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For more on this game, see the Postgame Stats

Coming off its toughest game, unbeaten Ball State will try to overcome one last obstacle to winning the Mid-American Conference's West Division when it hosts Western Michigan on Tuesday.

The No. 15 Cardinals - one of five undefeated Football Bowl Subdivision teams - clinched a share of the West with a 31-24 victory at Central Michigan on Wednesday for the school's first 11-0 start. Nate Davis threw for 175 yards and four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter, and MiQuale Lewis had a season-high 177 rushing yards as Ball State improved to 7-0 in the MAC.

"It was a big win," said Lewis, who had 63 yards on the drive that was capped by Davis' 11-yard TD pass to Briggs Orsbon with 7:29 to play. "For us to win the MAC championship, we knew we had to come through here, through Central. Great team. Well coached. We knew we'd get their 'A' game."

Although Ball State is ranked 17th in the Bowl Championship Series standings, representatives from the Fiesta Bowl were in attendance last week, along with those from the Motor City and International Bowls - two games that have tie-ins to MAC schools. The Cardinals can win the West outright with a victory over Western Michigan (9-2, 6-1) and play Buffalo in the MAC title game in Detroit on Dec. 5.

"Our goal has been to win the championship since we came here in 2003, so when we meet at the beginning of the year, we talk about our expectations and what investment we're going to make as a team," Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. "Believe me, it's been a conversation. But I like our team because of how they care about each other and how they play for each other, and that's what we're going to do on Tuesday."

Lewis has topped 100 yards in three straight games and a single-season school record nine overall, totaling 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns. The junior is 169 yards shy of breaking Marcus Merriweather's single-season school mark of 1,618 established in 2002, and needs three rushing touchdowns to better the single-season Ball State record of 19 set by Mark Bornholdt in 1979.

Davis has thrown nine TD passes in his last three games after totaling eight in his previous seven. He threw for 358 yards and two TDs to rally the Cardinals past Western Michigan 27-23 on the road last Oct. 20.

The Broncos still have an outside chance to win the West, but need Central Michigan to lose at Eastern Michigan in addition to beating Ball State. They can also win the division if several tiebreakers go their way if a victory by Central Michigan creates a three-way tie.

Western Michigan was idle last week after being Toledo 27-17 on Nov. 15, its third straight win, behind three scoring passes from Tim Hiller.

"I think our kids are feeling pretty good about it," Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit said of facing Ball State. "I mean, Ball State's undefeated. So I think the challenge there is pretty good."

Prior to the victory against Toledo, Hiller had recorded five straight 300-yard games, and he leads the MAC with 3,382 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 448 attempts. The junior, who redshirted due to injury in 2006 when Western Michigan last beat Ball State, was intercepted three times by the Cardinals last year.

Hiller threw five touchdown passes against Ball State on Oct. 8, 2005, but Western Michigan suffered a 60-57, four-overtime loss.

Hiller is one TD shy of matching the single-season school record of 34 set by Tim Lester in 1999.

He has a standout target in senior wide receiver Jamarko Simmons, who has 92 catches for 1,100 yards in his previous nine games. Simmons, who holds the school record with 248 catches, had nine receptions for 110 yards in last year's defeat to the Cardinals and needs seven catches to break Greg Jennings' single-season mark of 98.

"We have a lot of work to do," Hoke said. "They have a tremendous offense. This is going to be a huge test for us."

The Broncos, trying for the first 10-win season in their 102-year history, lead the series with Western Michigan 19-15.