Northwestern heads into Ball State Vs Northwestern with the kind of momentum that changes the mood around a team fast. After beating Penn State 34-13 and rolling up more than 400 rushing yards, the Wildcats will try to keep that edge when they play Ball State at 11:30 a.m. CT in their first homecoming game in their new home.
That search interest is obvious because Northwestern has turned one big win into a real test of whether it can keep going. Ball State comes in 1-4, and Northwestern, which has looked sharp on the ground all season, has been one of the hottest teams in college football in recent weeks. The question is not whether the Wildcats can move the ball. They have already shown that with 851 rushing yards on 164 carries, a pace built for control if the line keeps winning up front.
Caleb Komolafe ran for 188 yards against Penn State, and Joseph Himon II added 162, a reminder that Northwestern's run game is not just efficient but punishing when it gets rolling. That matters because Chip Kelly-led offenses depend on the run game to set everything else in motion. Ball State has also been willing to live with a high-volume style of play, but Northwestern should feel the edge in the matchup if it can keep forcing the game to be played on its terms.
The part that keeps this from being a simple follow-the-script game is Northwestern's own cleanup work. Its secondary is banged up, and that leaves more pressure on the defensive line to make Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster uncomfortable in his first year starting. Northwestern has also averaged about eight penalties per game, ranked 112th out of 138 FBS teams, and it was flagged seven times for 78 yards against Penn State. Over the season, the Wildcats have 33 penalties for 256 yards, while Ball State has 36 penalties for 316 yards, so both teams have been giving away field position in ways that can erase a talent gap quickly.
Northwestern looks like the better team, but it cannot afford to let a strong run game and a recent surge cover for discipline issues and a thin secondary. If it keeps the ball on the ground and avoids the penalties that have dragged it all season, the Wildcats should keep their momentum intact. If not, a 1-4 opponent gets the kind of opening that turns a homecoming game into a problem.
