2006 Western Michigan Broncos Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews
Jan. 6
International Bowl
Cincinnati 27 ... Western Michigan 24
Cincinnati appeared to be on its way to a blowout in the first
International Bowl after John Bowie picked off a tipped pass for a
touchdown and Dominick Goodman caught two 21-yard touchdown passes on
the way to a 24-0 lead after the first 20 minutes, but the offense
bogged down hurt by three turnovers, and Western Michigan got hot.
Jamarko Simmons scored a 76-yard touchdown on a trick play pass from E.J.
Biggers. A 30-yard Herb Martin touchdown catch and a 29-yard Nate Meyer
field goal helped close the gap to 24-17 going into halftime, and then
Brandon West got the tying touchdown on a seven-yard run early in the
fourth quarter. The UC offense finally got going with an 11-play,
76-yard drive finishing with a 33-yard Kevin Lovell field goal with 6:11
to play, but Western Michigan would have one more chance getting to the
Bearcat 33 with just over a minute to play. Meyer's 51-yard field goal
attempt was wide and short, and the Bearcats escaped.
Player of the game
... Cincinnati WR Dominick Goodman caught seven passes for 109 yards
and two touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing: Ryan
Cubit, 23-43, 184 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Brandon West, 21-109, 1 TD Receiving: Jamarko
Simmons, 13-172, 1 TD Cincinnati - Passing: Nick Davila, 19-35, 214 yds,
2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Butler Benton, 10-62 Receiving: Dominick
Goodman, 7-109, 2 TD Notes & Thoughts ... This started out looking like the
ugliest of the bowl games with Western Michigan appearing to be
completely overmatched, but Cincinnati seemed to lose a little intensity
after getting up big early, starting making mistakes, and the Broncos
settled down and started making plays. ... It might not have turned out
to be the blowout UC fans might have wanted after the first quarter, but
it was still an impressive feat for Brian Kelly and his staff to step in
and get the team prepared in time for the win. The team showed glimpses
of just how good it can become over the next few seasons. ... UC did a
fantastic job of neutralizing WMU pass rushing star Ameer Ismail. The
All-American was held to four tackles and no sacks. ... UC safety
Dominic Ross was all over the field making 11 tackles and breaking up
two passes.
Nov. 24
Western Michigan 17 ... Akron 0
Western Michigan generated five sacks holding Akron to -13
rushing yards and 119 overall in a shutout. The Bronco offense got a
38-yard Nate Meyer field goal in the second quarter and put the game
away with a 16-yard Keith Schultz touchdown catch and a one-yard Brandon
West scoring run. WMU snuffed out Akron's best scoring chances blocking
a first quarter field goal and held on to the ball for 12:27 of the
fourth quarter. Player of the game
... Western
Michigan LB Paul Tithoff made seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing: Ryan
Cubit, 17-29, 217 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 20-75 Receiving: Jamarko
Simmons, 8-98 Akron - Passing: Luke Getsy, 13-26, 132 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Dennis Kennedy, 11-22 Receiving: Dennis Kennedy, 5-22 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
Broncos came up with a great defensive performance overwhelming the
Akron offensive line on the way to a surprisingly easy shut out win. The
offense wasn't amazing, but then again, it hasn't been all year. It did
what it needed to do to get the win helped by controlling the ball for
over 35 minutes. Ryan Cubit was great on third downs and there weren't
any turnovers. At 8-4, a bowl bid is assured and with 15 wins over the
last two years, WMU is a MAC player again.
Nov. 18
Florida State 28 ... Western Michigan 20
Xavier Lee stepped in for an ineffective Drew Weatherford and
threw two touchdown passes and Lawrence Timmons picked off a pass for a
22-yard touchdown as Florida State survived. Western Michigan got a
23-yard Jamarko Simmons touchdown catch and a ten-yard Herb Martin
scoring run, but couldn't get closer than the FSU 30 over the final nine
minutes. Western Michigan only gained 33 rushing yards, but FSU only got
12 first downs and ran for 73 yards. Player of the game
...
Florida State QB Xavier Lee went 9-of-13 for 144 yards and two touchdown
passes. Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing: Ryan
Cubit, 27-49, 229 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing: Mark Bonds, 19-41 Receiving: Jamarko Simmons,
9-123, 1 TD Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 9-13, 144 yds,
2 TDs
Rushing: Lorenzo Booker, 21-80 Receiving: De’Cody Fagg, 3-46 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Yeah,
Florida State’s offense might have hit the skids in recent weeks, but
the defense still did an excellent job of closing down the Seminole
running game while getting good pressure into the backfield all game
long. FSU paid so much attention to Ameer Ismail that the rest of the
defense was freed up to roam. Even though a bowl game is all but
assured, a win over Akron would be nice next week to seal the deal.
Nov. 10
Central Michigan 31 ... Western Michigan 7
Central Michigan clinched the MAC West title taking three
Western Michigan second-half turnovers to score 21 points on three
Marcel Archer touchdown runs from two, 24 and 16 yards out. The
Chippewas started off the scoring with a 53-yard Damien Linson touchdown
grab, but the Broncos came back with a five-yard touchdown pass to Nic
Saad for its only points of the game. CMU outgained WMU 305 to 234. Player of the game
... Central
Michigan RB Marcel Archer ran 14 times for 70 yards and three
touchdowns and caught two passes for 16 yards Stat Leaders: Central Michigan- Passing: Dan
LeFevour, 17-27, 163 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Marcel Archer, 14-70, 3 TD Receiving:
Obed Cetoute, 6-57 Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 12-23, 59
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bandon West, 22-117 Receiving: Brian
Ledbetter, 5-33 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Western Michigan had been hanging by a
thread over its five-game winning streak with several close calls
against bad teams, and then the offense completely shut down in the
loss to Central Michigan. Even with this setback, there's still a
shot at a bowl game, but the Broncos have to come up with a decent
showing at Florida State next week and must beat Akron. To have a
chance in either game, the offense has to be far more dangerous with
the downfield passing after only averaging a miniscule 4.9 yards per
completion against CMU.
Nov. 4
Western Michigan 27 ... Miami University 24
Nate Meyer hit a 21-yard field goal with 1:16 to play for the
win. Brian Ledbetter caught touchdown passes from three and two yards
out, and Brandon West ran for a 12-yard score, but Miami always had an
answer up until the final score with Mike Kokal bombing away for a
47-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Woods in the first quarter and to Ryne
Robinson from 56 yards out in the fourth. Player of the game ...
Western Michigan WR
Brian Ledbetter caught nine passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 23-35,
205 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 28-142 Receiving: Brian Ledbetter,
9-101, 2 TD Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 16-26, 282 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 12-72 Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 10-180,
1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Western Michigan might not have been pretty
over the last few weeks beating Eastern Michigan and Miami by the skin
of its teeth, but it's in the position to win the West if it can beat
Central Michigan in next week's showdown and not slip against Akron. The
offense was almost perfectly balanced against MU with all the key parts
playing well. Now there has to be a bit more explosion, and the tightest
defensive performance of the year, to slow down the hot Chippewas.
Oct. 28
Western Michigan 18 ... Eastern Michigan 13
Western Michigan overcame a 15-3 fourth quarter deficit with a
one-yard Ryan Cubit touchdown pass to Keith Schultz and got a 19-yard
Mark Bonds touchdown run to take the lead with just over five minutes to
play. The Eagles had one last shot, but their final drive was snuffed
out by a E.J. Biggers interception of Tyler Jones. Andrew Wellock hit
three field goals for the Eagles and Eric Deslauriers caught a 16-yard
touchdown pass. Player of the game
...
Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail had eight tackles, five tackles for
loss, three sacks and a pair of passes broken up. Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan- Passing: Andy
Schmitt, 15-26, 159 Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 10-43 Receiving: Trumaine Riley,
9-64 Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 18-32, 150
yds, 1 TD Rushing: Mark Bonds, 18-97, 1 TD Receiving: Jamarko
Simmons, 5-30 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Western Michigan came up with a shaky performance against Eastern
Michigan, but it keeps on winning with its third straight to stay in the
MAC West race. As long as there isn't a gag against a bad Miami
University team next week, the showdown against Central Michigan should
be for the division. The passing game and Ryan Cubit were unbelievable
against Ball State, and then struggled against Central Michigan.
Consistency will be the key down the stretch.
Oct. 21
Western Michigan 41 ... Ball State 27
Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail tied an NCAA record with six
sacks, and he returned an interception for a score, while the offense
got three Ryan Cubit touchdowns passes, highlighted by an 81-yard play
to Brian Ledbetter, on the way to an impressive win. Ball State QB Joey
Lynch threw for three scores hitting Darius Hill for two touchdowns in
the second quarter, but he was under pressure all game long getting
sacked nine times leading to a net total of nine rushing yards for the
Cardinals. Player of the game
...
Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail made 13 tackles, six sacks, 6.5 tackles
for loss, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Joey Lynch,
24-30, 290 yds, 3 TD Rushing: Corey McGee, 7-21 Receiving: Terry Moss,
5-90, 1 TD Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 20-24, 291
yds, 3 TD Rushing: Mark Bonds, 30-132, 1 TD Receiving: Joe Chapple,
5-49, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Lost in
Ameer Ismail's MAC Defensive Player of the Year-sealing performance
against Ball State was how well the offense worked. Ryan Cubit pitched a
nearly perfect game only missing on four of his 24 passes, while Mark
Bonds was a steady workhorse for the running game. To nitpick, the
Broncos committed 12 penalties for 85 yards. With Central Michigan still
on the slate, the MAC East title is still possible, but Ohio has to lose
along the way.
Oct. 14
Western Michigan 16 ... Northern Illinois 14
Western Michigan held Garrett Wolfe to 25 rushing yards and
held NIU without netting a yard on the ground, while the offense
generated three Nate Meyer field goals and a two-yard touchdown pass
to Matt Stevens. NIU got on the board first with a blocked punt for
a score, but the offense wasn't able to get back in the end zone
until the final 1:19 on a 31-yard Britt Davis catch. WMU recovered
the onside kick and ran out the clock. Player of the
game ... Western Michigan
LB Ameer Ismail made six tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack,
and one interception Stat Leaders: Northern Illinois - Passing: Phil
Horvath, 14-25, 157 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing: Garrett Wolfe, 18-25 Receiving: Britt Davis,
7-89, 1 TD Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 29-44,
251 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 32-98 Receiving: Joe Chapple,
8-53 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Western
Michigan came up with a perfect defensive gameplan for NUI
generating pressure from all sides and getting a balanced,
ball-control day from the offense that key Garrett Wolfe and the
Huskies off the field. NIU only had the ball for 21:12 thanks to
Mark Cubit's ability to keep the chains moving, and the defense's
ability to get into the backfield and make several big play and
swarm all over Wolfe. WMU had the ball over 21 minutes in the first
half and NIU never bounced back.
Oct. 7
Ohio 27 ... Western Michigan 20
Ohio turned turnovers to points jumping out to a 17-0 lead
highlighted by an 88-yard Chris Garrett punt return for a touchdown and
a two-yard Kalvin McRae score. Western Michigan's offense finally got
going, but it was too late with two late Ryan Cubit touchdown passes.
The Broncos first got on the board on a 66-yard C.J. Wilson interception
for a score midway through the third, but Ohio answered twice with a
38-yard Matt Lasher field goal and a three-yard McRae touchdown run. Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 19
times for 120 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing: Ryan
Cubit, 24-40, 243 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 15-64 Receiving: Brandon West,
6-53 Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 8-16, 79 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 19-120, 2 TD Receiving: Chido
Nwokocha, 2-38 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Thud.
Just when Western Michigan started to look like one of the favorites in
the MAC, it has problems with turnovers for the first time all season
long and couldn't slow down the Ohio running game. If the Broncos
couldn't handle Kalvin McRae and Austin Everson, how's it going to do
against Garrett Wolfe? Ryan Cubit has to avoid mistakes and Mark Bonds
has to be a bit more effective to get back in the title hunt.
Sept. 23
Western Michigan 41 ... Temple 7
Western Michigan had few problems thanks to several Temple
mistakes leading to short scoring drives in the second quarter
highlighted by Londen Fryar's of a blocked field goal attempt for a
touchdown as time ran out in the first half. Temple got an 11-yard
touchdown run from Jason Harper off a short field early in the third
quarter, but the Broncos scored 24 unanswered points with two Mark Bonds
scoring runs and a 15-yard touchdown catch from Herb Martin.
Player of the game ...
Western Michigan RB Mark Bonds ran 15 times for 87 yards and two
touchdowns Stat Leaders: Temple- Passing: Adam DiMichelle,
8-18, 94 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Jason Harper, 14-84, 1 TD Receiving: D.
Hamilton, 4-26 Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 15-24, 143
yds, 2 TD Rushing: Mark Bonds, 15-87, 2 TD Receiving:
J. Simmons, 4-49 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Not
everything quite clicked for Western Michigan against Temple and Ryan
Cubit had a decent, not spectacular day, but the team will take the easy
win after being pushed in last year's matchup. Now the team can focus
fully on MAC play with a tough trip to Ohio ahead followed up by the big
date with Northern Illinois. This was an important game to get Cubit's
feet wet after getting hurt, and now he has to come through big in
Athens to keep the team's momentum rolling.
Sept. 16
Western Michigan 17 ... Virginia 10
Mark Bonds gained 118 of Western Michigan's 179 yards and
scored the first touchdown of the day on a two-yard dash to start off
the shocker. The Bronco defense got in the act with a 34-yard
interception return for a touchdown from Desman Stephan in the second
quarter to take the lead for good. Virgina's points game on a five-yard
Jason Snelling touchdown run and a 34-yard Chris Gould field goal in the
first half, but the offense only managed 258 yards of total offense and
struggled to get moving in the second half. Player of the game
...Western
Michigan RB Mark Bonds ran for 118 yards and the Broncos’ only offensive
touchdown on 27 carries. Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing: Thomas
Peregrin, 7-11, 40 yds Rushing: Mark Bonds, 27-118, 1 TD Receiving: Jamarko
Simmons, 1-19 Virginia - Passing: Kevin McCabe, 13-16, 111 yds, 2
INTs Rushing: Jason Snelling, 14-77, 1 TD Receiving: Tom Santi,
7-78 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The win
over Virginia might not have been anything pretty, and the passing game
was awful, but the defense shut down the Cavaliers doing a great job in
the second half, and Mark Bonds was solid at giving the offense a little
bit of life. With Temple coming up, the Broncos, barring a complete
collapse, will be 3-1 going into showdowns against Ohio and Northern
Illinois. To win those, Thomas Peregrin has to start making some plays
down the field. 40 passing yards isn't going to get it done.
Sept. 9
Western Michigan 31 ... Toledo 10
Western Michigan scored the final 24 points of the game, all
in the second half, to stun Toledo. The Broncos got on the board first
with a Mark Bonds 19-yard touchdown run, but Toledo came back with ten
points in the second quarter finishing with a five-yard Richard Davis
touchdown run. And the the WMU defense turned it loose keeping UT off
the board in the second half and getting a 92-yard interception return
for a score from Londen Fryar. For the game, WMU came up with five sacks
and forced four turnovers. Player of the game ... Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail
made 10.5 tackles, three tackles for loss, recovered a fumble and made
two sacks Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing:
Thomas Peregrin, 11-15, 98 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Mark Bonds, 22-134, 1 TD. Receiving:
Mark Bonds, 3-32 Toledo - Passing: Clint Cochran, 18-30,
218 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 17-111. Receiving: Steve
Odom, 5-53 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Beating Toledo might be the program's most
impressive win in several years. It got the job done without starting
quarterback Ryan Cubit and with a great defensive performance in the
second half against a high-powered team that bombed away on Iowa State
the week before. The ground game, thanks to Mark Bonds, was able to
carry the attack and allow Thomas Peregrin to not have to make too many
big plays. The Virginia game next week is very winnable if the Broncos
play like this again.
Sept. 9
Western Michigan 31 ... Toledo 10
Western Michigan scored the final 24 points of the game, all
in the second half, to stun Toledo. The Broncos got on the board first
with a Mark Bonds 19-yard touchdown run, but Toledo came back with ten
points in the second quarter finishing with a five-yard Richard Davis
touchdown run. And the the WMU defense turned it loose keeping UT off
the board in the second half and getting a 92-yard interception return
for a score from Londen Fryar. For the game, WMU came up with five sacks
and forced four turnovers. Player of the game ... Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail
made 10.5 tackles, three tackles for loss, recovered a fumble and made
two sacks Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing:
Thomas Peregrin, 11-15, 98 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Mark Bonds, 22-134, 1 TD. Receiving:
Mark Bonds, 3-32 Toledo - Passing: Clint Cochran, 18-30,
218 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 17-111. Receiving: Steve
Odom, 5-53 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Beating Toledo might be the program's most
impressive win in several years. It got the job done without starting
quarterback Ryan Cubit and with a great defensive performance in the
second half against a high-powered team that bombed away on Iowa State
the week before. The ground game, thanks to Mark Bonds, was able to
carry the attack and allow Thomas Peregrn to not have to make too many
big plays. The Virginia game next week is very winnable if the Broncos
play like this again.
Sept. 2
Indiana 39 ... Western Michigan 20
Indiana scored off its opening drive as Blake Powers connected
with Andrew Means for a ten-yard touchdown and it never was truly
threatened the rest of the way. Chris Phillips returned an interception
66 yards for a touchdown and Tracy Porter returned a punt 86 yards for a
score on the way to a 29-6 Hoosier lead late into the third quarter.
Mark Bonds scored on a 17-yard run and Nic Saad caught a three-yard
touchdown pass for WMU's second half scores. Player of the game ... Indiana LB Josh Bailey made 11
tackles and two tackles for loss Stat Leaders: Western Michigan- Passing:
Ryan Cubit, 16-22, 166 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 18-61, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jamarko Simmons, 7-100 Indiana - Passing: Blake Powers, 16-28,
192 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Josiah Sears, 8-35, 1 TD. Receiving: James
Bailey, 5-51 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Life without Greg Jennings and Tony
Scheffler is going to be rough. The WMU offense didn't have nearly the
explosiveness against Indiana that it showed last year with Ryan Cubit
making some decent short to midrange passes, but nothing big deep. The
defense did an excellent job against the run, but it was put behind the
eight-ball by the early IU interception and punt returns for a score.
The entire team will have to be far sharper to beat Toledo next week.
Bill Cubit did a phenomenal job in his first season at Western
Michigan, and now it's time to return to the glory days.
It wasn't all that long ago, 2000 to be precise, that
Western Michigan was one of the MAC's superpowers appearing in
back-to-back title games. And then things went downhill in a hurry with four
straight losing seasons bottoming out with a horrific 1-10 2004
campaign. Cubit turned things around in one season bringing the
program back to among the MAC living, and now things are about to
get better. 18 starters return to a team that saw its starting quarterbacks
go down with injuries like Spinal Tap went through drummers, and
struggled with a
pass defense that was just this close to being the worst in
America despite having the MAC's best pass rush to help out
generating pressure. Last year's problems should turn into this season's
positives with a stronger, more experienced secondary and two great
quarterback options in Ryan Cubit, the head coach's son, and Tim
Hiller, once he returns from a knee injury.
What the Broncos don't have is Greg Jennings, the record setting
receiver who caught 238 career passes for 3,539 yards and 39 touchdowns,
tight end Tony Scheffler, who caught 117 career passes for 1,345 yards
and 13 touchdowns, or Trovon Riley, who ran for 1,004 yards and six
touchdowns. While the offense should take a little bit of a step back
after averaging 32 points per game, the defense should be better with a
strong front seven highlighted by Ameer Ismail and the linebacking
corps.
Now the question becomes whether or not the Broncos can build off last
year's momentum. After losing the opening two games of the year at
Virginia and at Toledo, they went on a great run with a stunning
overtime 60-57 slip at Ball State the only hiccup over an eight game
stretch. The bar has been raised high again.
If Akron can win the MAC title last year, then Western Michigan can do
it this season. It has the experience, the overall athleticism, and the
coaching to be a power again and battle Northern Illinois and Toledo in
the West. No, it's not crazy to suggest that the road to the MAC
championship might go through Kalamazoo.
The
Schedule: The
Broncos can't ask for much more with the two really, really big
conference games, Toledo and Northern Illinois, at home. The only
downside is the finishing kick with three straight road games to finish
things up in November including a nasty trip to Tallahassee to face
Florida State the week before playing defending MAC champion Akron.
There' no much of a break from the East side playing Miami University
along with the season finale against the Zips.
Best
Offensive Player: Senior QB Ryan Cubit and/or sophomore QB Tim
Hiller. Both suffered bad knee injuries last year, but Cubit's came
early enough in the season to be able to heal in time for this year.
Hiller's injury came in the season finale making him questionable to be
a part of the quarterback race. Each proved he can lead the offense, but
life is going to be tougher without Greg Jennings and Tony Scheffler to
throw to.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior LB Ameer Ismail. The Bronco ends don't
generate much pressure, so it's up to the 225-pound weakside linebacker
to blow things up in the backfield. He was terrific at getting to the
quarterback with the speed and killer instinct to make plays behind the
line.
Key player
to a successful season: Sophomore CB Londen Fryar. Western Michigan
finished 118th in the nation in pass defense; better cornerback play is
a must. E.J. Biggers should be improved at one corner, so it'll be up to
the son of former NFL star and Nebraska Cornhusker, Irving, to be a rock
on the other side.
The season
will be a success if ...
Western Michigan wins the West. There are plenty of holes
and the team might be a year away from truly being a threat for the MAC
title, but the schedule works out well and there's enough experience to
be the division champion right now.
Key game:
Nov. 10 at Central Michigan. The Toledo and Northern Illinois games
are key for MAC title hopes, but those are in K-Zoo. The Central
Michigan game is the beginning of the three game road tilt to end the
season and comes before facing Florida State and Akron. In other words,
WMU had better beat the Chippewas.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- Field goals: Western Michigan 12 of 19 - Opponents 6 of 14
- Western Michigan second quarter scoring: 132 - Western Michigan second
half scoring: 122
- Third down conversions: Opponents 78 of 177 (44%) - Western Michigan
65 of 163 (40%)
The Last Time Western Michigan…
…played in a bowl game…1988 (California Bowl vs. Fresno State)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…2004 (Tennessee-Martin)
…was shutout…2004 (Bowling Green)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Ball State)
…went undefeated…never
…won a conference title…1988 (MAC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1999 (Tim Lester)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Trovon Riley)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Greg Jennings)
…had a first-round draft choice…2004 (DE Jason Babin)
