By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009) KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Motivation.

The football team that musters up more of that characteristic in tonight’s football game between Ball State and Western Michigan probably will be the one that sends its program into the offseason with a positive feeling.

Both programs have suffered huge disappointments this season.

The Cardinals hoped to bridge last season’s 12-2 mark and a 2010 campaign they hope will be a Mid-American Conference West Division title challenging outfit with a team this year that perhaps could have a .500 record. Instead, they’ve lost 10 games.

The Broncos thought they had the right stuff to contend for the West crown this year, and certainly be invited to a bowl game.

Instead, they were drubbed by 32 points against West champ Central Michigan and 35 against West runner-up Northern Illinois, and almost certainly will be home for the bowl season.

“It will be kind of a psyche game,” Cardinals coach Stan Parrish said. “We have to get our psyche right, and I think we will. …

Western wants to be 6-6. This will be a great way for us to finish up, knocking them off.”

Ball State (1-10, 1-6 MAC West) will try to avoid tying a school record for most losses in a season, set when it was 0-11 in 1999.

The Cardinals have won their season finale just one time in the past seven years.

To beat the Broncos (5-6, 4-3 MAC West), the Cardinals will have to play better than they did in last week’s 35-3 home loss to Central Michigan. Parrish said his team must play with more energy.

“We had a lot of guys who didn’t play very well, and we can play better than that,” Parrish said. “We have to re-energize ourselves.

“We have to have a real good plan as coaches to get these kids out there … and give them a good plan to go (to Western Michigan) and play our best and win.”

A major aspect of the Cardinals’ plan will be to contain Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller.

Hiller, 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, has made major improvements in his game during his career. He was benched on three occasions in 2007, and now seems a sure bet to be selected in next April’s NFL draft.

Steve Muench, a draft analyst for ESPN Scouts Inc., told the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette that Hiller is grading out as a “third-round range” draft pick.

Hiller, the 2005 MAC freshman of the year, is second in the conference in passing yards per game (263.2) and tied for first in touchdown throws (22). He needs two touchdown passes tonight against the Cardinals to tie the MAC career record of 100 by Chad Pennington of Marshall.

Parrish said Hiller could be the best pure passer in the MAC this season.

“He’s a classic drop-back passer,” Parrish said. “He and (Bowling Green’s Tyler) Sheehan are a lot alike in that they’d rather throw than run it.”

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.