Five Things Learned: Western Michigan Broncos vs Central Michigan Chippewas

The Western Michigan Broncos absolutely dismantled the Central Michigan Chippewas 35-10 on their home field. The Broncos dominated on both sides of the ball, compiling 356 yards of offense and three turnovers on defense. While the Chippewas look forward to next season, the Broncos will try to stay undefeated in conference play for the rest of this 2018 campaign.

The Broncos Can Run

If you did not already know, the Western Michigan offense can RUN the ball. Against the Chippewas, quarterback Jon Wassink and company ran for 305 yards. Runningbacks LeVante Bellamy and Jamauri Bogan combined for over 240 yards, while Wassink scored three touchdowns on the ground. This is the third week in a row that the Broncos have scored three or more rushing touchdowns.

Defense, Defense, Defense

Western Michigan’s defense was not great at the beginning of the season, but as of late the Broncos have really started to turn it up. In their last three games, the Broncos have forced a total of nine turnovers. This defense is led by junior linebacker Alex Grace, who also leads the team in tackles with 59.

A Chip In The Offense

To say the least, the Central Michigan offense has been bad this season. In this game against the Broncos, the Chippewas had just 269 yards of offense and three turnovers. The only positive for the offense is that starting running back, Romello Ross had 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. The Chips are averaging just 17.1 points per game, which is last in the MAC.

Quarterback Help Needed In Mount Pleasant

The quarterback position has been abysmal since Cooper Rush left Central Michigan in 2016. Junior quarterback Tommy Lazzaro has been the main guy this season for the Chips after taking over for Tony Poljan in Week 3. However, Lazzaro has not been able to do much. Against the Broncos this week, Lazzaro was just 9/24 for 104 yards and two interceptions. Not to mention, the Colorado native had a QBR of 5.0 in the loss. Like the header says, quarterback help needed promptly in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

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Looking Ahead

The Western Michigan Broncos are sitting pretty at 6-2 at the top of the MAC West. Luckily enough for the Broncos, they will not have to face the tough 7-1 Buffalo Bulls in the regular season. However, mark your calendars because Northern Illinois is coming into Kalamazoo November 20th. This game will most likely be a gritty battle to see who wins the MAC West. Central Michigan will try upset a team or two in their last four games of the season as they take on Akron, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Toledo.