College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Western Michigan Broncos season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Western Michigan Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 5-3 in MAC
Head Coach: Tim Lester, 4th year, 20-18
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 84
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 42
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 96
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Offense 3 Things To Know
– When the offense worked and scored, the team won. Duh – that’s how this whole thing is supposed to work – but WMU was 6-0 when it scored more than 35 points, and 1-6 when it scored fewer.
The rushing offense averaged 2-5 yards per game, the passing attack was efficient enough to get by, and there weren’t a whole lot of giveaways. Consistency, though, will be the key going forward with a group full of potential All-MAC talents.
CFN in 60 Video: Notre Dame Preview
Western Michigan at Notre Dame, Sept. 19
– No, the running game didn’t get better after losing LeVante Bellamy – who ran for 1,472 yards and 23 scores – but the backfield just got very, very interesting. No. 2 back Sean Tyler is back after averaging close to six yards per carry with five scores, and coming in is La”Darius Jefferson from Michigan State for more thump, and Jaxson Kincaide from Nevada for more splash.
They’ll work behind a line that gets back four starters and was excellent in pass protection and blasted away for Bellamy. Second Team All-MAC performer Mike Caliendo is the best of the bunch at left guard, and Jaylon Moore is a good one at tackle. Replacing all-star C Luke Juriga its the one blip.
– All-star QB Jon Wassink is done, but Kaleb Eleby is ready to go after getting a little work in as a freshman in 2018, but redshirting last year. Backup Griffin Alstott – a former Purdue transfer – is back, too.
All-MAC TE Giovanni Ricci is done along with 50-catchWR Keith Mixon, but Skyy Moore is a dangerous playmaker coming off a team-high 51 catches for 802 yards and three scores.
Also back is D’Wayne Eskridge, who missed most of last year and might end up working as a defensive back. It’s going to be a deep overall group as the season goes on.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense was hardly miserable – it finished second in the MAC in scoring D – but like the O, it wasn’t consistent. It struggled against the pass, allowed 182 rushing yards per game, and it had a hard time getting off the field. But the pass rush was strong and it should be excellent again.
– Senior Ali Fayad is back after leading the team with 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He’s a star at one end, and the tackle combination of Ralph Holley and William McCabe is solid, too. There’s a young group of reserves working their way in – the starting four has to stay healthy early on.
The linebacking corps loses a few of the main men on the outside – particularly Drake Spears – but Treshaun Hayward is a 142-tackle machine in the middle. 6-3, 225-pound junior Zaire Barnes is ready for a bigger role at one outside job.
– The secondary that was so up-and-down gets back good-hitting safety AJ Thomas and all-star CB Patrick Lupro. On the way to help battle for the open corner job on the other side of Lupro is Pitt transfer Therran Coleman, and he has to shine right away. This is a very, very young group – the depth has been depleted.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Western Michigan Broncos Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Western Michigan Broncos Players
Best Western Michigan Broncos Offensive Player
WR Skyy Moore, Soph.
The 5-9, 195-pounder stepped right out of the recruiting class and into the All-MAC team, making 51 tackles with 802 yards and three scores. Extremely quick, he could be more of a return man and could be part of the running game – he scored on his only carry – but his job is to once again be a big play threat after averaging 16 yards per grab.
2. OG Mike Caliendo, Sr.
3. OT Jaylon Moore, Sr.
4. WR/DB D’Wayne Eskridge, Sr.
5. QB Kaleb Eleby, Jr.
Best Western Michigan Broncos Defensive Player
LB Treshaun Hayward, Sr.
A decent reserve in his first two years, the 6-1, 225-pounder went off with a massive junior campaign. He took the spot in the middle and ran with it, coming up with 142 tackles with five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, coming up with ten stops or more nine times including an 18-tackle da against Eastern Michigan.
2. DE Ali Fayad, Sr.
3. CB Patrick Lupro, Jr.
4. DT Ralph Holley, Sr.
5. S A.J. Thomas, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Western Michigan Broncos Offense
Keep that running game going. Not having LeVante Bellamy around doesn’t help, but there’s a strong group of backs returning – helped by a few key transfers – and the receivers have the ability to be used more for the ground game.
With the veteran line up front, the team needs to push for 200 yards per game on a consistent basis. The O was able to averaging 205 per game, but that came in waves.
WMU has rushed for 93 scores in the three years under Tim Lester, and running for 200 yards or more hasn’t guaranteed anything – the team is 15-8 in three seasons when hitting the mark – but is 4-9 when under 150 yards.
Biggest Key To The Western Michigan Broncos Defense
The pass defense has to lock down. Teams are going to be able to once again be able to run on the Broncos enough to get by, but they’re going to have to throw to win.
Western Michigan allowed two touchdown passes or more seven times last season and went 1-6 – the one win was a 37-34 shootout over Ohio.
18 of the 21 touchdown passes came in those seven games, with just three given up in the other six – all wins.
Key Western Michigan Broncos Player To A Successful Season
C Wesley French, Sr.
Yeah, Kaleb Eleby has to rise up into a star at quarterback, but he’ll be fine. The difference between having a very good season and a special one could be the O line being the best in the conference, and it might be close.
Four starters are expected back to the veteran front, but First Team All-MAC center Luke Juriga is done. That means it’s likely up to the 6-5, 295-pound French to step in and shine after working on the offensive front early on in his career, and then moving to the defensive line, and then getting knocked out with an injury, and now getting the shot at being the leader in the middle.
If he’s great, the line should be phenomenal.
Key Game To The Western Michigan Broncos Season
at Central Michigan, Oct. 17
WMU beat CMU last year and had the West there for the taking before gacking in the regular season finale against Northern Illinois. This time around it’s in Mount Pleasant on the road after having to deal with Toledo.
The Broncos are 5-1 in the last six games in the series. If they can beat Toledo the week before and take this, the West race might be done before the MAC season even gets going.
– Western Michigan Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Western Michigan Fun Stats
– Sacks: Western Michigan 36 for 223 yards – Opponents 18 for 122 yards
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: Western Michigan 133 – Opponents 64
– 4th Down Conversions: Western Michigan 16-of-28 (57%) – Opponents 8-of-21 (38%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Western Michigan Broncos Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Under head coach Tim Lester …
Win the MAC West, already, Western Michigan.
Win a bowl game already, and win the MAC, too.
Ever since the 1-11 2013 clunker of a season, this has been a rock-steady program with six straight seasons of six wins or more including the amazing 13-1 campaign under PJ Fleck. Now it’s time for Lester to take things up a notch.
Consistency has been the issue, but talent-wise this year’s Bronco team has more than enough to at least win the West and play for the MAC title.
And getting the program’s second-ever bowl victory in 11 tries would be nice, too.
Set The Western Michigan Broncos Regular Season Win Total At … 7.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 7
It’s going to be a good enough team to pull off an upset at home over Syracuse and push Cincinnati, but figure a 1-3 start – going to Notre Dame is part of the mix – before diving into the MAC season.
Buffalo might be the one conference team on the slate that’s better, but that’s a home game in the regular season finale. Toledo and Northern Illinois are at home, and road games at Ball State, Kent State, Akron, and Central Michigan are more than manageable.
A winning season and bowl appearance are both a lock. But that’s aiming low.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
