Western Michigan Football Western Michigan Bronco Football 2016 Mac Champion - Group of 5 Champion - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
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WESTERN MICHIGAN FOOTBALL WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCO FOOTBALL 2016 MAC CHAMPION - GROUP OF 5 CHAMPION - GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC 2018 WMU SCHEDULE WESTERN MICHIGAN (6-3, 4-1 MAC) vs. Syracuse Aug. 31 | L, 55-42 CBS Sports Network VS. OHIO (5-3, 3-1 MAC) Nov. 1, 2018 • Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Mich. • 7 PM ET • ESPNU at #21/22 Michigan Sept. 8 | L, 49-3 Fox Sports 1 THE MATCHUP vs. Delaware State Sept. 15 | W, 68-0 WMU Broncos 2018 Stat Comparison Ohio Bobcats ESPN+ 2017 Record: 6-6 / 4-4 MAC 35.0 Points/Game 38.3 2017 Record: 9-4 / 5-3 MAC at Georgia State 30.9 Points Allowed/Game 28.9 Sept. 22 | W, 34-15 209.1 Rush Yards/Game 233.5 ESPN+ 177.2 Rush Yards Allowed/Game 145.5 254.1 Pass Yards/Game 235.1 at Miami* 212.2 Pass Yards Allowed/Game 292.4 Sept. 29 | W, 40-39 463.2 Total Offense/Game 468.6 ESPN+ wmubroncos.com 389.4 Total Defense/Game 437.9 ohiobobcats.com +4 Turnover Margin +3 vs. Eastern Michigan* Coaching Facts Coaching Facts Oct. 6 | W, 27-24 Head Coach: Tim Lester (Western Michigan, 2000) Head Coach: Frank Solich (Nebraska, 1966) ESPN+ Record at Western Michigan: 12-9 (2nd Season) Record at Ohio: 102–74 (14th season) Career Record: 52-32 (8th season) Career Record: 160–93 (20th season) at Bowling Green* Oct. 13 | W, 42-35 ESPN+ TEAM LEADERS at Central Michigan* #2 LeVante Bellamy - Jr. #12 Nathan Rourke - Jr. Oct. 20 | W, 35-10 131-865 (Att-Yds) | 6.6 YPC | 5 TDs RUSHING 78-569 (Att-Yds) | 7.3 YPC | 6 TD ESPN+ vs. Toledo* #9 Kaleb Eleby - Fr. #12 Nathan Rourke - Jr. Oct. 25 | L, 51-24 23-28-293 (C-A-Y) | 2 TDs | 0 INT PASSING 104-171-1,620 (C-A-Y) | 14 TDs | 5 INT ESPN2 #87 Jayden Reed - Fr. #4 Papi White - RSr. vs. Ohio* 44-654 (Rec-Yds) | 72.7 YPG | 8 TDs RECEIVING 38-667 (Rec-Yds) | 83.4 YPG | 6 TD Nov. 1 | 7 PM ESPNU #20 Drake Spears - Jr. #7 Javon Hagan - RJr. 67 Tackles | 42 Solo | 7.5 TFL DEFENSE 54 Tackles | 26 Solo | 2 INT at Ball State* Nov. 13 | 6 PM ESPN2 STORYLINES vs. Northern Illinois* ► After starting the season with Power 5 losses to time series, 33-28-1. Ohio was picked to win the MAC Nov. 20 | 7 PM Syracuse and then ranked No. 21 Michigan, the Bron- East and currently sits second in the division behind ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN3 cos won six games in a row, defeating Delaware State Buffalo (4-0). Western Michigan and Ohio last met in (68-0), Georgia State (34-15), Miami (40-39), Eastern the 2016 MAC Championship game, with the Broncos MAC Championship Michigan (27-24), Bowling Green (42-35) and Central winning, 29-26. WMU has won the last four meetings Nov. 30 | 7 PM Michigan (35-10). The Broncos had the wining streak against Ohio, dating back to 2008. The last time they ESPN2 snapped last Thursday against Toledo (51-24), suffer- faced one another in Kalamazoo was in 2014, a 42-21 ing their first MAC loss of the season. Bronco victory. Ohio (233.5) and WMU (209.1) are first and second in the league in rushing offense. They also MEDIA RELATIONS ► Freshman quarterback Kaleb Eleby made his debut rank second and third for scoring offense. last Thursday against Toledo, replacing injured junior Kristin Keirns, Assistant AD // FB Contact Jon Wassink in the first quarter. Eleby threw for 293 ► Western Michigan is in a stretch of games where (c) 269-998-8062 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 28 passing. the team plays three games over a 13-day span. Email: [email protected] ► Freshman wide receiver Jayden Reed caught two WMU at Central Michigan - Oct. 20 (W, 35-10) Adam Bodnar, Associate Director touchdowns against the Rockets, giving him eight re- WMU vs. Toledo - Oct. 25 (L, 51-24) (c) 269-760-5133 ceiving TDs for the season, which ranks second most WMU vs. Ohio - Nov. 1 Email: [email protected] in the MAC. Reed totaled 103 yards for his fourth 100- yard game this season. ► Through the first nine weeks of the season, West- Nathan Palcowski, Assistant Director ern Michigan has had six different players recognized (c) 616-755-4840 ► The Broncos are bowl eligible for a program-record as conference players of the week. (see page 6). fifth straight season. WMU is currently second in the Email: [email protected] MAC West with a 4-1 record, behind Northern Illinois at ► Tim Lester is in his second season as head coach 4-0. at WMU and is one of 22 FBS coaches leading their Trent Jackson, Assistant alma mater. Lester was an All-MAC quarterback for (c) 952-905-4995 ► WMU came back from second half deficits in the the Broncos, playing from 1996-99. He was the 1996 Email: [email protected] first three MAC wins this season. WMU has only led MAC Freshman of the Year and led WMU to the 1999 in two of the five MAC games at the half - vs. Eastern MAC Championship game. Lester threw for 11,299 Michigan (14-10), Central Michigan (21-0). yards and 87 career TDs. This will be his 85th game as a head coach, also coaching at the Division II and #LETSRIDE #WEWILLREIGN ► This will be the 63rd all-time meeting between III levels. Lester was an assistant coach at Western WMU and Ohio, with the Broncos leading in the all- Michigan from 2005-06. www.wmubroncos.com/football www.facebook.com/WMUFootball @WMU_Football www.YouTube/WMUAthletics WMUFootball WESTERN MICHIGAN FOOTBALL ► WMU will play midweek games for its final four games of the season, playing two Thursday contests, followed by two Tuesday night contests. The Broncos are home for three of its last four games (home STAT RANKINGS vs. Toledo, Ohio, NIU; at Ball State). WMU is at the top of the MAC and the nation- al rankings in several statistical categories. ► Senior Jamauri Bogan became the seventh player in Western Michigan history to surpase 3,000 ca- reer rushing yards at Central Michigan on Oct. 20. TEAM Value MAC FBS ► The Broncos have 13 scoring drives of 10 plays of more this season, resulting in 10 touchdowns and Punt Return Yards 341 1st 1st three field goals. WMU has nine scoring drives of three plays or less, all resulting in TDs. Punt Return Average 22.73 1st 2nd 3rd Down Conversion-Defense .310 1st 14th ► WMU has racked up over 500 yards of total offense in 5 of 9 games this year, including a season-high 621 yards vs. Syracuse. Junior QB Jon Wassink’s 439 yards passing at Miami are a conference high this First Downs - Offense 212 2nd 8th season, as are D’Wayne Eskridge’s 240 yards receiving vs. Syracuse. Fumbles Recovered 9 2nd 10th Time of Possession 32:49 2nd 17th ► WMU has one game with two 100-yards receivers and a 100-yard rusher (Syracuse), as well as a game with two 100-yard rushers and one 100-yard receiver (Georgia State). Freshman WR Jayden Reed ha Total Offense 463.2 2nd 23rd four 100-yard receiving games, while junior D’Wayne Eskridge has two. Junior RB LeVante Bellamy has TFL Allowed 4.56 2nd 21st a MAC-best four 100-yard rushing games, senior Jamauri Bogan has one. Rushing Offense 209.1 2nd 34th Team TFL Per Game 6.9 2nd 34th MOST WINS IN THE FBS Sacks Allowed Per Game 1.0 3rd 11th FROM 2014-18 (LAST 5 YRS) 15. 42 USC Rk Wins Team 42 Appalachian State Scoring Offense 35.0 3rd 30th 1. 61 Alabama 42 Oklahoma State Team Pass Efficeny 149.82 3rd 33rd 2. 58 Clemson 42 Penn State 3. 56 Ohio State 19. 41 Western Michigan 4. 50 Wisconsin 41 Memphis 5. 49 Oklahoma 41 LSU Value MAC FBS 6. 48 Georgia 41 Iowa LeVante Bellamy 48 Boise State 41 Utah Rushing Yards 865 1st 10th 8. 45 San Diego State 41 Michigan State Yards Per Carry 6.6 1st 11th 9. 44 Stanford 25. 40 USF 44 Florida State 40 Michigan All Purpose 138.56 1st 15th 44 Houston 40 Notre Dame Rushing YPG 96.1 1st 27th 12. 43 TCU 40 Louisiana Tech 43 Washington Jon Wassink (injured Oct. 25) 43 Toledo Passing Yards 1,994 2nd 34th Passing TDs 16 3rd 20th BATTLE FOR THE CANNON Passing YPG 221.6 3rd 48th Western Michigan and Central Michigan battle each year for the Cannon Trophy, which was estab- lished in 2008 between the student governments at Western Michigan and Central Michigan. Both Points Responsible For 14.7 4th 25th teams fire off cannons after scores at their respective home games, so it seemed natural that a cannon should represent the rivalry. The Broncos have claimed victory in six of the last eight years, including Jamauri Bogan in 2018, with a 35-10 win at Central Michigan. Rushing TDs 10 1st 8th Battle for the Cannon Trophy Recipient Total TDs 10 1st 16th 2008 - CMU (38-28) 2009 - CMU (34-23) D’Wayne Eskridge 2010 - CMU (26-22) Yards Per Reception 21.08 1st 7th 2011 - WMU (44-14) 2012 - WMU (42-31) 2013 - CMU (27-22) Jayden Reed 2014 - WMU (32-20) Punt Return Average 19.4 1st 2nd 2015 - WMU (41-39) Receiving TDs 8 2nd 8th 2016 - WMU (49-10) 2017 - CMU (35-28) Total TDs 3 3rd 28th 2018 - WMU (35-10) * LeVante Bellamy’s four 100-yard rushing games leads the MAC this season.