Photo by: Sam Findley/Ball State Athletics
Ball State’s season didn’t open the way they hoped, but the message out of Muncie this week has been clear: fix the fundamentals and move forward. After falling 31-0 at Purdue in Week One, the Cardinals now get ready for another major challenge — a road trip to SEC country to face Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night.
Head coach Mike Uremovich didn’t mince words when asked about the loss to Purdue.
“Purdue didn’t beat Ball State,” Uremovich said. “Ball State beat Ball State because we weren’t being fundamentally sound. Those are things we can fix, and we will fix them.”
That theme carried through the locker room, as players credited in-game adjustments and communication but admitted that small mistakes kept the team from finishing drives and preventing big plays. Defensive back Ashton Whitner said the group grew as the night went on.
“After every drive we went to the sideline, made adjustments and just fixed it from there on out,” Whitner said. “We’ve got to continue to keep our eyes right, and I think we’ll be good for Saturday.”
On the offensive side, redshirt junior running back Qua Ashley echoed that focus while praising quarterback Kiael Kelly’s leadership.
“[Kelly] is a vocal leader. Everybody is right behind him, and I feel like going forward the rest of the season, he’ll be good for us,” Ashley said.
The challenge waiting for Ball State in Week Two is an Auburn team coming off an impressive 38-24 win at Baylor. Quarterback Jackson Arnold rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns on his way to earning SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and the Tigers racked up over 300 yards on the ground.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze knows the danger of looking past an opponent. Just two seasons ago, New Mexico State came into Jordan-Hare and stunned the Tigers. He doesn’t want history to repeat itself.
“You hope the focus is on us and not a given opponent,” Freeze said. “It’s on us getting better from last week, and there’s a lot on the film where we can. If the leadership of the team truly wants to have a year we can look back on and be pleased with, there’s zero chance of that happening without understanding the task at hand is to better ourselves from Week 1 to Week 2.”
Still, Auburn enters as a heavy favorite — 43.5 points according to FanDuel — with a strong run game and the added edge of its home opener in front of a sold-out Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd.
For Ball State, the test isn’t just about keeping pace with Auburn’s athletes. It’s about proving they can clean up the mistakes from West Lafayette and show the growth Uremovich has been preaching. The Cardinals did find some positives last week, including holding Purdue under 100 rushing yards, but Auburn presents a different kind of challenge with a dual-threat quarterback and a backfield that’s already shown it can take over a game.
“It’s a one-week season,” Uremovich said. “Whether we won 31-0 or lost 31-0, the focus is the same on Sunday. We’ve got to get ready for Auburn.”
Kickoff between Ball State and Auburn is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPNU.
About the Author
Dalton Tinklenberg is the Founder and Media Director of The Scouting Depot, where he leads comprehensive coverage of college and professional football. He is an active member of some of the most respected organizations in sports journalism, including the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), Maxwell Football Club, Online News Association (ONA), National Football Foundation (NFF), and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).
Before launching The Scouting Depot, Dalton worked with Blue HQ Media, where he covered major sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500, the College Football Playoff, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Through his professional affiliations and on-the-ground experience, Dalton combines deep knowledge of the game with recognized standards of storytelling, editorial excellence, and authenticity in sports coverage.
