yards per carry. As for Henne, he is completing 60.4 percent of his throws, but because he isn't asked to carry the team on his back, is averaging just 179.8 ypg (the second-fewest in the conference). Steve Breaston is the team's leading receiver with 38 catches, but he has yet to hit paydirt. Michigan is averaging 28.3 points and 357.7 total yards per contest, and the Wolverines have committed a league-low eight turnovers. With ball control being their mantra, the Maize and Blue continue to lead the nation in average time of possession (34 minutes per game).

Michigan is the country's top defensive unit against the run, allowing a mere 28.4 ypg on the ground. Northwestern felt the crunch first-hand last week, finishing with minus-13 yards rushing, despite having one of the more productive backs in the Big Ten carrying the ball in Tyrell Sutton. Sutton was held to six net yards on seven carries, meaning the Wildcats were forced to go to the air to move the ball. Michigan allowed 204 passing yards on the day, but picked off NU quarterbacks three times and also recovered a pair of fumbles to keep the Wildcats off their game. David Harris wound up with a club-best six stops, two of which were behind the line of scrimmage, while LaMarr Woodley also made the most of his few tackles, logging three TFLs, including a pair of sacks. Michigan leads the Big Ten in sacks with 33, while also heading the conference in allowing the fewest first downs at 118.

Ball State has very little chance of keeping this game competitive, let alone pulling off what would be considered a monumental upset. Expect the Michigan defense to once again stand tall and for Hart and the Wolverine ground assault to pound its way to a lopsided victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 38, Ball State 7