2015 Western Michigan Broncos football team

2015 Western Michigan Broncos football
MAC West Division co-champion
Bahamas Bowl champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record8–5 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorKirk Ciarrocca (3rd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorEd Pinkham (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumWaldo Stadium
Seasons
← 2014
2016 →
2015 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

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]
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 47:00 pmNo. 5 Michigan State*
ESPNUL 24–3730,885[1]
September 126:00 pmat Georgia Southern*
ESPN3L 17–4323,520[2]
September 197:00 pmMurray State*
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN3W 52–2020,543[3]
September 263:30 pmat No. 1 Ohio State*
ABC/ESPN2[4]L 12–38106,123[5]
October 10NoonCentral Michigan
ESPN3W 41–3920,201[6]
October 17Noonat Ohio
ASN[7]W 49–1422,825[8]
October 242:00 pmMiami (OH)dagger
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN3[9]W 35–1318,523[10]
October 297:30 pmat Eastern Michigan
CBSSN[11]W 58–283,534[12]
November 57:30 pmBall State
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
CBSSN[13]W 54–712,058[14]
November 118:00 pmBowling Green
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN2[15]L 27–4114,436
November 188:00 pmat Northern Illinois
ESPN2[16]L 19–2710,194[17]
November 27Noonat No. 24 Toledo
CBSSNW 35–3016,151
December 24Noonvs. Middle Tennessee*
ESPNW 45–3113,123
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game
  • All times are in Eastern time
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]

Darius Phillips

[edit]

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]

Robert Spillane

[edit]

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

[edit]

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
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]
  1. ^ "Michigan St vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 4, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "Georgia Southern vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  3. ^ "Terrell throws for 4 TDs, W. Michigan tops Murray St., 52-20". ESPN. September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. ^ "Week 4 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  5. ^ "Cardale Jones improves, gets help from defense in win over Broncos". ESPN. September 26, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "Western Michigan outlasts Central Michigan 41-39". ESPN. October 10, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "Week 7 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  8. ^ "Terrell's 4 TDs help Western Michigan beat Ohio 49-14". ESPN. October 17, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  9. ^ "Week 8 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  10. ^ "Western Michigan rolls over Miami (Ohio) 35-13". ESPN. October 24, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  11. ^ "Week 9 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  12. ^ "Western Michigan scores 21 straight; beats Eastern Michigan". ESPN. October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  13. ^ "Week 10 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  14. ^ "Ball State vs. Western Michigan - Game Summary - November 5, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  15. ^ "Week 11 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  16. ^ "Week 12 schedule for 2015". mattsarzsports.com.
  17. ^ "Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois - Game Summary - November 18, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  18. ^ "2015 Western Michigan Broncos Football Schedule". FBS Schedules. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  19. ^ "Ball State vs. Western Michigan - Game Recap - November 5, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  20. ^ "MAC Names Week Seven Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
  21. ^ "MAC Announces East and West Division Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
  22. ^ "MAC Names Week Six Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
  23. ^ "MAC Names Week Eight Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
  24. ^ "MAC Names Week Nine Football Players of the Week". getsomemaction.com.
  25. ^ "Football –Coaches". Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
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