EVANSTON, Ill. (Interstat) — Northwestern will host Ball State in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game Saturday at Ryan Field. The Wildcats enter at 3-1, while the Cardinals are 1-4 and have lost three straight. The forecast for game time calls for 57 degrees.

Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles is a player to watch. The Wildcats have leaned on the quarterback. In the Wildcats’ most recent game, a 34-13 win over Penn State, Chiles passed for 93 yards and ran for 21 yards and a touchdown. Against Indiana, he threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score in a 29-23 loss. Against Colorado, he passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more in a 41-7 win. Running back Caleb Komolafe ran 25 times for 188 yards, caught one pass for 14 yards and scored a touchdown against Penn State. Joseph Himon II added 10 carries for 162 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Northwestern also beat South Dakota State 34-18 and lost at Indiana.

Ball State’s Keldric Luster is a player to watch. The Cardinals’ offense is led by the quarterback. In a 39-24 loss to Toledo, Luster passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Earlier at Liberty, he threw for 93 yards and ran for 30 in a 51-15 loss. Tyler Mizzell contributed one catch for 14 receiving yards and three rushes for 18 yards against Toledo. TJ Horton ran for 90 yards, caught two passes for 10 yards, returned a kickoff 49 yards and scored a touchdown in that game. Ball State opened with a 56-3 loss at Ohio State, beat Stony Brook 41-17, lost 51-15 at Liberty and fell 26-13 at Kent State before losing to Toledo at home.

Ball State has scored 3, 41, 15, 13 and 24 points in its five games. Northwestern has scored 34, 41, 23 and 34 points in its four games. Ball State has allowed 56, 17, 51, 26 and 39 points. Northwestern has allowed 18, 7, 29 and 13 points. The Cardinals are seeking their second win of the season. The Wildcats are seeking their fourth win.

The Cardinals will return to Mid-American Conference play at Bowling Green next. They also have upcoming games against Sacramento State, Massachusetts, Buffalo, Ohio and Central Michigan. Northwestern will travel to Michigan State next. The Wildcats also have upcoming games against Rutgers, Oregon, Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Northwestern 45, Ball State 18. Ball State has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +35.5. The over/under is 52.5.