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After the Big Ten announced a conference-only football schedule for its members that effectively cancelled this year’s CyHawk game, Iowa State found itself looking for another opponent to replace the departed Hawkeyes.
In step the Ball State Cardinals.
Cyclones add Ball State to 2020 Football slate.
— Cyclone Football (@CycloneFB) July 28, 2020
️ ️ pic.twitter.com/7DooVh6UYR
The Cyclones and Cardinals have met once previously, with Iowa State walloping the squad from Muncie, IN by a score of 38-0 in 1998 at Jack Trice Stadium. Stats from the QC Times are listed below.
The only other time these teams met was on September 19, 1998.
— Jared Larson (@Jar_Lar) July 28, 2020
The Cyclones opened as a 9.5 point favorite which increased to eleven points on game day.
The 38-0 win was the first shutout Ball State had in 124 games, it was ISU's first since 1984. (Stats via. Quad City Times) https://t.co/vSEV4VOksu pic.twitter.com/xKiHfrweRA
In 2019, Ball State finished 5-7 (4-4), but played within two scores of both Indiana and NC State (though they also lost 57-29 to Fordham).
The Cardinals are led by junior running back Caleb Huntley, who was named to both the Maxwell and Doak Walker Award watch lists last week. Huntley ran for 1275 yards and 12 TDs in 2019, but only caught seven passes out of the backfield.