It’s still early, but two division leaders will meet Saturday when Akron visits Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. Both schools are out to 2-0 starts, and they are the only teams with at least two MAC wins.
After fighting off a Bowling Green challenge the previous week, Akron cruised last Saturday, drubbing the Ball State Cardinals 35-3. Western Michigan, on the other hand went toe-to-toe with Buffalo before winning a seven-overtime marathon 71-68.
Here’s more on the two teams . . .
Saturday’s afternoon tilt is the 19th lifetime meeting between the two schools, with the Broncos holding a commanding 14-4 advantage. Western posted a 41-0 shutout victory in their meeting last season at InfoCision Stadium.
WMU has won the last three straight and six of the last seven games in the series. UA’s last win came in 2007 39-38. It’s the 12th lifetime game in Kalamazoo with the home team holding a 9-2 edge
● The Broncos have run off four straight wins after starting the season with losses at defending PAC-12 and Rose Bowl Champion Southern California and then at Michigan State.
● WMU is averaging 42.8 points and 414.2 yards per contest offensively.
● Sophomore QB Jon Wassink is completing 65 percent of his passes (91-for-140) for 1,019 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
● WMU has a very effective ground game, with several running backs contributing to a league-best 236.8 ypg. Senior RB Jarvion Franklin leads the way with 408 yards on 90 carries with six touchdowns.
● Sophomore WR Keishawn Watson leads the receivers with 22 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line has allowed just eight sacks.
● The Brown, and Gold defense is allowing 31.7 points and 401.8 yards through the five games.
● Senior LB Asantay Brown leads the defense with 50 total tackles (31 solo). He also leads in tackles for losses with five, while freshman DE Ali Fayad has 2.5 sacks. Senior CB Darius Phillips has two interceptions
● WMU leads the MAC with a plus-5 turnover margin, good for 24th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
● The Zips won consecutive games for the first time in almost a calendar year when they defeated Ball State last Saturday 35-3 on homecoming day at InfoCision Stadium.
● Senior QB Thomas Woodson completed 17-of-30 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, It was his third consecutive multi-touchdown game of the season.
● Sophomore RB Deltron Sands led the ground game with 52 yards and a touchdown on six carries. WR A. J. Coney led the receivers with nine catches for 90 yards.
● The defense held Ball State without a touchdown for the first time in a MAC game since the 2016 season at Ohio. UA registered five sacks and three interceptions.
● LB Ulysses Gilbert had 13 total tackles (eight solo) and LB Andrew Hauser also had 13 total stops (seven solo). LB John Lako intercepted a BSU pass 35 yards for a touchdown. It was the third time this season the UA defense has taken a pass back for a score.
● Punter Nick Gasser was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week as he averaged 45 yards on six punts, including a career-best 59 yards.