Ball State football vs. Miami (Ohio) scouting report, score prediction

Ball State football's season finale is here.

Ball State (4-7, 3-4 MAC) will hit the road for the seventh time this season to take on Miami (Ohio) (6-5, 5-2 MAC) in the Red Bird Rivalry on Saturday, Nov. 29. While the Cardinals are eliminated from bowl game eligibility and MAC Championship contention, they can play spoiler for the RedHawks' conference championship hopes.

The Red Bird Rivalry has been officially recognized with a trophy since 2017, but the matchup itself dates all the way back to 1931. Miami leads the all-time series 24-13-1 and has won the last five matchups, though all five were one-score games.

More: 3 takeaways from Ball State football's road loss to Toledo

Here's our scouting report, as well as a score prediction, for Ball State football's season finale at Miami (Ohio):

Can Ball State defense take advantage of inexperienced QB?

Miami made headlines recently when it was announced that starting quarterback DeQuan Finn had left the team to prepare for professional football and would not play in the final three games. The RedHawks initially turned to redshirt senior Henry Hesson to lead the offense, but after a three-interception performance in a 24-2 loss to Toledo, they opted to give redshirt freshman Thomas Gotkowski a shot against Buffalo.

Gotkowski played well, going 13-of-23 for 185 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers as Miami won 37-20, but he didn't exactly set the world on fire in his first career start. Ball State's defense is on a hot streak of interceptions with nine picks over its last six games, so the Cardinals could certainly get under the skin of a young, inexperienced quarterback.

Can Ball State's offense snap out of its funk?

Ball State's offense has struggled for the past few weeks. The Cardinals erupted for 42 points in a homecoming win over Akron but have only scored 42 points combined in the four games since then. Ball State is second-to-last in the MAC in scoring offense (15.1 points per game) and total offense (270.9 yards per game). Only winless UMass is worse.

While the Cardinals have one last chance to get the offense on track, it won't be against a vulnerable defense. Miami ranks third in the MAC in both scoring defense (21.7 points allowed per game) and total defense (328.4 yards allowed per game). The RedHawks also lead the MAC with 14 interceptions and are top-three in sacks with 32.

Can Ball State defense contain Kam Perry?

Miami receiver Kam Perry is one of the MAC's most explosive wide receivers. He has brought in 33 receptions for 802 yards and five touchdowns and averages a whopping 24.3 yards per catch — the second highest figure in the MAC. The redshirt junior who transferred from Indiana has yet to go over 100 yards in MAC play, but he remains among the conference's top receivers and is one of only four MAC receivers with over 800 yards this year.

Ball State has given up some big games to wideouts this year. Ohio's Chase Hendricks, Eastern Michigan's Jamarien Wheeler, and Toledo's Junior Vandeross all went for over 100 yards against the Cardinals' secondary in conference play, while Purdue's Armhad Branch and UConn's Skyler Bell did the same in nonconference action. Wheeler's 131 yards and Vandeross' 127 yards were the two biggest receiving performances allowed by Ball State this season and have come in each of the last two weeks, so the Cardinals will need to buck recent trends to keep Perry bottled up.

Score prediction for Ball State football vs Miami Ohio

Miami 24, Ball State 10: The RedHawks need a win and a little bit of help from elsewhere in the MAC to qualify for the conference championship. They should at least manage to get the former against a Ball State team that has struggled mightily on the road this season. The Cardinals' defense could make things interesting with an interception or two against Miami's new quarterback, but the offense has been dormant for weeks now and shown little signs of improvement. The RedHawks win their sixth straight Red Bird Rivalry, and Ball State's season ends with a three-game skid.

Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football vs. Miami (Ohio) scouting report, score prediction