2025 MAC Championship Game Deep Dive: Western Michigan Broncos

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

2025 MAC Championship Game Deep Dive: Western Michigan Broncos

The Western Michigan Broncos (8-4, 7-1 MAC) waited a long nine years to reach this point.

Western Michigan was one of the main characters of college football in 2016, disrupting the national conversation as one of two teams to register an undefeated regular season. Led by a young, fiery head coach P.J. Fleck, the Broncos “Rowed the Boat” to a MAC Championship Game win over Ohio, and subsequently, a Cotton Bowl appearance.

Western Michigan performed valiantly as the face of the MAC, falling 24-16 to Wisconsin on the New Year’s Six stage to finish the season ranked No. 15. Fleck left days later, and the Broncos remained a solid football program. However, they were never the best. They cycled through 7-6 caliber seasons under Tim Lester before parting ways at the conclusion of 2022. Lance Taylor arrived and saw three years of linear progression, attaining an 8-4 regular season mark to qualify for the MAC Championship Game. Now all that stands in the Broncos’ way for their first MAC title in nine years is the league’s perennial contender, the Miami (OH) RedHawks.

Here’s how Western Michigan got here.

The journey

Midway through September, Western Michigan didn’t exactly look poised for a MAC championship run. The Broncos were one of 11 winless teams after Week 3 (as was their MAC title opponent Miami), but they faced a somewhat difficult schedule out of the gate, pitted against Michigan State, North Texas, and Illinois.

Western Michigan’s defense held its own during that 0-3 start. The Broncos settled in and pitched a second half shutout in the opener against Michigan State, and the defense was responsible for all six points scored. Then the following week, against North Texas’ No. 1 ranked scoring offense (46.8 points per game) and total offense (512 yards per game), Western Michigan’s defense provided more resistance than any other Mean Green opponent. The Broncos limited North Texas to a season-low 27 regulation points and 406 yards, squandering a 27-17 fourth quarter lead against what unbeknownst at the time was a College Football Playoff contender. North Texas ultimately walked off Western Michigan in overtime to set the Broncos to 0-2. Then Western Michigan’s standing worsened to 0-3 at Illinois but held the then-No. 9 Fighting Illini to a mere 10 first half points in a 38-0 shutout.

The problem with the Broncos during that 0-3 start was the offense. Western Michigan scored zero offensive points in both Big Ten matchups, but the primary issue was fixable. Through those three losses, the Broncos attempted a two-quarterback system, starting the more passing-oriented Brady Jones and rotating him with the more rushing-oriented Broc Lowry. Western Michigan’s peak offensive success transpired in the North Texas game when Lowry earned the majority of reps, and after a 3-week evaluation, Lance Taylor ultimately settled on Lowry as QB1.

Then a winning streak launched. All signs pointed to an 0-4 start as Western Michigan hosted preseason MAC favorite Toledo. But the defense pulled enough of its weight, keeping the Broncos in the game, down 13-0 in the late third quarter. The final 16 minutes of that game proved to be the turning point of the season, as Lowry rushed in a touchdown to slice the deficit to seven. Then in the final two minutes, Lowry completed a do-or-die 4th down strike to Tailique Williams, setting the Broncos on the goal line for a Lowry touchdown. Instead of going for the tie, Western Michigan kept the offense out for a two-point try, and the quarterback reached paydirt on a zone read. That 14-13 upset over Toledo was the fuel the Broncos needed to believe in themselves, setting off a stretch where they won eight of their final nine.

Once the first shot fell through the net, that’s all the team needed to see. The momentum from the Toledo game continued as Western Michigan eviscerated a current top 10 FCS program in Rhode Island, and the Broncos turned into world beaters for their next two MAC games — handling UMass 21-3 and blanking Ball State 42-0 for the team’s first FBS shutout since 2016. In the latter game, Ball State only crossed the 50-yard line once and it was due to a muffed punt. The Cardinals finished 1-of-13 on third down, proving the extent of Western Michigan’s relentless defense.

After 4-straight wins to move above .500, the Broncos suffered their lone hiccup of MAC play to their future conference championship opponent, Miami. Western Michigan led 17-9 heading into the final frame, but a 17-0 fourth quarter shutout by the RedHawks handed Taylor and the Broncos’ the first blemish on a spotless conference record. Western Michigan was driving down six with roughly three minutes to play, but a strip sack by Adam Trick ultimately sealed its fate in Oxford, OH.

The following week, everything was on the line for Western Michigan. Not only was it a pivotal game for the MAC standings, but there is no game that holds more stake each season than the Victory Cannon rivalry vs. Central Michigan. The Broncos notched a go-ahead touchdown on a 4th and 5 with 2:08 remaining on the Broc Lowry to Tailique Williams connection. Then to stave off the Chippewas’ attempt at a game-winning drive, defensive tackle Marcel Tyler deflected and intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage, effectively returning the Cannon to Kalamazoo.

Western Michigan’s MAC gauntlet continued with another home matchup. This time, defending champion Ohio visited for a midweek game and the Broncos grinded it out in a defensive-oriented slugfest. Western Michigan limited Ohio to 70 passing yards on an 8-of-19 showing and denied all three Ohio chances at a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter — earning a key victory to position itself for Detroit.

From there, Western Michigan took care of two non-bowl teams on its schedule, overcoming an early 13-0 deficit to trounce Northern Illinois. Against the soon-to-be Mountain West opponent, Western Michigan became the first team since 2017 Notre Dame to produce three 100-yard rushers in a game, with Broc Lowry and running backs Jalen Buckley and Devin Miles all reaching the century mark. Then to seal a spot in Detroit, the Broncos’ rushing attack and defense showcased their mettle at Eastern Michigan. Western Michigan won the turnover battle 5-0 in Ypsilanti and rushed for 278 yards to solidify its first MAC title appearance since 2016.

Players to watch

Once Western Michigan placed full faith in Broc Lowry at quarterback, the offense revolutionized into its full potential. Lowry made brief appearances as a runner in 2024 but lacked starting quarterback experience, causing him to rotate with Brady Jones in a two-quarterback system for the first quarter of the season.

But the offense was built to thrive on Lowry’s power running. A master at QB powers and other designed runs, Lowry leads the team with 875 rushing yards and ranks atop the entire MAC with 14 rushing touchdowns. He improves on a weekly basis and currently rides a seven-game streak of generating at least 80 rushing yards in a game — reaching 100 twice during the span. Western Michigan is 8-1 when he rushes at least 13 times and 0-3 otherwise, and utilizing their quarterback as a runner is the key to the offense.

There’s also Lowry the passer, who is becoming increasingly underutilized, and Western Michigan is okay with that. The Broncos threw under 15 passes in each of their last three wins, ranking 127th in passing attempts and 129th in passing yards. Lowry surpassed 200 yards twice this year, reaching the mark in the upset over Toledo and in the 42-0 shutout of Ball State. He remained quite efficient too, only tossing two interceptions on 230 attempts.

The other key pieces offensively are the running backs Jalen Buckley and Devin Miles. Buckley’s time at Western Michigan extends beyond Lance Taylor’s, and the former MAC Freshman of the Year attained over 1,000 yards in 2023. Buckley thrived against North Texas but saw a rockier year than usual, at least through October. Once November arrived, the running back reverted to his old ways, producing 353 (of 636) yards and five (of six) touchdowns in the regular season’s final month. Meanwhile, Miles (who also doubles as a kick returner) stepped into the secondary running back role and earned 104 yards during his peak utilization against Northern Illinois.

Wide receiver isn’t necessarily a focal point in Western Michigan’s offense, but on obvious passing downs Tailique Williams — who made Western Michigan’s biggest offensive play in tight wins over Toledo, Central Michigan, and Ohio — is the name Lowry looks toward. The Georgia State transfer and former All-Sun Belt honorable mention ranks first on the team in receptions (35) and receiving yards (478) as the clear-cut No. 1 option.

Western Michigan’s offensive line suffered severe losses during the offseason in consensus All-American Addison West and Rimington Trophy finalist Jacob Gideon, but the Broncos still rebounded from those departures fine. It took a while for the o-line to gel, but center Raheem Anderson II has improved as a run blocker throughout the course of the season, and tight end Blake Bosma often provides nice assists on the boundary.

As sharp as Western Michigan’s rushing offense has been in November, defense remains the signature of the team. The Broncos struck absolute gold in the transfer portal by acquiring former Houston defensive end Nadame Tucker, who completely redefined their defensive front. The edge rusher is tied for second in the FBS with 12.0 sacks and checks in at first in the country with 18.0 tackles for loss, in addition to forcing four fumbles. Tucker’s havoc at the line of scrimmage sets everything in place, and other defensive linemen such as defensive tackles Rodney McGraw and Marcel Tyler (combined 6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss) are major benefactors.

The linebacking corps is headlined by James Camden on the inside and Sefa Saipaia on the outside, and those two are situated at first and second, respectively, in total tackles. Camden has 70 and Saiapaia has 64, producing plenty of second level stops to lead a potent run defense.

Leading the secondary is seventh-year senior Tate Hallock — the team’s lone returning 2024 All-MAC selection. Hallock has eight career interceptions in brown and gold including two this year, and the savvy veteran is third on the team in tackles. Cornerbacks Jarvarius Sims and Joshua Franklin are other key components of the team’s heralded pass defense. Franklin causes massive amounts of disruption with seven pass breakups, deflecting two passes that led to interceptions in the most recent outing at Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, Sims looks to lock up receivers on the boundary, contributing 52 tackles and four pass breakups on the season.

On special teams, the name to watch is kicker Palmer Domschke. Western Michigan hasn’t exactly kicked clutch field goals this year that decided results, but Domschke (10-of-15 this year) can step in and hit from 40+ quite regularly, faring 9-of-11 from 40-49 yards this year.

Team statistics

Offense

  • Scoring offense: 23.7 points per game (96th in FBS)
  • Passing offense: 165-of-273 (60.4%), 1,708 yards, 8 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 6.3 yards per attempt, 10.4 yards per completion, 142.3 yards per game (129th in FBS)
  • Rushing offense: 524 carries for 2,270 yards, 27 touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry, 189.2 yards per game (32nd in FBS)
  • Sacks/tackles-for-loss allowed: 20 sacks for 135 yards, allowing 1.67 sacks per game (t-50th in FBS); 60 tackles for loss for 219 yards, allowing 5.0 TFLs per game (t-53rd in FBS)
  • Red zone offense: 31-of-40 (77.5%); 28 touchdowns (21 rush, 7 pass), 3 field goals (t-114th in FBS)
  • First downs: 229 first downs (138 rush, 77 pass, 14 penalties) (t-93rd in FBS)
  • Conversion rates: 68-of-163 (41.7%) on 3rd down (49th in FBS), 12-of-27 (44.4%) on 4th down (t-110th in FBS)

Defense

  • Scoring defense: 18.7 points per game (t-16th in FBS)
  • Opponent passing offense: 184-of-316 (58.2%), 2,111 yards, 12 touchdowns, 10 interceptions (t-56th in FBS), 175.9 yards per game (18th in FBS)
  • Opponent rushing offense: 404 carries, 1,516 yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 3.8 yards per attempt, 126.3 yards per game (38th in FBS)
  • Sacks/tackles-for-loss: 34 sacks for 265 yards, averaging 2.83 sacks per game (t-14th in FBS); 70 tackles for loss for 391 yards, averaging 5.8 TFLs per game (t-48th in FBS)
  • Red zone defense: 32-of-42 (76.2%), 23 touchdowns (13 rush, 10 pass), 9 field goals (18th in FBS)
  • Opponent first downs: 197 first downs (81 rush, 97 pass, 19 penalties) (18th in FBS)
  • Opponent conversion rates: 47-of-151 (31.1%) on 3rd down (15th in FBS), 9-of-17 (52.9%) on 4th down (t-67th in FBS)

Special teams

  • Kicking: 11-of-17 (64.7%) (114th in FBS), long of 49 (t-84th in FBS)
  • Punting: 49 punts, 2,054 yards, 41.9 average (90th in FBS)
  • Returning: 31 kickoff returns, 623 yards, 0 touchdowns, 20.1 average (76th in FBS), 17 punt returns, 100 yards, 0 touchdowns, 5.9 average (107th in FBS)

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos