2004 Ball State Cardinals football team

The 2004 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cardinals were led by second-year head coach Brady Hoke and played their home games at Ball State Stadium as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They finished the season 2–9, 2–6 in MAC play to finish in fifth place in the West Division.

2004 Ball State Cardinals football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	West
Record	2–9 (2–6 MAC)
Head coach	Brady Hoke (2nd season)
Home stadium	Ball State Stadium

2004 Mid-American Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Miami (OH) x		7	–	1					8	–	5
Akron		6	–	2					6	–	5
Marshall		6	–	2					6	–	6
Kent State		4	–	4					5	–	6
Ohio		2	–	6					4	–	7
Buffalo		2	–	6					2	–	9
UCF		0	–	8					0	–	11
West Division
Toledo xy$		7	–	1					9	–	4
Northern Illinois x		7	–	1					9	–	3
Bowling Green		6	–	2					9	–	3
Eastern Michigan		4	–	4					4	–	7
Central Michigan		3	–	5					4	–	7
Ball State		2	–	6					2	–	9
Western Michigan		0	–	8					1	–	10
Championship: Toledo 35, Miami 27
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 2	Boston College*	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN	L 11–19	23,718
September 11	at No. 25 Purdue*	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	L 7–59	64,323
September 18	at Missouri*	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	L 0–48	57,279
September 25	Western Michigan	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN	W 41–14	17,710
October 2	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 14–52	21,933
October 9	Eastern Michigan	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN	L 24–31	14,612
October 16	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	L 13–51	16,669
October 23	at Akron	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 23–35	7,826
October 30	Northern Illinois	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN (rivalry)	L 31–38 OT	10,149
November 13	UCF	Ball State Stadium Muncie, IN	W 21–17	5,309
November 20	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	L 40–41	10,169
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game