KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan scored three defensive touchdowns to become bowl eligible for a program record fourth straight year with a 48-20 victory over Kent State on Wednesday night at Waldo Stadium.
WMU forced four turnovers on the night, scoring 21 points off those turnovers with two interception returns and a fumble recovery. Overall the Broncos had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Senior linebacker . . .
WMU forced four turnovers on the night, scoring 21 points off those turnovers with two interception returns and a fumble recovery. Overall the Broncos had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Senior linebacker . . .
. . . Robert Spillane set the table by corralling his third career interception and returning it 35 yards for a touchdown on Kent State's first series of the game.
Fellow senior Darius Phillips recorded his fifth career interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the FBS record, returning it 43 yards. Phillips now has 12 runbacks for touchdowns and is the FBS record holder. This season, Phillips has four runbacks in the form of two kick returns, an interception and a fumble recovery.
With their victory, the Broncos became bowl eligible for a program record fourth straight season and improved their record to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the MAC.
Offensively WMU out-gained Kent State, 389 to 281, with 292 yards coming on the ground. Senior running back Jarvion Franklin recorded 22 carries for 191 yards and one touchdown against the Golden Flashes. It's the fifth straight game Franklin eclipsed 100 yards. His touchdown went for a career-long 72 yards.
Franklin now has 5,370 career all-purpose yards, ranking him second all-time at WMU, passing last year's 2017 NFL Draft No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis.
It was a quick start for the Brown and Gold, rattling off 14 points in the first five minutes of play. On the first drive of the game the Broncos marched 92 yards in 12 plays. Freshman quarterback Reece Goddard finished with a one-yard run for his first career touchdown.
Kent State rallied back with 14 unanswered points. Justin Rankin tallied on a 21-yard run and reached the end zone again minutes late from three-yards out.
Franklin scored on the 72-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter to give WMU a 21-14 lead. The 35 combined points in the quarter was the most by two MAC schools this season, but Western’s defense stepped up as the second quarter started.
WMU held Kent State to zero first-downs as WMU extended its lead to 31-14 at halftime.
From the start of the second quarter to midway through the fourth quarter the Bronco defense forced eight straight three-and-outs and forced two fumbles while scoring 34 unanswered points. Kent State finally ended the scoring drought with a 58-yard touchdown run by Dustin Crum with 3:19 left in the game.
Along with Franklin and Goddard, redshirt freshman walk-on Ra'Sean Davie recorded a rushing touchdown scampering 46 yards for his first career touchdown. Davie's touchdown marks the fifth running back to score for the Broncos this season.
Freshman A.J. Thomas had the Broncos' third defensive touchdown, picking up a fourth down fumble off a botched punt and running it 23 yards into the end zone for his first career score.
Western Michigan will hit the road for its final two games of the regular season against MAC West rivals Northern Illinois on Nov.15 and Toledo on Nov.24.
(Courtesy of WMU Athletics)
Fellow senior Darius Phillips recorded his fifth career interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the FBS record, returning it 43 yards. Phillips now has 12 runbacks for touchdowns and is the FBS record holder. This season, Phillips has four runbacks in the form of two kick returns, an interception and a fumble recovery.
With their victory, the Broncos became bowl eligible for a program record fourth straight season and improved their record to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the MAC.
Offensively WMU out-gained Kent State, 389 to 281, with 292 yards coming on the ground. Senior running back Jarvion Franklin recorded 22 carries for 191 yards and one touchdown against the Golden Flashes. It's the fifth straight game Franklin eclipsed 100 yards. His touchdown went for a career-long 72 yards.
Franklin now has 5,370 career all-purpose yards, ranking him second all-time at WMU, passing last year's 2017 NFL Draft No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis.
It was a quick start for the Brown and Gold, rattling off 14 points in the first five minutes of play. On the first drive of the game the Broncos marched 92 yards in 12 plays. Freshman quarterback Reece Goddard finished with a one-yard run for his first career touchdown.
Kent State rallied back with 14 unanswered points. Justin Rankin tallied on a 21-yard run and reached the end zone again minutes late from three-yards out.
Franklin scored on the 72-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter to give WMU a 21-14 lead. The 35 combined points in the quarter was the most by two MAC schools this season, but Western’s defense stepped up as the second quarter started.
WMU held Kent State to zero first-downs as WMU extended its lead to 31-14 at halftime.
From the start of the second quarter to midway through the fourth quarter the Bronco defense forced eight straight three-and-outs and forced two fumbles while scoring 34 unanswered points. Kent State finally ended the scoring drought with a 58-yard touchdown run by Dustin Crum with 3:19 left in the game.
Along with Franklin and Goddard, redshirt freshman walk-on Ra'Sean Davie recorded a rushing touchdown scampering 46 yards for his first career touchdown. Davie's touchdown marks the fifth running back to score for the Broncos this season.
Freshman A.J. Thomas had the Broncos' third defensive touchdown, picking up a fourth down fumble off a botched punt and running it 23 yards into the end zone for his first career score.
Western Michigan will hit the road for its final two games of the regular season against MAC West rivals Northern Illinois on Nov.15 and Toledo on Nov.24.
(Courtesy of WMU Athletics)
RSS Feed