2023 Western Michigan Broncos football team

The 2023 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos played their home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and competed in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[1] They were led by first-year head coach Lance Taylor who was the offensive coordinator for Louisville in 2022.[2] They finished the season 4–8 and 3–5 in conference play[3]

2023 Western Michigan Broncos football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record4–8 (3–5 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBilly Cosh (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorLou Esposito (7th season)
Home stadiumWaldo Stadium
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Miami (OH) xy$ 71  113 
Ohio 62  103 
Bowling Green 53  76 
Buffalo 35  39 
Akron 17  210 
Kent State 08  111 
West Division
Toledo xy 80  113 
Northern Illinois 53  76 
Eastern Michigan 44  67 
Central Michigan 35  57 
Ball State 35  48 
Western Michigan 35  48 
Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

Preseason

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Preseason polls

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Coaches Poll

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On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Western Michigan was picked to finish last in the West.[4]

East
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1Ohio63 (9)
2Miami52 (2)
3Buffalo51 (1)
4Bowling Green35
5Akron26
6Kent State19
West
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1Toledo66 (11)
2Eastern Michigan55 (1)
3Northern Illinois38
4Central Michigan37
5Ball State27
6Western Michigan23
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
RankTeamVotes
1Toledo7
2Ohio4
3Buffalo1

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 31 7:00 p.m. Saint Francis (PA)* ESPN+ W 35–17 19,432
September 9 3:30 p.m. at Syracuse* ACCNX/ESPN+ L 7–48 32,637
September 16 3:30 p.m. at No. 25 Iowa* BTN L 10–41 69,250
September 23 1:30 p.m. at Toledo ESPN+ L 31–49 19,068
September 30 3:30 p.m. Ball State
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN+ W 42–2421,880
October 7 12:00 p.m. at Mississippi State* SECN L 28–41 47,158
October 14 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH)
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN+ L 21–34 20,039
October 21 12:00 p.m. at Ohio CBSSN L 17–20 16,048
October 28 1:00 p.m. at Eastern Michigan ESPN+ W 45–21 16,297
November 7 7:00 p.m. Central Michigan
ESPNU W 38–28 17,841
November 14 7:00 p.m. at Northern Illinois ESPNU L 0–246,417
November 21 7:00 p.m. Bowling Green
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPNU L 10–34 8,901
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[5][6]

Game summaries

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Saint Francis (PA)

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at Syracuse

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Game Two – Western Michigan Broncos (1–0) at Syracuse Orange (1–0)
Period1234Total
Broncos70007
Orange17283048

at JMA Wireless DomeSyracuse, NY

  • Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Indoor
  • Game attendance: 32,637
  • Referee: Jeremy Valentine
  • TV: ACCNX
Game information
First Quarter
  • (14:30) WMU - Jalen Buckley 74 yd run (Palmer Domschke kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:30; WMU 7-0)
  • (10:55) SYR - Brady Denaburg 36 yd Field Goal (Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 3:28; WMU 7-3)
  • (8:55) SYR - LeQuint Allen 1 yd run (Brady Denaburg kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:18; SYR 10-7)
  • (5:03) SYR - Donovan Brown 86 yd pass from Garrett Shrader (Brady Denaburg kick) (Drive: 1 play, 86 yards, 0:18; SYR 17-7)
Second Quarter
  • (14:52) SYR – Garrett Shrader 18 yd run (Brady Denaburg kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:53; SYR 24–7)
  • (10:28) SYR - LeQuint Allen 1 yd run (Brady Denaburg kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:17; SYR 31-7)
  • (1:19) SYR - LeQuint Allen 2 yd run (Brady Denaburg kick) (Drive: 14 plays, 99 yards, 3:38; SYR 38-7)
  • (0:00) SYR - Jason Simmons Jr. 84 yd Interception (Brady Denaburg kick) (SYR 45-7)
Third Quarter
  • (2:43) SYR - Brady Denaburg 33 yd Field Goal (Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:49; SYR 48-7)
Fourth Quarter

No scoring plays

StatisticsWMUSYR
First downs1526
Total yards318496
Rush yards97153
Passing yards221343
Turnovers10
Time of possession30:5729:03
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western MichiganPassingJack Salopek15/22, 110 yards, INT
RushingJalen Buckley8 carries, 87 yards, TD
ReceivingKenneth Womack4 receptions, 67 yards
SyracusePassingGarrett Shrader19/30, 286 yards, TD
RushingJuwaun Price16 carries, 68 yards
ReceivingDonovan Brown3 receptions, 89 yards, TD

at No. 25 Iowa

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Western Michigan at No. 25 Iowa
1234Total
Broncos730010
No. 25 Hawkeyes014171041
  • Date: September 16
  • Location:
    Kinnick Stadium
    Iowa City, IA
  • Game start: 2:40 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:51
  • Game attendance: 69,250
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Gregory Blum
  • TV announcers (BTN): Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), and Shane Sparks (sidelines)
     
StatisticsWMUIOWA
First downs819
Total yards239387
Rushing yards117254
Passing yards122133
Turnovers12
Time of possession26:0733:53
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western MichiganPassingTreyson Bourguet5/16, 124 yards, TD
RushingTreyson Bourguet8 carries, 32 yards
ReceivingKenneth Womack2 receptions, 11 yards
IowaPassingCade McNamara9/19, 103 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingLeshon Williams12 carries, 145 yards
ReceivingSteven Stilianos2 receptions, 29 yards

at Toledo

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Ball State

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at Mississippi State

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Game Six – Western Michigan Broncos (2-3) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (2–3) – Game summary
Period1234Total
Western Michigan0714728
Mississippi State107141041

at Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS

  • Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 47,158
  • Referee: Scott Walker
  • TV announcers (SECN/ESPN+): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Derek Mason (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (10:09) MSST – Kyle Ferrie 31-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:45; Mississippi State 3-0)
  • (6:04) MSST – Jordan Mosley 15-yard pass from Will Rogers (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:30; Mississippi State 10-0)
Second quarter
  • (4:03) MSST – Creed Whittemore 16-yard pass from Will Rogers (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:03; Mississippi State 17-0)
  • (0:52) WMU – Austin Hence 10-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 3:11; Mississippi State 17-7)
Third quarter
  • (12:18) MSST – Mike Wright 3-yard run (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:41; Mississippi State 24-7)
  • (8:57) WMU – Blake Bosma 23-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Mississippi State 24-14)
  • (6:44) MSST – Seth Davis 5-yard run (Nick Barr-Mira kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:12; Mississippi State 31-14)
  • (3:23) WMU – Zahir Abdus-Salaam 11-yard run (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Mississippi State 31-21)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:31) MSST – Freddie Roberson 36-yard pass from Will Rogers (Nick Barr-Mira kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:44; Mississippi State 38-21)
  • (10:48) WMU – Leroy Thomas 25-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:43; Mississippi State 38-28)
  • (4:12) MSST – Nick Barr-Mira 49-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:07; Mississippi State 41-28)
StatisticsWMUMSST
First downs2125
Total yards77–41365–440
Rushing yards32–11633–194
Passing yards297246
Passing: Comp–Att–Int33–45–123–32–0
Time of possession28:4631:14
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western MichiganPassingHayden Wolff27/35, 262 yards, 3 TD, INT
RushingZahir Abdus-Salaam18 carries, 60 yards, TD
ReceivingKenneth Womack12 receptions, 113 yards
Mississippi StatePassingWill Rogers16/22, 189 yards, 3 TD
RushingSeth Davis10 carries, 65 yards, TD
ReceivingFreddie Roberson5 receptions, 68 yards, TD

Miami (OH)

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at Ohio

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Western Michigan Broncos (2–5) vs. Ohio Bobcats (5–2)
Period1234Total
Western Michigan0010717
Ohio337720

at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH

  • Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: sunny
  • Game attendance: 16,048
  • Referee: William Williams
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp, Russ Tucker
  • Pregame line: Ohio -16.5; O/U 52.0 • Ohio notes, boxscore
Game information
First Quarter
  • (08:49) OHIO - Gianni Spetic 28 yd FG 13 plays, 57 yards, TOP 04:51 (OHIO 3–0)
Second Quarter
  • (00:02) OHIO - Gianni Spetic 19 yd FG 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 00:37 (OHIO 6–0)
Third Quarter
  • (07:07) WMU - Palmer Domschk 43 yd FG 6 plays, 52 yards, TOP 02:29 (OHIO 6–3)
  • (02:36) OHIO - Sieh Bangura 1 yd run (Gianni Spetic kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:31 (OHIO 13–3)
  • (00:18) WMU - Hayden Wolff 3 yd run (Palmer Domschk kick) 5 plays, 41 yards, TOP 02:07 (OHIO 13–10)
Fourth Quarter
  • (04:36) OHIO - Sam Wiglusz 7 yd pass from Kurtis Rourke (Gianni Spetic kick) 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 05:05 (OHIO 20–10)
  • (00:18) WMU - Kenneth Womack 8 yd pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Domschke Kick) 8 plays, 68 yards, TOP 02:09 (OHIO 20–17)
StatisticsWestern MichiganOhio
First downs2128
Total yards369460
Rushes/yards22/7939/185
Passing yards290275
Passing: Comp–Att–Int30–42–124–39–0
Time of possession24:2535:35
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western MichiganPassingHayden Wolff30/42, 290 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RushingCJ Hester5 rushes, 26 yards
ReceivingKenneth Womack14 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD
OhioPassingKurtis Rourke24/39, 275 yards, 1 TD
RushingSieh Bangura15 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingSam Wiglusz10 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD

at Eastern Michigan

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Central Michigan

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at Northern Illinois

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Bowling Green

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NFL Draft

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The NFL draft was held at Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Michigan, on April 25–27, 2024. Additionally Keni'h Lovely signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.

Broncos who were picked in the 2024 NFL Draft:

RoundPickPlayerPositionNFL Team
256Marshawn KneelandDEDallas Cowboys

References

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  1. ^ "Football Ticket, Game Day & Waldo Stadium Information". Western Michigan Athletics.
  2. ^ "Western Michigan hires Louisville OC Lance Taylor as coach". ESPN.
  3. ^ "MAC College Football Standings - 2023". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked to win conference championship; BGSU tabbed to finish fourth in MAC East". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "2023 Western Michigan Football Schedule".
  6. ^ "Western Michigan Broncos Schedule 2023/season/2023". ESPN.