Western Michigan Broncos
Mid-American Conference
Western Michigan did not post any big conference victories, with their closet effort coming in a 45-35 victory over 6-6 Ball State. The schedule avoided the top teams in the Mid-American Conference East Division and the Broncos failed in their attempts to knock off Northern Illinois and Toledo. This is a squad that beat Connecticut on the road and nearly knocked off Illinois, which was much more impressive back in September than it appears to be now. The lack of victories over the top tier of the MAC is a concern, but this is an offense that can keep up with just about anybody.
2011 Record: 7-5, 5-3
Last Bowl Appearance: 2008 Texas Bowl vs. Rice (L 14-38)
Big Wins: 10/1 at Connecticut (38-31), 10/29 Ball State (45-35)
Bad Losses: 10/22 at Eastern Michigan (10-14), 11/8 at Toledo (63-66)
Coach: Bill Cubit (47-38 at Western Michigan, 47-38 overall)
Bowl Record: 0-2 at Western Michigan, 0-2 overall
Offensive Coordinator: Bill Cubit
Defensive Coordinator: Dave Cohen
Strengths:
The offense has rarely missed a beat this year. Quarterback Alex Carder has had another great year, throwing for 3,434 yards and 28 touchdowns in the 11 games he played. Not surprisingly, wide receiver Jordan White improved on last year’s numbers and totaled 127 catches for 1,646 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season. There were some questions about who would step up opposite of White, but Chleb Ravenell and Robert Arnheim both had fine senior seasons and will make the opposition pay when they spend too many resources trying to stop White. Carder is the star of the offense, but he did miss the last regular season game of the season. That proved not to be a problem as Tyler VanTubbergen had a great game. Carder should be back in action for the bowl game, but it is always nice to know that there is another signal caller waiting in the wings who is more than capable of running the offense. The Broncos did not spend much time on the ground, but Tevin Drake made the most of his opportunities. Alex Carder is not a great rusher, but he can make plays with his feet when he has to do so.
Weaknesses:
The defense may give up a slew of yards, but they do tend to stop the opposition from scoring a ton of points…usually. Northern Illinois dropped 51 points on WMU and Toledo scored 66, so the points do come out in bunches at times. It is stopping the run where the Broncos run into the most problems. Sophomore linebacker Johnnie Simon has been one of the pleasant surprises on this team and Mitch Zajac, who led the team in tackles last season and ranked second in 2011, is the leader of the unit. Defensive end Freddie Bishop is a decent pass rusher from the end spot and Drew Nowak is having a great year and playing his best football late in the season. However, Western Michigan will give up some yardage against most offenses and it will often come down to who can score more points. Fortunately, more often than not, the Broncos can win in a shootout.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Tevin Drake, RB, 570 yards
Passing: Alex Carder, QB, 3,434 yards
Receiving: Jordan White, WR, 1,646 yards
Tackles: Johnnie Simon, LB, 103
Sacks: Drew Nowak, DT, 8.5
Interceptions: Rontavious Atkins, S, 2; Demetrius Pettway, S, 2; Doug Wiggins, S, 2; Johnnie Simon, LB, 2
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 127.42 (87th in nation, 8th in conference)
Passing Offense: 328.83 (8, 1)
Total Offense: 456.25 (22, 4)
Scoring Offense: 35.58 (18, 3)
Rushing Defense: 215.92 (109, 11)
Pass Defense: 218.17 (53, 8)
Total Defense: 434.08 (99, 12)
Scoring Defense: 28.00 (71, 6)
Turnover Margin: .00 (59, 5)
Sacks: 2.17 (38, 2)
Sacks Allowed: 1.83 (57, 8)
