WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS (3-2, 1-0 MAC)
AT BUFFALO BULLS (3-2, 1-0 MAC)
Oct. 7, 2017 • UB Stadium (33,519) • Buffalo, N.Y.
3:30 PM ET • ESPNU • 96.5 FM

All-Time Series: WMU leads, 6-2


ESPNU TALENT:
Doug Sherman - Play-by-Play
Dustin Fox - Analyst

COACHING FACTS
WMU Head Coach: Tim Lester (Western Michigan, 2000)
Record at WMU: 3-2, 1-0 MAC (1st Season)
Overall record: 43-25 (7th season)

Head Coach: Lance Leipold
Record at Ball State: 10-19, 5-12 MAC (3rd Season) 
Overall record:  119-25 (11th Season)

BRONCO NOTES
• After dropping road games at #4 USC and Michigan State to open the season, Western Michigan has rebounded to rattle off three-straight home victories. The Broncos defeated Idaho (37-28), Wagner (49-14) and Ball State (55-3). WMU has averaged 47 points per game over the three wins.

• Saturday's contest at Buffalo marks the first road game for WMU since Sept. 9 and the Broncos' first road MAC game. The Broncos are 6-2 all time against the Bulls. The first meeting was in 1999 and WMU won the first five games in the series before Buffalo posted back-to-back wins in 2012 and 2013. Western Michigan defeated UB 38-0 last year in Kalamazoo.

• Western Michigan leads the MAC with a 5 turnover margin, which also ranks 18th in the nation. The Broncos are also second in the conference in sacks with 13 and have the second best rushing offense in the league, averaging 209 yards on the ground per game.

WMU DOWNS BALL STATE IN MAC OPENER
Six different Broncos scored in Western Michigan's 55-3 win over Ball State, and WMU (3-2, 1-0 MAC) racked up 414 yards of total offense. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jon Wassink put up his biggest numbers of the year with a career-high 240 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-20 passing. Redshirt sophomore WR Keishawn Watson had two receiving touchdowns for the second straight game.

QUICK START(S) VS. BALL STATE
WMU scored a touchdown less than 30 seconds in at both the start of the game and the beginning of the second half vs. Ball State on Sept. 30. RSo. Obbie Jackson grabbed a loose fumble out of the air and returned it 21 yards for a TD on the opening kickoff - just 10 seconds off the game clock. The Broncos then scored 28 seconds into the opening drive of the second half, a 22-yard pass from QB Jon Wassink to TE Donnie Ernsberger.

WMU SPECIAL TEAM EFFICIENCY RANKED TOP IN THE NATION
According to ESPN.com Western Michigan is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in Special Teams Efficiency. The Broncos have scored three special teams TDs this season and are 12th in the nation with 437 total kickoff return yards.

1. Western Michigan - 86.7    
2. Penn State - 82.4    
3. Kent State - 78.5    
4. Marshall - 78.1    
5. Wyoming - 77.7    
6. TCU - 77.7    
7. Illinois - 76.8
8. Kentucky - 76.6    
9. Alabama - 75.8    
10. Washington - 75.3    

I'LL TAKE THAT
Western Michigan has at least one interception in four of five games this season - five total, made by four different players (Darius Phillips - 2, Samuel Beal - 1, Obbie Jackson - 1 and Malik Rucker - 1). The Broncos have also have five fumble recoveries this season.

AMONG NCAA LEADERS
WMU is among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories.

9th - Defensive TDs (2)
9th - Kickoff Return Average (29.13)
11th - Fumbles Recovered (5)
15th - Red Zone Offense (95%)
18th - Turnover Margin (1.00)
19th - Turnovers Gained (10)
23rd - Team TFL (7.6)
24th - Total Rushing Yards (1,045)

DEFENSE'S 13 TFL MOST SINCE 2003
WMU's 13 TFL vs. Wagner were the most for the Broncos in a game since 2003. Eleven different Broncos recorded a TFL, totaling 45 yards.

TRIPLE GROUND THREAT
WMU's strength on offense is its running game, returning senior Jarvion Franklin (career: 3,871 yds., 44 TDs), redshirt junior Jamauri Bogan (career: 2,329 yds., 26 TDs) and redshirt sophomore LeVante Bellamy (career: 852 yds., 5 TDs). Franklin and Bogan were both MAC Freshman of the Year recipients. Bellamy is one of the fastest players on the team and returns this season after suffering an ACL in week 2 last year at Illinois.

• Franklin, Bogan and Bellamy have each had a 100-yard rushing game this season. Toledo is the only other MAC team with multiple (2) 100-yard backs this season.

LESTER TAKING THE REINS
Tim Lester is in his first season as head coach at WMU and is one of 21 FBS coaches leading their alma mater. Lester was an All-MAC quarterback for the Broncos, playing from 1996-99. He was the 1996 MAC Freshman of the Year and led WMU to the 1999 MAC Championship game. Lester threw for 11,299 yards and 87 career TDs. This will be his 69th game as a head coach, also coaching at the Division II and III levels. Lester was an assistant coach at Western Michigan from 2005-06 and most recently was the QB coach at Purdue during the 2016 season.

SCOUTING BUFFALO
• The Bulls are 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the MAC and are coming off a 27-13 win at Kent State last Saturday. The Bulls were led by Emmanuel Reed who rushed for a career high 144 yards and three touchdowns in the
game. Saturday will be Buffalo's annual Homecoming game.

• Buffalo starting quarterback Tyree Jackson left the FAU game on Sept. 23 with an injury just before halftime and has not played since. He was listed as "doubtful" for the game against WMU. Drew Anderson has since taken over at QB: 18-27-251 (C-A-Y) | 2 TD | 1 INT.

• Khalil Hodge leads the MAC and ranks third in the nation in tackles, averaging 12.8 tackles per game. He has had two games of 15 tackles this season (20 at Minnesota/17 vs. FAU).

• Buffalo opened the season with a 17-7 loss at Minnesota and followed with a 21-17 loss at Army. Since starting 0-2, the Bulls have won three straight, beating Colgate, FAU and Kent State.

• Buffalo finished last in the MAC East a year ago with a 1-7 conference record. The Bulls were picked to finish fifth in the East this season.