FACTS & STATS: Site: Scheumann Stadium (22,500) -- Muncie, Indiana. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: Toledo 5-2, Ball State 2-2. Away Record: Toledo 0-3, Ball State 3-3. Neutral Record: Toledo 0-0, Ball State 0-0. Conference Record: Toledo 3-3, Ball State 3-2. Series Record: Toledo leads, 16-15-1.

GAME NOTES: A Mid-American Conference battle will take place this Tuesday evening at Scheumann Stadium, as the Ball State Cardinals will collide with the Toledo Rockets. The red-hot Rockets have certainly turned their season around, winning four of their last five games, including three in a row, bringing their overall mark to an even 5-5. The last time Toledo was on the field, the team dismantled Eastern Michigan, 52-28. The Rockets will close out their regular season schedule on the road against Bowling Green on November 23rd. As for the Cardinals, they have taken a step backwards, losing two consecutive games, including a 38-20 setback to Indiana last Saturday. Ball State has not been overly impressive at home, posting a mediocre 3-3 mark at Scheumann Stadium this year. The Cardinals will close out their regular season on November 24th when they hit the road to battle Northern Illinois. The Rockets have a slim, 16-15-1 edge over Ball State in the all-time series, but this past year the Cardinals inched closer by collecting a 20-17 victory over Toledo.

The Rockets have dismantled opposing defensive units with their ground attack, rumbling for a whopping 222.2 ypg. Overall, the offensive unit is producing an impressive 463.4 total ypg, which has led to 36.5 ppg. In the recent victory over Eastern Michigan, the Rockets continued their success on the ground, rushing for an outstanding, 324 yards on 7.4 ypc. Jalen Parmele was sensational in the win, rumbling for 168 yards and three touchdowns on 22 totes, while DeJuane Collins added 79 yards and two scores on nine attempts. Parmele has been one of the top running backs in the MAC, and comes into this game with 1,306 yards and 13 scores. As for Collins, he has done a solid job in a reserve role, posting 584 yards and seven TDs on 6.3 ypc. Not to be overlooked is the passing attack, which is averaging 241.2 ypg through the air. In eight games under center, Aaron Opelt has thrown for 1,553 yards and has tossed 11 scores against six INTs. In the win over EMU, Opelt had another solid outing, completing 17-of-29 passes for 276 yards and two TDs.

What has hampered the Rockets throughout the year is their atrocious play defensively, as the team is being abused through the air, as well as on the ground. Entering this matchup, the defense for Toledo is surrendering 223 passing ypg, while also being gashed for 221 rushing ypg. All that yardage has led to a whopping 39.2 ppg allowed by Toledo. In the recent matchup against EMU, the Rockets were victorious, but still struggled against the run, allowing 217 yards on 44 carries. Overall the defense was abused for 417 yards, which also led to 24 first downs. Toledo was able to force two turnovers in the contest, and also grabbed two sacks in the win. The Rockets have been able to force 25 turnovers on the year, but the team has had trouble getting to the QB, racking up just nine sacks.

The Cardinals have one of the more dangerous offensive attacks in the MAC, as the team is gashing its opponents for 154.2 ypg on the ground, while also throwing for 282.2 ypg. In the recent 18-point setback to Indiana, quarterback Nate Davis was the main offensive threat for the Cardinals, throwing for 332 yards and one touchdown, but the sophomore also threw two interceptions and was sacked twice. Dante Love hauled in 14 passes for 177 yards in the contest, but Darius Hill was held to just two receptions for 42 yards. Love and Hill have been the top two threats down field for Davis and have combined for 119 receptions, 1,663 yards and 14 scores. The main source of production out of the backfield has been Frank Edmonds, as the tailback has rushed for 466 yards and six TDs since taking over for an injured MiQuale Lewis.

Throughout the season the Cardinals have been atrocious defensively, especially against the run, as teams are gashing the Cardinals for a whopping 215.1 ypg. Overall this squad has been abused for 434.7 total ypg and that has led to 27.5 ppg. In the team's recent matchup against Indiana, the defense was dismantled again, surrendering 462 total yards, including 354 passing yards. The Cardinals were able to force three turnovers in the matchup, but finished the contest with just one sack. Ball State has been able to force a solid 23 turnovers on the season, but the team has struggled to get to the QB, racking up just 16 sacks on the year. Bryant Haines eclipsed the 100-tackle mark against Indiana, collecting 13 stops in the loss, giving him a team-high 103 on the year.

Both teams have explosive offensive units, so expect a high scoring affair on Tuesday. The Cardinals are home, but the ground game for Toledo has ben red- hot and that alone should be too much for BSU to handle.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Toledo 38, Ball State 34