2016 Western Michigan Broncos football team

2016 Western Michigan Broncos football
MAC champion MAC West Division champion
MAC Championship, W 29–23 vs. Ohio
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 16–24 vs. Wisconsin
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 18
AP	No. 15
Record	13–1 (8–0 MAC)
Head coach	P. J. Fleck (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Kirk Ciarrocca (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Ed Pinkham (4th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Waldo Stadium

2016 Mid-American Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Ohio xy		6	–	2					8	–	6
Miami (OH) x		6	–	2					6	–	7
Akron		3	–	5					5	–	7
Bowling Green		3	–	5					4	–	8
Kent State		2	–	6					3	–	9
Buffalo		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
No. 15 Western Michigan xy$		8	–	0					13	–	1
Toledo		6	–	2					9	–	4
Northern Illinois		5	–	3					5	–	7
Eastern Michigan		4	–	4					7	–	6
Central Michigan		3	–	5					6	–	7
Ball State		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Western Michigan 29, Ohio 23
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University (WMU) in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach P. J. Fleck and played their home games at Waldo Stadium as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Broncos completed their regular season undefeated and won the MAC West Division title. The Broncos finished conference play defeating the Ohio Bobcats 29–23 in the 2016 MAC Championship Game, winning the school's first MAC championship title since 1988. WMU received an invitation to the 2017 Cotton Bowl as the highest rated Group of Five team in the College Football Playoff (CFP). It was the first major-bowl appearance in school history (and second for a MAC team). The Broncos also won 10 games in a season for the first time in their 111-year football history. They lost to the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers in the New Years Six bowl game, 24–16.

WMU received its first national top 25 ranking after they beat rival Central Michigan and was No. 25 in the Coaches Poll. Following its first win over Northern Illinois since 2008, the Broncos were ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history at No. 24 in week seven. The Broncos debuted in the CFP poll at No. 23. They finished the regular season ranked 18th in the Coaches Poll and 15th in the AP Poll.

Preseason

MAC media poll

The Mid-American Conference preseason poll was released on July 28, 2016. The Broncos were predicted to finish first in the West Division and win the MAC Championship Game.

MAC West Division media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Western Michigan	144 (19)
2	Toledo	113 (2)
3	Northern Illinois	112 (3)
4	Central Michigan	98 (2)
5	Ball State	44
6	Eastern Michigan	35

Schedule

The following table lists WMU schedule.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 3	Noon	at Northwestern*		Ryan Field Evanston, IL	ESPNU	W 22–21	30,635
September 10	7:00 pm	North Carolina Central*		Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPN3	W 70–21	23,727
September 17	4:00 pm	at Illinois*		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	ESPNews	W 34–10	40,954
September 24	7:00 pm	Georgia Southern*		Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPN3	W 49–31	17,208
October 1	7:00 pm	at Central Michigan		Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy/Victory Cannon)	CBSSN	W 49–10	30,411
October 8	6:30 pm	Northern Illinois		Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	CBSSN	W 45–30	28,042
October 15	3:30 pm	at Akron	No. 24	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	W 41–0	11,321
October 22	3:30 pm	Eastern Michigan	No. 20	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy)	ASN	W 45–31	23,721
November 1	8:00 pm	at Ball State	No. 23	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	ESPN2	W 52–20	5,614
November 8	7:30 pm	at Kent State	No. 21	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN2	W 37–21	4,536
November 19	3:30 pm	Buffalo	No. 21	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI (College GameDay)	ESPNU	W 38–0	26,136
November 25	5:00 pm	Toledo	No. 21	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPN2	W 55–35	24,191
December 2	7:00 pm	vs. Ohio	No. 17	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN2	W 29–23	45,615
January 2, 2017	1:00 pm	vs. No. 8 Wisconsin*	No. 15	AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	ESPN	L 16–24	59,615
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 1 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Coaching staff

The following table lists the team's coaching staff.

Name	Position	Year at WMU	Alma mater
P. J. Fleck	Head coach	4th	Northern Illinois (2004)
Kirk Ciarrocca	Offensive coordinator	4th	Temple (1990)
Ed Pinkham	Defensive coordinator, defensive backs	4th	Allegheny (1975)
Kenni Burns	Running backs	1st	Indiana (2006)
Brian Callahan	Offensive line	4th	Eastern Illinois (1992)
David Duggan	Linebackers	1st	New Hampshire (1986)
Bill Kenney	Tight ends, offensive tackles	4th	Norwich (1982)
Matt Simon	Wide receivers	3rd	Northern Illinois (2004)
Rob Wenger	Special teams, defensive ends	4th	Colgate (2008)
Jimmy Williams	Defensive line	1st	Nebraska (1982)

Roster

2016 Western Michigan Broncos football
Quarterback  1 Alex Mussat – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 205 lb (93 kg)  9 Brendan Tabone – Freshman, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 186 lb (84 kg) 11 Zach Terrell – Senior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 204 lb (93 kg) 13 Tom Flacco – Sophomore, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 199 lb (90 kg) 16 Jon Wassink – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 200 lb (91 kg) Tailback  3 Fabian Johnson – Senior, 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 204 lb (93 kg)  5 LeVante Bellamy – Sophomore, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), 185 lb (84 kg) 22 Davon Tucker – Freshman, 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 205 lb (93 kg) 28 Matt Falcon – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 210 lb (95 kg) 31 Jarvion Franklin – Junior, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 228 lb (103 kg) 32 Jamauri Bogan – Sophomore, 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 187 lb (85 kg) 33 Leo Ekwoge – Sophomore, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 210 lb (95 kg) Wide receiver  2 Anton Curtis – Freshman, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 185 lb (84 kg)  7 D'Wayne Eskridge – Freshman, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), 190 lb (86 kg) 10 Hunter Broersma – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 192 lb (87 kg) 15 Carrington Thompson – Senior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 176 lb (80 kg) 19 Jason Russell – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 190 lb (86 kg) 25 Trevor Sweeney – Senior, 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 175 lb (79 kg) 29 Rodney Graves – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 171 lb (78 kg) 35 Brandon Hinds – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 166 lb (75 kg) 45 Jaret Curtis – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 190 lb (86 kg) 80 Jake Spinek – Senior, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 186 lb (84 kg) 83 Michael Henry – Senior, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 189 lb (86 kg) 84 Corey Davis – Senior, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 213 lb (97 kg) 86 Keishawn Watson – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 180 lb (82 kg) 87 Giovanni Ricci – Freshman, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 206 lb (93 kg) Tight end 12 Mitch Heimbuch – Freshman, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 245 lb (111 kg) 38 Odell Miller – Sophomore, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 261 lb (118 kg) 85 Donnie Ernsberger – Junior, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 255 lb (116 kg) 88 Lucas Bezerra – Junior, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 248 lb (112 kg) 89 Brett Borske – Freshman, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 250 lb (110 kg)		Offensive lineman 51 Jordan Asbury – Freshman, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 275 lb (125 kg) 52 John Keenoy – Sophomore, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 305 lb (138 kg) 59 Luke Juriga – Sophomore, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 289 lb (131 kg) 60 Mark Brooks – Freshman, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 270 lb (120 kg) 61 Mike Caliendo – Freshman, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 293 lb (133 kg) 62 Alex Keys – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 295 lb (134 kg) 63 Kristof Ifkovits – Junior, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 295 lb (134 kg) 65 Jackson Day – Senior, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 292 lb (132 kg) 67 Curtis Doyle – Sophomore, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 308 lb (140 kg) 70 Spencer Kanz – Freshman, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 290 lb (130 kg) 71 Jonathan Todd – Freshman, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 330 lb (150 kg) 72 Taylor Moton – Senior, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 328 lb (149 kg) 75 Zach Novoselsky – Sophomore, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 299 lb (136 kg) 77 Chukwuma Okorafor – Junior, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 333 lb (151 kg) 78 Elliot Jordan – Sophomore, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 282 lb (128 kg) Defensive lineman  1 Keion Adams – DE – Senior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 245 lb (111 kg)  5 Andre Turner – DE – Junior, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 266 lb (121 kg) 33 Eric Assoua – Sophomore, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 230 lb (100 kg) 50 Daniel Jackson – Sophomore, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 263 lb (119 kg) 53 Nathan Braster – Junior, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 272 lb (123 kg) 55 Nick Matich – Junior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 288 lb (131 kg) 58 Antonio Balabani – Freshman, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 218 lb (99 kg) 66 Wesley French – Freshman, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 311 lb (141 kg) 68 David Curle – Senior, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 303 lb (137 kg) 90 Ken Aguirre – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 300 lb (140 kg) 91 Ken Finley – Sophomore, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 298 lb (135 kg) 92 Zack Taylor – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 295 lb (134 kg) 95 Jaylon Moore – Freshman, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 280 lb (130 kg) 98 Kailen Guillory – Freshman, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 262 lb (119 kg) Kicker 37 Butch Hampton – Freshman, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 170 lb (77 kg) 47 Keenan Erb – Sophomore, 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 170 lb (77 kg) 93 Austin Regan – Sophomore, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 190 lb (86 kg) 96 Jason Evans – Sophomore, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 184 lb (83 kg)		Linebacker  6 Asantay Brown – Junior, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 203 lb (92 kg)  8 Caleb Bailey – Junior, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 236 lb (107 kg) 10 Robert Spillane – Junior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 218 lb (99 kg) 13 Jakevin Jackson – Senior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 221 lb (100 kg) 20 Drake Spears – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 205 lb (93 kg) 27 Paul Engram – Freshman, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 221 lb (100 kg) 34 Alex Grace – Sophomore, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 216 lb (98 kg) 42 Jared Culp – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 225 lb (102 kg) 46 Lucas Cherocci – Senior, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 216 lb (98 kg) 48 Joseph Miller – Freshman, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), 222 lb (101 kg) 56 Kasey Carson – Senior, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 206 lb (93 kg) Defensive back  2 Justin Tranquill – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 185 lb (84 kg)  4 Darius Phillips – CB – Junior, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 191 lb (87 kg) 11 Stefan Claiborne – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 lb (84 kg) 12 Emmanuel Jackson – Freshman, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 170 lb (77 kg) 17 Justin Ferguson – S – Senior, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 203 lb (92 kg) 18 Sam Beal – Sophomore, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 177 lb (80 kg) 21 Jeffery Johnson – S – Senior, 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 195 lb (88 kg) 22 Dontre Boyd – CB – Freshman, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), 155 lb (70 kg) 23 Austin Guido – Senior, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 202 lb (92 kg) 24 Obbie Jackson – Freshman, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 155 lb (70 kg) 26 Davontae Ginwright – Freshman, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 191 lb (87 kg) 30 Malik Rucker – Junior, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 174 lb (79 kg) 31 Brad Tanner – Freshman, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 190 lb (86 kg) 36 Deshawn Foster – Sophomore, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 224 lb (102 kg) 41 Latrell Levanduski – Junior, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), 194 lb (88 kg) 45 Bill Bonnano – Junior, 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 190 lb (86 kg) Punter 39 Derrick Mitchell – Sophomore, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 207 lb (94 kg) 57 James Coleman – Senior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 215 lb (98 kg) Long snappers 43 Wyatt Pfeifer – Junior, 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 239 lb (108 kg) 99 Martin Diaz – Sophomore, 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 196 lb (89 kg)

Season

Home invasion arrests

During the week leading up to the opening game, two freshmen, Ron George and Bryson White, were arraigned on charges of "armed robbery, first-degree home invasion and larceny from a building". The police allege that they used a gun and a knife to rob a woman.

White was already facing criminal charges in Ohio related to driving under the influence of marijuana and driving on a suspended license. A passenger in his car was charged with carrying a gun and White refused to cooperate when asked about it.

The players were dismissed from the team.

All-Americans

Taylor Moton was named to the Football Writers' Association of America All-American second team.

Corey Davis was named as a first team All-American by the Associated Press, the FWAA, and the American Football Coaches Association, earning him honors as the school's first "consensus" All-American. He earned second team honors from The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Campbell Trophy

For his classroom exploits that include a 4.0 GPA in his Masters' program, quarterback Zach Terrell won the prestigious Campbell Trophy, known as the "academic Heisman."

National Football Foundation

Zach Terrell was chosen as a scholar athlete by the National Football Foundation as one of 12 athletes across all four (FBS, FCS, II, III) divisions of college football to receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Conference Players of the Week

Robert Spillane was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for his week one performance in the team's 22–21 win at Northwestern in which he collected seven tackles and forced a fumble. Spillane later earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Broncos' week three win at Illinois in which he made 11 tackles and snagged his first career interception. Spillane later earned DPOW honors with 14 tackles in the Broncos' 45–31 win over Eastern Michigan in week eight. In the Broncos' 37–21 win over Kent State, Spillane recorded a crucial safety that resulted in week ten honors.

Darius Phillips was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week for his week two performance against North Carolina Central that included a 66-yard punt return touchdown. Phillips' standout performance that included a 100-yard kick return touchdown in week four against Georgia Southern earned him STPOW honors in week five.

Jamauri Bogan earned honors as MAC West Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Illinois in week three.

Zach Terrell became the week four MAC West Offensive Player of the Week for his 270 yards passing and four touchdowns in the Broncos' 49–31 win over Georgia Southern. Terrell would garner honors again for his 445-yard passing performance in the Broncos' 38–0 rout of Buffalo.

Wide receiver Corey Davis had six receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns against rival Central Michigan earned him week five MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors as he passed former Bronco Jordan White for the conference record for career receiving yards. Davis would snag honors again with a 12-reception, 272-yard receiving effort that included three touchdowns against Ball State.

Jarvion Franklin, the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and MAC Freshman of the Year received honors as MAC West Offensive Player of the Week after the Broncos' 45–30 win over Northern Illinois in week six during which he tallied 249 all-purpose yards (169 rushing and 80 receiving) with a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown (both on fourth down plays) to help buoy WMU's offensive efforts. Later, in week seven at Akron, Franklin again earned MAC West honors as he set the school record for single game rushing with 281 yards on 33 attempts in the Broncos' 41–0 win over the Zips.

Caleb Bailey collected seven tackles (including 2.5 tackles for loss) and an interception in the Broncos' 41–0 victory at Akron to earn week seven honors as MAC West Defensive Player of the Week.

Asantay Brown tallied six tackles, including one for loss, and an interception return for a touchdown in the Broncos' 55–35 rout of Toledo in week 13, earning him honors as MAC West Defensive Player of the Week.

Scholar Athletes of the Week

Zach Terrell earned honors as Scholar Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 3–10 for his performance in the Broncos' 45–30 win over Northern Illinois on Oct. 8. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 327 yards and accounted for four touchdowns total (three passing, one rushing) in the first Western Michigan victory over the Huskies since 2008. Terrell boasted a 4.0 GPA in his Master's of Business Administration program and completed his undergraduate degree in finance earlier in 2016 with a GPA of 3.66.

Taylor Moton earned honors as Scholar Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 14–21 for his performance in the Broncos' 37–21 win over Kent State as he helped buoy an effort of 329 rushing yards against the Golden Flashes on national television. Moton spent most of the year rated at No. 1 on the Schneider Scale, which is used to determine the Outland Trophy winner (best offensive lineman not playing center).

Distinguished Scholar Athletes

On December 27, 2016, the Mid-American Conference named seven Broncos as Distinguished Scholar Athletes:

• Lucas Bezerra (TE) 3.71 GPA
• Kasey Carson (LB) 3.58 GPA
• John Keenoy (OL) 3.7 GPA
• Taylor Moton (OL) 3.28 GPA
• Trevor Sweeney (WR) 3.77 GPA
• Zach Terrell (QB) 4.0 GPA
• Justin Tranquill (DB) 3.85 GPA

Academic All-Conference

Sixteen players from the team were named to the Academic All-Conference team: Lucas Bezzera, Kasey Carson, Lucas Cherocci, David Curle, Alex Grace, Austin Guido, Luke Juriga, John Keenoy, Odell Miller, Derek Mitchell, Taylor Moton, Zach Novoselsky, Giovanni Ricci, Trevor Sweeney, Zach Terrell and Justin Tranquill.

Rankings

Further information: 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

After winning their first two games against Northwestern and North Carolina Central, WMU received 1 vote in the Coaches Poll. Their road win against Illinois moved the Broncos to 3–0 where they received 6 votes in the AP Poll and 16 votes in the Coaches Poll. WMU received their first Top 25 ranking in program history after they defeated rival Central Michigan and moved to 5–0.

The table below shows the week-by-week status of WMU in the college football polls.

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	24	20	20	17	14	14	14	13	12	15
Coaches	—	—	RV	RV	RV	25	23	20	21	18	21	21	18	14	14	18
CFP	Not released									23	21	21	21	17	15	Not released

Game summaries

Northwestern

Source

Western Michigan at Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 0 6 10 6 22 Wildcats 7 0 7 7 21 Date: September 3 Location: Ryan Field, Evanston, IL Game start: 11:01 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 30,635 Game weather: 72°F, wind: 7 MPH E, sunny Referee: John O'Neill TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 9:54 NW Justin Jackson 1-yard run (Jack Mitchell kick) 7–0 NW 2 5:28 WMU Butch Hampton 47-yard field goal 7–3 NW 2 0:13 WMU Butch Hampton 27-yard field goal 7–6 NW 3 12:31 WMU D'Wayne Eskridge 13-yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 13–7 WMU 3 7:39 NW Justin Jackson 46-yard run (Jack Mitchell kick) 14–13 NW 3 0:17 WMU Butch Hampton 30-yard field goal 16–14 WMU 4 12:13 NW Justin Jackson 1-yard run (Jack Mitchell kick) 21–16 NW 4 5:38 WMU Jamauri Bogan 1-yard run (2-point conversion attempt failed) 22–21 WMU

See also: 2016 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
Tied 1–1	2013	NW, 38–17

Western Michigan withstood a three-touchdown effort from Northwestern running back Justin Jackson and used a late Jamauri Bogan touchdown to win its season opener in Evanston. The Broncos recovered a fumble late in the game that was upheld on video review. It marked the Broncos' first win over a Big Ten school since 2008.

North Carolina Central

Source

North Carolina Central at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 7 14 0 0 21 • Broncos 28 14 14 14 70 Date: September 10 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 7:05 pm EDT Elapsed time: 4:56 Game attendance: 23,727 Game weather: 66°F, wind: 17 MPH W, partly cloudy Referee: Matt Gallagher TV announcers (ESPN3): Dan Gutowsky (play-by-play), Marcus Ray (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 14:25 WMU Corey Davis 52-yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 7–0 WMU 1 09:00 WMU Jamauri Bogan 5-yard run (Butch Hampton kick) 14–0 WMU 1 04:06 NCCU Malcolm Bell 4-yard run (Brandon McLaren kick) 14–7 WMU 1 01:54 WMU Carrington Thompson 26-yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 21–7 WMU 1 00:27 WMU Darius Phillips 66-yard punt return (Butch Hampton kick) 28–7 WMU 2 09:28 WMU Corey Davis 46-yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 35–7 WMU 2 04:23 NCCU LaVontis Smith 71-yard pass from Malcolm Bell (Brandon McLaren kick) 35–14 WMU 2 01:09 WMU Levante Bellamy 3-yard run (Butch Hampton kick) 42–14 WMU 2 00:05 NCCU David Miller 1-yard pass from Malcolm Bell (Brandon McLaren kick) 42–21 WMU 3 10:01 WMU Zach Terrell 10-yard run (Butch Hampton kick) 49–21 WMU 3 04:39 WMU Corey Davis 10-yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 56–21 WMU 4 14:10 WMU Jarvion Franklin 1-yard run (Butch Hampton kick) 63–21 WMU 4 04:26 WMU Davon Tucker 1-yard run (Butch Hampton kick) 70–21 WMU

See also: 2016 North Carolina Central Eagles football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 1–0	N/A	N/A

Seven different Western Michigan players scored touchdowns in the Broncos' home-opening 70–21 win over Division I FCS opponent North Carolina Central.

Illinois

Western Michigan at Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 14 10 3 7 34 Fighting Illini 0 7 3 0 10 Date: September 17 Location: Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL Game start: 3:02 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 40,954 Game weather: 78 F, Wind: WNW 7 MPH, Partly Cloudy Referee: Jeff Servinski TV announcers (ESPNews): Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Dan Hawkins (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 03:15 WMU Bogan, Jamauri 1 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 1:44 7–0 WMU 1 00:23 WMU Bogan, Jamauri 36 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 2 plays, 81 yards, TOP 0:44 14–0 WMU 2 14:56 WMU Terrell, Zach 3 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 2 plays, 5 yards, TOP 0:14 21–0 WMU 2 06:39 ILL Johnson, Ainslie 56 yd pass from Lunt, Wes (McLaughlin, C. kick) 3 plays, 74 yards, TOP 1:26 21–7 WMU 2 01:14 WMU Hampton, Butch 32 yd field goal 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 5:25 24–7 WMU 3 10:36 ILL McLaughlin, C. 22 yd field goal 10 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:24 24–10 WMU 3 03:19 WMU Hampton, Butch 22 yd field goal 7 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:52 27–10 WMU 4 08:37 WMU Franklin, J 1 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 3:14 34–10 WMU

See also: 2016 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
ILL leads 4–2	2012	24–7, ILL

Running back Jamauri Bogan scored two rushing touchdowns and kicker Butch Hampton booted two field goals to lift the Broncos to victory over their second Big Ten opponent of the season. It was the first win over Illinois since 2008.

Georgia Southern

Source

Georgia Southern at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 7 10 7 7 31 • Broncos 7 28 7 7 49 Date: September 24 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 7:04 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:15 Game attendance: 17,208 Game weather: Clear, 70º F Referee: Greg Blum Television network: ESPN3

Scoring summary 1 07:36 WMU BOGAN, Jamauri 4 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 10 plays, 56 yards, TOP 3:57 7–0 WMU 1 04:02 GS W. Fields 44 yd pass from F. Upshaw (Y. Koo kick) 7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:34 7–7 TIE 2 14:52 WMU HENRY, Michael 37 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:10 14–7 WMU 2 10:27 GS Y. Koo 34 yd field goal 9 plays, 40 yards, TOP 4:25 14–10 WMU 2 10:14 WMU Phillips, D 100 yd kickoff return (Hampton Butch kick) 21–10 WMU 2 07:52 WMU Thompson C 8 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 5 plays, 20 yards, TOP 1:35 28–10 WMU 2 03:11 GS M. Campbell 33 yd pass from F. Upshaw (Y. Koo kick) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 4:41 28–17 WMU 2 01:35 WMU DAVIS, Corey 35 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 6 plays, 83 yards, TOP 1:36 35–17 WMU 3 12:18 WMU Phillips, D 70 yd interception (Hampton, Butch kick) 42–17 WMU 3 02:07 GS M. Crockett 44 yd pass from K. Ellison (Y. Koo kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:11 42–24 WMU 4 09:56 GS L. Ramsby 13 yd run (Y. Koo kick), 14 plays, 70 yards, TOP 5:19 42–31 WMU 4 02:11 WMU Henry, Michael 7 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 15 plays, 87 yards, TOP 7:45 49–31 WMU

See also: 2016 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
Tied 1–1	2015	43–17, GASO

Darius Phillips' kickoff return touchdown and interception return touchdown helped stake the Broncos to a 42–17 lead as they eventually held on to win, 49–31, over non-conference opponent Georgia Southern.

Central Michigan

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Western Michigan at Central Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 7 14 14 14 49 Chippewas 3 0 7 0 10 Date: October 1 Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:29 Game attendance: 30,411 Game weather: 61º F; cloudy with drizzle Referee: Greg Sujack TV announcers (CBSSN): Ben Holden (play-by-play), Jay Feely (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 09:16 CMU Eavey Brian 45 yd field goal 11 plays, 53 yards, TOP 5:44 3–0 CMU 1 01:21 WMU Henry, Michael 6 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 13 plays, 74 yards, TOP 5:22 7–3 WMU 2 08:09 WMU Franklin, J 34 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 2 plays, 43 yards, TOP 0:30 14–3 WMU 2 00:58 WMU Franklin, J 1 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 14 plays, 66 yards, TOP 5:40 21–3 WMU 3 14:52 WMU Davis, Corey 45 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 1 plays, 45 yards, TOP 0:08 28–3 WMU 3 08:58 WMU Phillips, D 85 yd interception (Hampton, Butch kick) 35–3 WMU 3 04:02 CMU Chapman, Mark 37 yd pass from Rush, Cooper (Eavey, Brian kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:56 35–10 WMU 4 13:27 WMU Davis, Corey 4 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick ) 10 plays, 81 yards, TOP 5:35 42–10 WMU 4 02:37 WMU Johnson, Fabian 3 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick ), 12 plays, 95 yards, TOP 7:07 49–10 WMU

See also: 2016 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 48–37–2	2015	41–39, WMU

Western Michigan used a fast start that resulted in a 21–3 halftime lead to defeat the arch-rival Chippewas in Mount Pleasant, 49–10. The victory gave the Broncos their third straight victory in the series, their fifth victory in the past six meetings, and their third consecutive victory in Mount Pleasant (2012, 2014, 2016) after only having won there in 1965, 1970, 1973, and 2002 since WMU went Division I in 1962.

Northern Illinois

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Northern Illinois at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Huskies 0 17 6 7 30 • Broncos 14 7 10 14 45 Date: October 8 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 6:35 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:41 Game attendance: 28.042 Game weather: Clear, 56º F with 10 MPH wind Referee: Larry Smith TV announcers (CBSSN): Ben Holden (play-by-play), Jay Feely (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 12:42 WMU J Franklin 32 yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick), 6 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:18 7–0 WMU 1 00:46 WMU Corey Davis 20 yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:03 14–0 WMU 2 14:18 NIU Christian Blake 2 yard run (Christian Hagan kick), 5 plays, 70 yards TOP: 1:28 14–7 WMU 2 10:05 WMU J Franklin 1 yard run (Butch Hampton kick), 9 plays 65 yards, TOP: 4:13 21–7 WMU 2 06:09 NIU Shane Wimann 26 yard pass from Anthony Maddie (Christian Hagan kick), 9 plays 65 yards, TOP: 3:56 21–14 WMU 2 03:01 NIU Christian Hagan 30 yard field goal, 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP: 2:09 21–17 WMU 3 10:26 NIU Christian Hagan 19 yard field goal, 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP: 4:34 21–20 WMU 2 05:21 WMU Butch Hampton 23 yard field goal, 11 plays, 84 yards, TOP: 5:05 24–20 WMU 3 02:56 NIU Christian Hagan 37 yard field goal, 7 plays, 70 yards, TOP: 2:25 24–23 WMU 3 00:22 WMU Corey Davis 8 yard pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick), 5 plays, 69 yards, TOP: 2:34 31–23 WMU 4 12:04 WMU Davon Tucker 26 yard run (Butch Hampton kick), 5 plays 87 yards, TOP: 2:10 38–23 WMU 4 08:38 NIU Anthony Maddie 8 yard run (Christian Hagan kick), 9 plays, 62 yards, TOP: 3:26 38–30 WMU 4 05:20 WMU Zach Terrel 2 yard run (Butch Hampton kick), 6 plays 86 yards, TOP: 3:18 45–30 WMU

See also: 2016 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 24–18	2015	27–18, NIU

Western Michigan beat Northern Illinois 45–30, to improve their record to 6–0 (2–0 MAC). With the win, the Broncos had beaten all three Illinois FBS teams in the same season—Northwestern, Illinois, and Northern Illinois.

Akron

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Western Michigan at Akron

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 24 Broncos 14 13 7 7 41 Zips 0 0 0 0 0 Date: October 15 Location: InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH Game start: 3:32 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:33 Game attendance: 11,321 Game weather: Sunny, 74º F with 12 MPH wind Referee: Curt Johnson TV announcers (CBSSN): John Sadak (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:24 WMU Terrell, Zach 1 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:36 7–0 WMU 1 07:20 WMU FranklinN, J 3 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 7 plays, 64 yards, TOP 3:11 14–0 WMU 2 14:28 WMU Davis, Corey 5 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 16 plays, 70 yards, TOP 6:48 21–0 WMU 2 12:54 WMU Tucker, Davon 13 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick failed), 3 plays, 44 yards, TOP 0:39 27–0 WMU 3 02:36 WMU Davis, Corey 17 yd pass from Terrell, Zach (Hampton, Butch kick) 8 plays, 95 yards, TOP 3:40 34–0 WMU 4 04:58 WMU Terrell, Zach 2 yd run (Hampton, Butch kick), 17 plays, 92 yards, TOP 8:33 41–0 WMU

See also: 2016 Akron Zips football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 14–4	2011	68–19, WMU

Western Michigan's first match-up against the Zips since 2011 was again a one-sided contest as the Broncos raced out to a 27–0 halftime lead en route to a 41–0 win over the East Division-leading Akron Zips. Corey Davis caught two touchdown passes and Jarvion Franklin set the school record for single game rushing with 281 yards on 33 attempts. Franklin added an 18-yard pass reception, giving him 299 all-purpose yards in the victory. Linebackers Caleb Bailey and Kasey Carson collected interceptions to help preserve the shutout.

Eastern Michigan

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Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 7 10 7 7 31 • No. 20 Broncos 7 17 14 7 45 Date: October 22 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 3:36 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:38 Game attendance: 23,721 Game weather: 56°F with clouds and 11 MPH wind Referee: Tim O'Dey TV announcers (ASN/ESPN3): Mike Gleason (play-by-play), Brad Jackson (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 9:02 WMU Carrington Thompson 32-yd pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 7–0 WMU 1 1:35 EMU Brogan Roback 9-yd run (Paul Fricanokick) 7–7 2 12:13 WMU Jarvion Franklin 2-yd run (Butch Hampton kick) 14–7 WMU 2 6:32 EMU Paul Fricano 36-yd field goal 14–10 WMU 2 3:35 EMU Antoine Porter 29-yd pass from Brogan Roback (Paul Fricano kick) 17–14 EMU 2 1:14 WMU Jamauri Bogan 6-yd run (Butch Hampton kick) 21–17 WMU 2 0:03 WMU Butch Hampton 44 yd field goal 24–17 WMU 3 6:27 WMU Carrington Thompson 8-yd pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 31–17 WMU 3 5:16 EMU Breck Turner 9-yd run (Paul Fricano kick ) 31–24 WMU 3 1:12 WMU Corey Davis 31-yd pass from Zach Terrell (Butch Hampton kick) 38–24 WMU 4 7:55 WMU Jamauri Bogan 1-yd run (Butch Hampton kick) 45–24 WMU 4 3:21 EMU Willie Parker 2-yd run (Paul Fricano kick) 45–31 WMU

See also: 2016 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 32–18	2015	58–28, WMU

Zach Terrell threw three touchdowns, two of them to Carrington Thompson, and for 398 yards as the Broncos held off a game Eastern Michigan team that would eventually qualify for its first bowl game since 1987.

Ball State

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Western Michigan at Ball State

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 17 Broncos 21 7 14 10 52 Cardinals 7 3 3 7 20 Date: November 1 Location: Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN Game start: 8:04 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:29 Game attendance: 5,614 Game weather: Clear, 72º F with 10 MPH SSW wind Referee: Greg Blum Television network: ESPN2

See also: 2016 Ball State Cardinals football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 23–19	2015	54–7, WMU

Corey Davis had a big game on national television with 12 receptions for 272 yards and three scores as the Broncos raced out to a 28–10 halftime lead and went on to win, 52–20.

Kent State

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Western Michigan at Kent State

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 14 Broncos 3 10 8 16 37 Golden Flashes 14 0 0 7 21 Date: November 8 Location: Dix Stadium Kent, OH Game start: 7:35 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:23 Game attendance: 4,536 Game weather: Rain, 55º F with 8 MPH WSW wind Referee: Ron Hudson Television network: ESPN2

See also: 2016 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 33–20–1	2013	32–14, KENT

Fabian Johnson rushed for a career-high 125 yards as the Broncos had to rally from a 14–0 deficit on the road to win, 37–21, at Dix Stadium, in a rainy Election Day contest on national television.

Buffalo

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Buffalo at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Bulls 0 0 0 0 0 • No. 14 Broncos 0 14 10 14 38 Date: November 19 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 3:35 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:00 Game attendance: 26,136 Game weather: Snow, 33º F with 20 MPH wind Referee: Curt Johnson Television network: ESPNU

See also: 2016 Buffalo Bulls football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 5–2	2013	33–0, BUFF

Zach Terrell was the hero again for the Broncos, as he shredded the Bulls' defense for 445 yards passing in a 38–0 rout that was preceded by a visit from College Gameday for the first time in school history.

Toledo

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Toledo at Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Rockets 7 7 0 21 35 • No. 14 Broncos 14 10 21 10 55 Date: November 25 Location: Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI Game start: 5:11 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:39 Game attendance: 24,191 Game weather: Cloudy/rainy, 39°F with 3 MPH SW wind Referee: Mark Kluczynski Television network: ESPN2

See also: 2016 Toledo Rockets football team

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
TOL leads 41–29	2015	35–30, WMU

Linebacker Asantay Brown scored on the game's first play from scrimmage with an interception return for a touchdown and Jamauri Bogan returned to form with 31 carries for 198 yards and a touchdown as the Broncos routed Toledo, 55–35, for the MAC West divisional title. Corey Davis also broke the Division I FBS career receiving yardage record in the win.

Ohio (MAC Championship Game)

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Ohio vs Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Bobcats 0 7 13 3 23 • No. 13 Broncos 6 17 3 3 29 Date: December 2 Location: Ford Field Detroit, MI Game start: 7:02 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:37 Game attendance: 45,615 Game weather: Indoors Referee: Greg Sujack TV announcers (ESPN2): Adam Amin (play-by-play), Mack Brown (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)

See also: 2016 Ohio Bobcats football team and 2016 MAC Championship Game

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WMU leads 32–28–1	2015	49–14, WMU

Kicker Butch Hampton booted five field goals and linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted Ohio quarterback Greg Windham with 51 seconds remaining to deliver the first MAC championship to Kalamazoo since 1988. The Broncos finished the regular season 13–0 for the first time in school history with the victory.

Wisconsin (81st Cotton Bowl Classic)

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Western Michigan vs Wisconsin

1 2 3 4 Total No. 12 Broncos 0 7 3 6 16 • No. 8 Badgers 14 3 0 7 24 Date: January 2, 2017 Location: AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX Game start: 12:01 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:04 Game attendance: 59,615 Game weather: Indoors Referee: Riley Johnson TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline reporter)

See also: 2016 Wisconsin Badgers football team and 2017 Cotton Bowl Classic (January)

Series record	Previous meeting	Result
WISC leads 4–1	2000	19–7, WISC

The only blemish on Western Michigan's 2016 campaign came in the postseason as Dare Ogunbowale, Corey Clement, and Troy Fumagalli scored touchdowns for Wisconsin in a 24–16 defeat for the Broncos. Zach Terrell threw for a touchdown and ran for another in his final collegiate game. The touchdown pass went to Corey Davis, playing in his final collegiate game, as well.