The 60th Bronze Stalk Trophy game closes the MAC regular season as the Miami (OH) RedHawks (6-5, 4-3 MAC) host the Ball State Cardinals (4-7, 2-5 MAC) at Fred C. Yager Stadium. Miami, under Chuck Martin, chases bowl eligibility and a potential top-four seed with a win, building on a midseason surge. Ball State, Tony Levine’s squad in year two of rebuild, scrapes for pride after a brutal East Division slate. The RedHawks’ balanced attack (top-30 MAC offense) faces a Cardinals defense that’s improved late but leaky overall—expect a cold-weather grind, with Oxford’s “Cradle of Coaches” faithful pushing for a streak-extending victory in this historic MAC tilt.
Venue Location
The showdown is at Fred C. Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. This 24,000-seat on-campus relic, opened in 1983 and renovated in 2016, honors Miami’s coaching legacy (Weeb Ewbank, Ara Parseghian) and roars with red-and-white energy. It’s Miami’s home (4-2 in 2025), a 150-mile drive from Muncie, Indiana—drawing alumni for senior day amid the Butler County chill.
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+ (streaming), with radio on Ball State’s 89.1 FM (Cardinal Sports Network) and Miami’s 97.3 FM (RedHawk Radio Network).
Weather Updates
Oxford’s late-November forecast mirrors the Midwest bite, setting up a defensive slugfest. Expect partly cloudy skies with a high of 38°F (3°C) and a low around 28°F (-2°C). Winds: 10-15 mph from the west-northwest, with a 30% chance of light snow showers in the morning. Wind chill in the low 20s°F (-7°C) by kickoff—synthetic turf stays playable, but gusts could wobble kicks and favor run-heavy schemes like Miami’s (top-40 rush offense).
Injury Report
Miami’s depth has held amid a soft slate, but Ball State’s backfield took midseason hits, per Levine’s updates. Reports as of November 27.
Ball State Cardinals:
| Player | Position | Status | Injury Details | Impact |
| Kiael Kelly | QB | Questionable | Ankle (tweaked vs. NIU Nov. 15; limited reps) | Dual-threat (1,950 pass yds, 14 TDs; 550 rush); if out, Kiael backs up with freshman—Cardinals 2-4 without full mobility. |
| George Chukwudi | RB | Out | Lower body (since Oct. 25) | Lead rusher (650 yds, 6 TDs); thins committee (team ranks 105th rush, 120 YPG). |
| Jordan Law | DB | Probable | Concussion (cleared post-Ohio) | Slot corner (2 INTs); full practice—secondary (85th pass D) needs him vs. Miami’s arms. |
| Tanner Koziol | TE | Questionable | Knee (rotated last two) | Pass-catcher (25 rec, 300 yds); shifts to WRs if sidelined. |
Overall: Eight players limited/out per MAC reports; O-line allowed 32 sacks (115th nationally).
Miami (OH) RedHawks:
| Player | Position | Status | Injury Details | Impact |
| Brett Gabbert | QB | Probable | Shoulder (mild sprain vs. EMU; full throws) | Starter (2,100 yds, 16 TDs); efficient 64% comp.—RedHawks 5-1 with him starting. |
| Mac McWilliams | WR | Out | Hamstring (midseason) | Speed threat (30 rec, 450 yds); boosts underneath targets amid top-30 passing efficiency. |
| Matt Salani | LB | Questionable | Undisclosed (limited vs. Buffalo) | Tackler (55 stops); depth LBs filled (D ranks 45th scoring). |
| Kenny Tracy | CB | Available | Ankle (cleared after bye) | Coverage DB (3 PBUs); bolsters secondary vs. Kelly’s scrambles. |
Overall: Five limited; run game intact (top-40 YPC).
Player Matchups
Miami’s efficiency (top-25 SP+ offense) exploits Ball State’s inconsistencies (bottom-50 defense). Key edges:
Ball State QB Kiael Kelly (questionable) vs. Miami Secondary (Kenny Tracy available): Kelly’s legs (550 rush yds) test RedHawks’ DBs (45th pass efficiency D, 10 INTs). Edge: Miami—Hawks 4-1 forcing 2+ TOs; Cardinals 1-5 with 3+ giveaways.
Miami QB Brett Gabbert (probable) vs. Ball State Pass Rush: Gabbert’s poise (16 TDs, 4 INTs) carves short fields. Cardinals’ front (bottom-60 sacks) pressures 20% dropbacks. Edge: Gabbert—RedHawks 5-0 when he exceeds 200 yds.
Ball State RB George Chukwudi (out) vs. Miami Front Seven: Committee (120 YPG) faces Hawks’ LBs (top-40 run D, 110 yds allowed). Edge: Miami—Ball State 0-4 under 100 rush yds.
Miami RB Keyon Mozee vs. Ball State LB Core: Mozee (950 yds, 10 TDs) powers gaps. Cardinals’ tacklers middling (105th rush D). Edge: Mozee—Hawks 6-1 with 150+ rush yds.
Ball State: Non-con wins but MAC woes (SOS 70th).
Miami: Bowl fringe after 11-3 ’24; East Division contenders.
Recent Team Forms
Ball State Cardinals: Levine’s Cards stumbled with a 24-21 L at NIU (Nov. 15), scoring 18 PPG in skid amid turnovers (12 given). D improved late (25 PPG allowed last 3). Morale: Spoiler hunt—2-3 ATS as road dogs.
Miami (OH) RedHawks: Martin’s Hawks edged EMU 28-24 last week, with Gabbert-Mozee duo clicking (350 total yds/game). Offense potent (28 PPG), D opportunistic (12 TOs). Morale: Bowl push—4-1 SU at home.
Series History
The Bronze Stalk Trophy debuted in 1997 for this MAC East staple. All-time: Miami leads 24-13-1, with a current five-game win streak (L5 for Ball State). At Yager: Miami 12-6-1. Recent: Hawks outscored Cards 35-20 avg. last 5. Iconic: 2019’s 31-24 Miami OT win.
| Year | Winner | Score | Notes |
| 2024 | Miami | 28-10 | Defensive dominance |
| 2023 | Miami | 37-30 | High-scoring affair |
| 2022 | Miami | 31-14 | Bowl-clinching rout |
| 2021 | Miami | 28-17 | Road thriller |
| 2020 | Ball State | 24-21 | Pandemic upset |
Betting Trends
Ball State: 5-6 ATS (45.5%); 3-3 ATS as 15+ dogs. 6-5 O/U; overs in 4/6 road. 2-5 SU as underdog (28.6%). Vs. MAC: 2-5 SU/ATS.
Miami: 6-5 ATS (54.5%); 3-2 ATS as 15+ favorites. 5-6 O/U; unders in 4/5 home wins. 5-1 SU as fave (83.3%). Rivalry: 4-1 SU/ATS last 5.
Series Trends: Favorite covers 7/10; unders 6/10 (avg. 42 pts). Home teams 8-2 SU recent; Miami 5-0 SU last 5 tilts. Advanced: FPI gives Miami 85% win prob. Miami top-30 MAC SP+; Ball State 90th.
Game Odds
Ball State Cardinals 41.5
Miami (OH) Redhawks – 17.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, November 28, 2025
