Western Michigan (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
at #4/4 USC (0-0, 0-0 Pac 12)
Sept. 2, 2017 • LA Memorial Coliseum (92,348) • Los Angeles, Calif.
5:22 PM ET • Pac 12 Network • 96.5 FM


WMU Weekly Press Conference
Western Michigan Broncos
2016 Record: 13-1 / 8-0 MAC
2016 Final Ranking: AP #15
MAC Champions
Goodyear Cotton Bowl

USC Trojans
2016 Record: 10-3 / 7-2 Pac 12
2016 Final Ranking: AP #3
2nd - Pac 12
Rose Bowl Champions

• Western Michigan opens the 2017 at #4/4 USC on Saturday, Sept. 2. WMU has never played a Pac 12 opponent and USC has never faced an opponent from the Mid-American Conference.

• This will be the second time in the last three years WMU opens the season against a top 5 ranked opponent. The Broncos hosted #5 ranked Michigan State on Sept. 5, 2015. MSU won, 37-24. Also in 2015, WMU faced Ohio State, ranked #1 at the time, in Columbus in week 4, falling 38-12 to the Buckeyes.

• WMU's Tim Lester is in his first season as head coach at his 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 64th 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.

• Western Michigan is coming off its best season in program history. The Broncos went undefeated during the 2016 regular season, winning its first MAC title since 1988, and was the highest ranked Group of 5 team, earning a berth in a New Year's Six Bowl, appearing in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. WMU's top 25 ranking was the first in school history. The Broncos peaked at #12 in the AP poll and finished the season ranked #15.

• Three teams won 13-plus games in 2016: Western Michigan, Clemson and Alabama.

• The Broncos have made bowl appearances in three-straight seasons and have an overall record of 29-11 in that span.

• WMU has one top 25 win in program history - the Broncos defeated #25 ranked Toledo, 35-30, on the road in 2015.

• WMU had 3 NFL Draft Picks last season - Consensus All-American and FBS all-time leading receiver (5,285 yds) - WR Corey Davis (5th overall, Titans); All-American OL Taylor Moton (2nd round, Panthers) and DE Keion Adams (7th round, Steelers).

• RSo. QB Jon Wassink is scheduled to make his first career appearance and start on Sept. 2 at USC. Wassink follows Zach Terrell who was the 2016 Campbell Trophy winner and finished his career with 12,104 yards passing, 96 TDs and a .655 completion rate.

• WMU's strength on offense is its running game, returning senior Jarvion Franklin (3,639 yds., 41 TDs), redshirt junior Jamauri Bogan (1,974 yds., 24 TDs) and redshirt sophomore LeVante Bellamy (626 yds., 3 TDs). Franklin and Bogan were both MAC Freshman of the Year recipients. Bellamy is one of the fastest players on the team and is at full health after suffering an ACL in week 2 last season at Illinois.