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FACTS & STATS: Site: Lincoln Financial Field (68,532) -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Television: None. Home Record: Ball State 0-3, Temple 1-1. Away Record: Ball State 0-2, Temple 1-1. Neutral Record: Ball State 0-0, Temple 0-0. Conference Record: Ball State 0-1, Temple 2-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: Still searching for their first victory of the season, the Cardinals of Ball State will head to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls in a Mid-American Conference battle this Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Cardinals had a memorable season last year, but so far the 2009 campaign has been a nightmare as the team has lost all five of its contests, three of which were seven-point setbacks. Last weekend the Cardinals fought hard, but fell just short to Toledo, 37-30. It was the first league setback on the year for Ball State, which combined for a strong 18-6 ledger in MAC play over the previous three seasons.

As for the Owls, they have won two consecutive contests, including a 24-12 decision over Eastern Michigan this past weekend in Ypsilanti. Temple has not had a winning season in 18 years, and although the team is just 2-2 on the year, Temple seems ready to take the next step, and a 2-0 start in league play is proof of that.

This will be the first-ever matchup between the two schools on the gridiron.

The Cardinals scored 30 points in their recent loss to Toledo, but that came on just 310 total yards. The ground game was bottled up, as the team finished with just 76 yards on 2.0 yards per attempt. The passing attack was better, as Kelly Page threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-41 passing. However, the signal caller was also intercepted once and sacked five times. With the ground game only producing 105.0 ypg on 3.3 yards per attempt, there has been plenty of added pressure on the shoulders of Page and thus far he has been unable to deliver. Five games into the season and Page has completed just 51.6 percent of his throws for 743 yards and has only five touchdowns against six interceptions. Figuring out the problem with the rushing attack is tough, especially after MiQuale Lewis put forth such a strong campaign last year. Thus far the talented back has struggled, rushing for just 209 yards and three TDs on 3.0 ypc.

After holding Toledo to just 14 points in the first three quarters on Saturday, the Cardinals were abused for 23 points in the final frame. The Cardinals limited Toledo to just 57 rushing yards, but the defense was torched for 422 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Ball State was able to force three turnovers in the loss, but was unable to get pressure on the quarterback, finishing the game with just one sack. There are plenty of issues with this defense, but none more glaring than Ball State's inability to stop the pass, as team's are netting 242.8 ypg through the air, and out of the 19 touchdowns allowed by this unit, 13 have come via the pass. To make matters worse, the defense has also done poorly against the run as well, and comes into this weekend allowing 184.8 ypg.

True freshman Bernard Pierce ran the Owls through Eastern Michigan this past weekend, as the tailback rumbled for 180 yards and two scores on 7.2 yards per attempt. Pierce, who was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week, exploded onto the scene last week with his first-ever 100 yard performance, and was clearly the best player on the field. With Pierce's strong performance, Vaughn Charlton was not relied on as much, as the signal caller threw for just 123 yards and one touchdown on 9-of-18 passing. To this point in the season Charlton has been mildly inconsistent, as the signal caller has completed just 51.0 percent of his throws for just 740 yards and four touchdowns against four interceptions. Fortunately the ground game has been more reliable, and is now even more explosive with the emergence of Pierce. The freshman tailback is leading the way with 364 yards and three touchdowns, while the entire team is producing 156.2 ypg on the ground. As a whole, the Owls are churning out 341.2 total ypg, and that has led to 22.8 ppg.

On top of the strong offensive performance, the defense for Temple was equally as impressive, as the Owls limited Eastern Michigan to 280 total yards, including just 50 rushing yards on 1.7 yards per attempt. Surprisingly the Owls have done a tremendous job against the run throughout the season, as the team comes into this weekend holding opponents to just 99.8 rushing ypg on just 3.0 yards per carry. The Owls have also made plenty of big plays this year, as the team has forced nine turnovers, while also recording nine sacks. Overall the defense is allowing 340.0 total yards per matchup, which is a modest amount, but at the same time the Owls have limited the opposition to just 20.8 ppg.

The Owls could have found a jewel in Pierce, who should have another strong performance against a weak Ball State defense. Temple is clearly a better team, and with all the struggles the Cardinals have endured, expect Temple to grab a win at home.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Temple 28, Ball State 14