2015 Western Michigan Broncos football team
2015 Western Michigan Broncos football | |
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MAC West Division co-champion Bahamas Bowl champion | |
Bahamas Bowl, W 45–31 vs. Middle Tennessee | |
Conference | Mid-American Conference |
West Division | |
Record | 8–5 (6–2 MAC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Kirk Ciarrocca (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Ed Pinkham (3rd season) |
Base defense | 4–3 |
Home stadium | Waldo Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green x$ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akron | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kent State | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami (OH) | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UMass | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Illinois xy | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Michigan x | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo x | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan x | 6 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Michigan | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Bowling Green 34, Northern Illinois 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2015 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University (WMU) in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-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).
Schedule
[edit]Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 4 | 7:00 pm | No. 5 Michigan State* | ESPNU | L 24–37 | 30,885[1] | |
September 12 | 6:00 pm | at Georgia Southern* | ESPN3 | L 17–43 | 23,520[2] | |
September 19 | 7:00 pm | Murray State* |
| ESPN3 | W 52–20 | 20,543[3] |
September 26 | 3:30 pm | at No. 1 Ohio State* | ABC/ESPN2[4] | L 12–38 | 106,123[5] | |
October 10 | Noon | Central Michigan |
| ESPN3 | W 41–39 | 20,201[6] |
October 17 | Noon | at Ohio | ASN[7] | W 49–14 | 22,825[8] | |
October 24 | 2:00 pm | Miami (OH)![]() |
| ESPN3[9] | W 35–13 | 18,523[10] |
October 29 | 7:30 pm | at Eastern Michigan |
| CBSSN[11] | W 58–28 | 3,534[12] |
November 5 | 7:30 pm | Ball State |
| CBSSN[13] | W 54–7 | 12,058[14] |
November 11 | 8:00 pm | Bowling Green |
| ESPN2[15] | L 27–41 | 14,436 |
November 18 | 8:00 pm | at Northern Illinois | ESPN2[16] | L 19–27 | 10,194[17] | |
November 27 | Noon | at No. 24 Toledo | CBSSN | W 35–30 | 16,151 | |
December 24 | Noon | vs. Middle Tennessee* | ESPN | W 45–31 | 13,123 | |
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- Schedule source:[18]
Game summaries
[edit]Ball State
[edit]WMU defeated Ball State 54–7 in a mid-week MACtion game nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. In the game, the Broncos gained a school-record 711 yards of total offense.[19] Western Michigan with a 5–0 in conference games were in first place in the West Division.
Awards
[edit]Conference Players of the Week
[edit]Four WMU football players have won five conference player of the week awards. Sophomore kickoff returner Darius Phillips has won two, and redshirt freshman running back Jamauri Bogan, sophomore linebacker Robert Spillane and junior quarterback Zach Terrell have each won one.
Jamauri Bogan
[edit]Bogan won the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 7. He ran the ball nine times for 135 yards and two touchdowns in a 49–14 win over Ohio. In the game, WMU as a team rushed for 430 yards, with 404 of those coming in the second half.[20]
Phillips was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1 and 6. In Week 1, he returned four kickoffs for 185 yards, including a touchdown on a 100-yard kick off return in a loss to No. 5 Michigan State University.[21] In Week 6. Phillips had two kick returns for 101 yards in WMU's 41–39 victory over rival Central Michigan.[22]
Spillane was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8. Spillane had 9 total tackles and 31⁄2 for loss (including 11⁄2 sacks) in a 35–13 win over Miami (Ohio).[23]
Zach Terrell was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week for Week 9. He was 17 of 23 passing for 252 yards and ran for a team-high 71 yards in a 58–28 win over Eastern Michigan. He also rushed for one touchdown. The 71 yards rushing were a career-high.[24]
Coaching staff
[edit]The following table lists the team's coaching staff.[25]
Name | Position | Year at WMU | Alma mater |
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P. J. Fleck | Head coach | 3rd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
Kirk Ciarrocca | Offensive coordinator | 3rd | Temple (1990) |
Ed Pinkham | Defensive coordinator, Defensive backs | 3rd | Allegheny (1975) |
Brian Callahan | Offensive line | 3rd | Eastern Illinois (1992) |
Mike Hart | Running backs | 2nd | Michigan (2008) |
Bill Kenney | Tight ends, Offensive tackles | 3rd | Norwich (1982) |
Tim McGarigle | Linebackers | 4th | Northwestern (2006) |
Vinson Reynolds | Defensive line | 3rd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
Matt Simon | Wide receivers | 2nd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
Rob Wenger | Special teams, Defensive ends | 3rd | Colgate (2008) |
References
[edit]- ^ "Michigan St vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 4, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
- ^ "Georgia Southern vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ "Terrell throws for 4 TDs, W. Michigan tops Murray St., 52-20". ESPN. September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Week 4 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Cardale Jones improves, gets help from defense in win over Broncos". ESPN. September 26, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Western Michigan outlasts Central Michigan 41-39". ESPN. October 10, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Week 7 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Terrell's 4 TDs help Western Michigan beat Ohio 49-14". ESPN. October 17, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Week 8 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Western Michigan rolls over Miami (Ohio) 35-13". ESPN. October 24, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Week 9 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Western Michigan scores 21 straight; beats Eastern Michigan". ESPN. October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Week 10 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Ball State vs. Western Michigan - Game Summary - November 5, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
- ^ "Week 11 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Week 12 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
- ^ "Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois - Game Summary - November 18, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
- ^ "2015 Western Michigan Broncos Football Schedule". FBS Schedules. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ball State vs. Western Michigan - Game Recap - November 5, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
- ^ "MAC Names Week Seven Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
- ^ "MAC Announces East and West Division Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
- ^ "MAC Names Week Six Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
- ^ "MAC Names Week Eight Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
- ^ "MAC Names Week Nine Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
- ^ "Football –Coaches". Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.