Football | September 20, 2017

Feature special to wmubroncos.com by Paul Morgan

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan redshirt sophomore quarterback Jon Wassink isn't a real talkative type, preferring to lead with his actions.

Those actions during this past Saturday's game against Idaho spoke volumes about the new quarterback.

The Grand Rapids South Christian product showed he's getting a better command of the offense when he threw for his first collegiate touchdown and then ran for two fourth-quarter scores to help the Broncos to a 37-28 win. This Saturday, Western Michigan (1-2) hosts Wagner (1-2) at Waldo Stadium in a 7 p.m. start.

Beginning his starting-quarterback career at such iconic venues as the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles and at Spartan Stadium wasn't that overwhelming for Wassink.

''I was a little nervous, but I think I was mostly excited as a team to play and see how we were going to perform,'' he said. ''At USC, it was just another game and that's how we prepared as a team.''

Wassink and last year's outstanding quarterback, Zach Terrell, are good friends. Terrell, of course, helped WMU to the 13-1 record in 2016. Terrell also gave Wassink some advice.

''Before the season started, he told me to be myself and to be the best version of myself,'' Wassink said. ''I don't have to be anyone else and that's what he didn't try to do when he started at Western Michigan.''

If that's the case, Wassink has a strong arm and isn't reluctant to tuck the ball under his arm and take off if a play blows up.

''I have great teammates around me that I have confidence in,'' Wassink said.

After one of the more entertaining touchdown runs of the season, those teammates know they have a guy who will try to run with the best of them at times.

With Western Michigan trailing, 28-19, at the start of the fourth quarter, the Broncos drove to Idaho's 22-yard line. A pass play was called. Only it turned into a run.

''Jon put on some moves,'' WMU head coach Tim Lester said with a chuckle. ''The play was a pass and Jon didn't like what he saw and he got out on the right side.''

''One of our receivers did a good job of getting open and Jon saw him at the last moment. He wanted to throw it, but he wasn't sure if he was across the line of scrimmage and decided to take it.''

Wassink took off to the right, then cut back to the middle and headed for the goal line. The only problem was as he neared the 2-yard line, he ran smack into two of his own players and an Idaho defender.
''I think it should have been a third of a touchdown to Jon, a third to Jarvion (Franklin) and a third to Donny (Ernsberger) for pushing Jon into the end zone,'' Lester said.

And the player from Idaho might get an assist, too.

''One of their defenders was trying to strip the ball, but he pushed me into the end zone, so it was kind of weird,'' Wassink said.

Lester isn't looking at switching his quarterback to a running back. The coach just likes it when Wassink takes off on occasion.

''He has to use his legs,'' the coach said. ''If he runs three or four times a game, it changes everything.''

The quarterback hit on 21 of 31 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore D'Wayne Eskridge caught the 15-yard TD strike in the right corner of the end zone.

''That first TD pass, it showed that each week as we go we are gaining confidence,'' Wassink said. ''We're still figuring out who we are and getting better each week.''

It also helped loosen up Idaho's defense as the Vandals were packing the line of scrimmage so WMU couldn't run the ball.

''I think Idaho put 16 guys in the box … they were bringing in guys off the street to be in the box,'' Lester said. ''They were bound and determined to not have the three-headed monster (Franklin, LeVante Bellamy and Jamauri Bogan) run the ball with success.''

Idaho succeeded, holding Western to 135 yards rushing. Wassink more than countered that with his passing, ''and you could see the more confidence he was getting with every pass,'' Lester said.

''That will have to be built in every game. That gets our receivers feeling comfortable and then we can have our running game lead us.''

With Wassink being a small part of that running game, well, Lester is OK with that.