Western Michigan 2012 Recruiting

Western Michigan Broncos 2012 ... Head Coach: Bill Cubit

Western Michigan Broncos

2011 Record: 7-5

Sep. 3 at Michigan L 34-10
Sep. 10 Nicholls State W 38-7
Sep. 17 Central Mich W 44-14
Sep. 24 at Illinois L 23-20
Oct. 1 at Connecticut W 38-31
Oct. 8 Bowling Green W 45-21
Oct. 15 at Northern Illinois L 51-22
Oct. 22 at Eastern Mich L 14-10
Oct. 29 Ball State W 45-35
Nov. 8 at Toledo L 66-63
Nov. 12 OPEN DATE
Nov. 16 at Miami Univ. W 24-21
Nov. 25 Akron W 68-19 
Little Caesars Bowl
Dec. 27 Purdue 37-32

2010 CFN Prediction: 6-7
2010 Record:  6-6

Sept. 4 at Michigan St L 38-14
Sept. 11 Nicholls St W 49-14
Sept. 18 Toledo L 37-24
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 Idaho L 33-13
Oct. 9 at Ball State W 45-16
Oct. 16 at Notre Dame L 44-20
Oct. 23 at Akron W 56-10
Oct. 30 NIU L 28-21
Nov. 5 Central Mich L 26-22
Nov. 13 Eastern Mich W 45-30
Nov. 20 Kent State L 38-3
Nov. 26 at Bowling Green W 41-7
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Western Michigan Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Anthony Maddie
6-2, 195, Scout.com 76th ranked, three-star quarterback.

2. QB Zachary Terrell
6-3, 205, Scout.com 85th ranked quarterback

3. TE Ben Arnold
6-6, 205, Scout.com 101st ranked tight end

4. OT Taylor Moton
6-6, 270, Scout.com 120th ranked offensive tackle

5. DT Jonathan Harden
6-0, 300, Scout.com 145th ranked defensive tackle

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Wide receivers. Lots and lots of wide receivers. The Broncos have spent years on the line, and now it’s time for the pass protection to shine while giving Alex Carder time to work to all the new options. The receiving corps loses a ton of talent, and it’ll be a must for JUCO transfers Justin Collins and Darrin Duncan, among others, to become ready to play right off the bus.

Team Concerns For 2012: If the recruits don’t come through, then receiver is a major problem with Jordan White, Robert Arnheim, and Chleb Ravensell all gone. The defense loses tough tackle Drew Novak and corner Aaron Winchester, but experience isn’t a problem. The kicking game needs new options with P Ben Arner and PK John Potter gone.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: QB Alex Carder is back to lead the high-powered offense, but after six years, top target Jordan White is finally done. Four starters are back on the line, and all the top running backs return to potentially balance out the attack a bit more. The defense that finished 12rh in the MAC won’t have two starters up front, but it gets back six starters in the back seven only losing corner Aaron Winchester.
 
The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Offensive linemen. The last few classes have mostly addressed the offense, but outside of three-star receiver Kendrick Roberts, this class is mostly trying to load up on the offensive front. While there might not be any ready-made starters, 6-10, 290-pound Ben Davidson is an extremely intriguing tackle option and 6-5, 260-pound versatile guard Dustin Pringle has excellent upside. 6-5, 220-pound outside linebacker Jarrell McKinney could quickly grow into a whale of a pass rushing end.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 81. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive potential. The Broncos beefed up the line with last year's class creating the foundation for this year's haul of skill players to potentially roll. Mike Perish and Zack Wynn will battle it out for the starting quarterback spot sooner than later, while running backs Dareyon Chance, Tevin Drake, and Weston Ross all provide something difference and should all the offense to be more ground oriented than in the past.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 86. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive linemen. Ben Samson has the potential to be an anchor at one tackle spot, while the guard prospects, particularly Mark Zielinski and Josh Hadel, have big-time potential. The defense didn’t get a whole bunch of help.

Little Caesars Bowl
Purdue 37 … Western Michigan 32
- CFN Thoughts on the Game

Purdue: The Boilermaker defense forced seven turnovers and recovered two onside kicks. … Caleb TerBush completed 8-of-13 passes for 101 yards and a score, and Robert Marve completed 6-of-7 throws for 76 yards and a touchdown. … Akeem Shavers led the team with 149 yards on 22 carries. … Gary Bush caught six passes for 90 yards and a score. … Raheem Mostert return two kickoffs for 124 yards with a 99-yard score. … Joe Holland led the team with nine tackles, two tackles for loss, and three broken up passes. … DE Gerald Gooden made three tackles, a tackle for loss, two picks, a sack, and a forced fumble.

Western Michigan: The Broncos outgained Purdue 485 to 442. … WR Jordan White caught 13 passes for 265 yards and a score. … Alex Carder completed 31-of-57 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns with four picks. He also led the team with 17 rushing yards on 14 attempts. … Aaron Winchester led the team with 12 tackles with a forced fumble and a tackle for loss. (AP) Purdue quarterback Caleb TerBush took the final snap, sprinted to the sideline and handed the football to coach Danny Hope.

Perhaps empowered by getting a contract extension recently, Hope made the gutsy decision to go for two onside kicks in the first half and both gambles paid off for the Boilermakers in a 37-32 win over Western Michigan on Tuesday night in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

Raheem Mostert returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, third-string running back Reggie Pegram scored the first two TDs of his career and Carson Wiggs made two field goals to give the Boilermakers a 27-15 lead at halftime.

Wiggs also recovered one of his onside kicks, both of which he tapped toward a sideline after running at full speed as if he was trying to boot the ball deep.

Purdue (7-6) had another 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Big Ten team had to hold on for the win against the Mid-American Conference program.

The Broncos (7-6) got the ball with a chance to go ahead, but their comeback hopes ended when quarterback Alex Carder fumbled for his fifth turnover with just under 2 minutes left.

Ryan Russell forced the final fumble and Bruce Gaston recovered to seal the win in a game that entertained 46,177 fans inside the home of the Detroit Lions.

The Boilermakers played in a bowl for the first time since 2007, when they beat Central Michigan - also in Detroit.

Western Michigan fell to 0-5 in postseason play.

Purdue's Akeem Shavers ran for a career-high 148 yards on 22 carries, filling in for the injured Ralph Bolden, and was named the game's MVP.

TerBush was 8 of 13 for 101 yards with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Gary Bush midway through the third quarter that put Purdue up 34-18. Robert Marve was 6 of 7 for 76 yards with a 1-yard scoring pass to Pegram in the first quarter.

Purdue defensive end Gerald Gooden had two of his team's four interceptions, and gave back one of those two turnovers to the Broncos in a game filled with miscues and missed opportunities for both teams.

Western Michigan's star receiver, Jordan White, who drew at least one NFL scout to watch him, caught 13 passes for 249 yards and a score.

Carder was 31 of 57 for 413 yards with three TDs - also connecting with Josh Schaffer and Chleb Ravenell for scores. But the junior matched a career high with four interceptions and gave up the ball a fifth time to end the Broncos' chances to rally for the victory in their homestate in front of many of their fans.

Purdue will go back across the border to Indiana happy, especially school officials who added two years to Hope's deal last week to keep him under contract through 2016.

Nov. 25 at Western Michigan 68 … Akron 19  

Nov. 19 Western Michigan 24 ... at Miami University 21

Nov. 8 at Toledo 66 … Western Michigan 63
CFN Analysis: The defense was having problems against the run, but it was decent against the pass. That all went bye-bye as the Broncos weren’t even close to slowing down anything Toledo wanted to do. … If this was any other weeks, or if WMU didn’t lose, Alex Carder’s 548-yard, seven-touchdown, no pick day would’ve been front-and-center on the highlight reel. … Jordan White deserve All-America mention. He’s the real deal, catching 16 passes for 238 yards and three scores. … This ends any West title hopes, but a bowl is still possible with Miami and Akron up next to possibly finish 7-5. 

Oct. 29 at Western Michigan 45 … Ball State 35

Oct. 22 at Eastern Michigan 14 … Western Michigan 10
CFN Analysis: Was Western Michigan suffering a hangover from the clunker of a shootout against Northern Illinois? The offense is far too good and far too talented to be this miserable against a mediocre Eastern Michigan defense. Alex Carder couldn’t get anything happening down the field, and Jordan White caught a harmless seven passes for 70 yards. There were plenty of chances to take over the game and put it away, but the offense couldn’t do it. The defense gave up two big plays and did a terrific job the rest of the way, but this was a disaster. All of a sudden, it’s going to take a lot of work and a ton of help to win the West, but there’s still time. There can’t be any slips, though. 

Oct. 15 at Northern Illinois 51 … Western Michigan 22
CFN Analysis: Jordan White was Jordan White, catching 12 passes for 98 yards, but it was a total defensive meltdown in the second half with the run defense missing way too many tackles and the line getting shoved around way too easily. NIU did whatever it wanted. The last thing the run defense needs is to face a team with a strong rushing quarterback, and Eastern Michigan’s Alex Gillett is up next. With the was Harnish was able to weave his way through the Bronco back seven, there’s a lot of work to be done over the next week or a good season will suddenly go in the tank. There can’t be any mistakes the rest of the way. The offense needs more than just Alex Carder to Jordan White. 

Oct. 8 at Western Michigan 45 … Bowling Green 21
CFN Analysis: Alex Carder might have come up with a nice game, throwing for 212 yards and three scores, and Jordan White caught 12 passes for 156 yards and two scores, but it was Tevin Drake and the ground game that blew away the Falcons. Bowling Green has a dangerous passing game and a good offense, but WMU never gave up the ball holding on to it for 35 minutes in a crisp, effective game. Now comes the big test at Northern Illinois. Lose that, and the finishing kick with four road games in five weeks, including a date at Toledo, will be a problem for any MAC title hopes.   

Oct. 1 Western Michigan 38 … at Connecticut 31
CFN Analysis: Alex Carder is special. He showed glimpses of greatness throughout last year, and he was good to start the season, but he hadn’t done anything like this. He lit up a BCS conference team for 479 yards and bombed away for five scores with Jordan White continuing to dominate with 12 catches for 173 yards and two scores. The secondary was too porous against a bad passing team and the pass protection was mediocre, but this was the type of win that makes a statement as the MAC season kicks in. The rushing attack is non-existent but when Carder is this hot, it doesn’t matter. Going forward, though, the Broncos can’t kill themselves with penalties like they did this week committing 15 for 119 yards.   

Sept. 24 at Illinois 23 … Western Michigan 20
CFN Analysis: The Broncos are 2-2 with the two defeats coming against Big Ten schools, but the offense worked against both Michigan and Illinois. Jordan White was unstoppable against the Illini, catching 14 passes for 132 yards and a score. He didn’t come up with any huge plays, but he functioned as the equivalent of a ground game with several short to midrange catches. Alex Carder was terrific, throwing for 306 yards and two scores, but he couldn’t keep the chains moving and the defense couldn’t stop the Illini ground game. Next week against UConn, WMU should finally have its win over a BCS school before diving back into MAC play against Bowling Green. 

Sept. 17 at Western Michigan 44 … Central Michigan 14
CFN Analysis: That’s what the Western Michigan offense is supposed to do. Alex Carder and the attack is supposed to blow up on all the mediocre defenses – including Michigan – and the passing game never gave CMU a chance. Jordan White was unstoppable with 13 catches for 177 yards and two scores, and while it would’ve been nice to get more from the running game, that’s nitpicking in a blowout to kick off the MAC season. Going forward, the kicking of John Potter, who went 3-for-3 including two 43 yarders, is a huge plus for an attack that doesn’t need any help. 

Sept. 10 at Western Michigan 38 … Nicholls State 7

Sept. 3 at Michigan 34 … Western Michigan 10
CFN Analysis: The Broncos have plenty to take away from the game with an excellent performance by Alex Carder – when he wasn’t getting tagged or when his passes weren’t getting tipped. He completed 22-of-31 passes for 183 yards with a pick, and WR Jordan White ripped apart the Wolverines for 12 catches for 119 yards. WMU actually outplayed Michigan in several ways, but the three turnovers and eight penalties were disastrous. Fortunately, Nicholls State is up next to work on the pass protection before kicking off MAC play against Central Michigan.