Football | September 05, 2017

Western Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
at Michigan State (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Sept. 9, 2017 • Spartan Stadium (75,005) • East Lansing, Mich. • 3:30 PM ET
Big 10 Network • 96.5 FM


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

Michigan State Spartans
2016 Record: 3-9 /1-8 Big 10
2016 Final Ranking: NR
6th Big 10 East Division

THE IN-STATE RIVALRY
• Western Michigan and Michigan State will be meeting for the 15th time in program history. The Broncos are 2-12 all-time in the series with the wins occurring in 1917 (14-0) and 1919 (21-18). This will be the sixth time since 2003 WMU and MSU will face off (2003, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015). The 2015 contest was the only game played in Kalamazoo. WMU has never won in Spartan Stadium. WMU and MSU are scheduled to play again on Sept. 7, 2019 in East Lansing.

NO CUPCAKES HERE
• For the second time in the last three years WMU opened 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 battled #4 USC on the road to open the 2017 season. The Broncos held two different touchdown leads in the game and trailed by only four in the final five minutes before falling 49-31.

BRONCOS DON'T BACK DOWN AT #4 USC
Western Michigan held two different touchdown leads and only trailed by four, 35-31 with just under five minutes remaining at #4 USC this past Saturday before falling, 49-31. The Broncos and Trojans were tied 28-28 in the fourth quarter after a 100-yard kick return by Darius Phillips but USC scored three late touchdowns to put the game away.

WMU's defense had two interceptions and two sacks against Trojan quarterback and Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold. Sophomore running back LeVante Bellamy led a rushing attack that out-gained USC 263-232 with 102 yards on the day. Jamauri Bogan had a team-high 15 rushes for 77 yards, while Jarvion Franklin had 40 yards on 12 carries. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jon Wassink had 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground, completed 11-of-22 passes for 67 yards and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from WR Keishawn Watson in his first collegiate start.  

PHILLIPS NAMED MAC SPECIAL TEAM PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Mid-American Conference named Western Michigan senior Darius Phillips its Special Teams Player of the Week for week one of the season.

Phillips recorded his third career 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and his fourth kickoff return for a touchdown overall in his career at #4 USC in a 49-31 road loss. He finished with four kickoff returns for 168 total yards (42.0 avg.) and the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Moments after the Trojans pulled ahead for the first time since their opening drive, taking a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter, Phillips stunned the Los Angeles Coliseum faithful with his 100-yard return to tie the score at 28-28 with 7:54 left in the game.

Phillips also had a 20-yard interception in the contest (10th career), and finished with 188 all-purpose yards.

100-YARD RETURNS NOT NEW TO PHILLIPS
Senior KR/CB Darius Phillips has three 100-yard kickoff returns in his career, one in each of the last three seasons and two of which were against top 5-ranked teams. All three returns were in the month of September and two were in season-openers.

• Sept. 5, 2015 vs. #5 Michigan State
• Sept. 24, 2016 vs. Georgia Southern
• Sept. 2, 2017 at #4 USC

BROWN COMES UP BIG ON DEFENSE
Senior linebacker Asantay Brown had seven tackles, an 8-yard sack and tipped a pass that led to an interception at #4 USC Saturday. Brown helped set the tone of the Bronco defense early, sacking USC Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Sam Darnold to force fourth down on USC's second drive of the game. The sack pinned the Trojans back at their own 11-yard line, setting up excellence field position for the Broncos, whose offense was able to score on the ensuing possession, tying the game at 7-7. With the game tied at 14-14 in the second quarter, USC was driving down the field in the final minutes of the half. Darnold's pass over the middle was deflected and batted up by WMU's Brown and teammate Darius Phillips was able to come up with the interception. Brown and the Bronco defense also did not allow USC QB Darnold to complete a touchdown pass.

BELLAMY IS BACK
After suffering an ACL tear in game two of last season at Illinois, redshirt sophomore running back. LeVante Bellamy made his return and was the Broncos' starting running back at #4 USC Saturday. Bellamy went on to rush for 102 yards on 9 carries, averaging 11.3 yards per carry. In the fourth quarter, Bellamy broke off a 48-yard run that set up a Bronco field goal that made the score WMU 31, USC 35 with just under five minutes remaining.

MAC DOMINANCE
• Western Michigan had historically the most dominant season in MAC history in 2016.
• The Broncos (8-0) were the first team in league history to win every MAC contest by at least 14 points.
• Western Michigan became the first team in the league to finish 8-0 in MAC play since Northern Illinois did it in 2013.
• Overall there have been 12 teams since the league started playing at least eight games beginning in 1978 to win every league game.
• In 2016 the Broncos won 11 straight games by 14 or more points. The only game, the team did not win by at least 14 points was the season opener at Northwestern (22-21).

BEATING THE BIG DOGS
• In 2016 Western Michigan beat two B1G opponents in the same season for the first time, defeating Northwestern and Illinois.
• Below are all the wins for the Broncos over current Power 5 opponents.

Year    Opponent    Score
1917    Michigan State    W, 14-0
1919    Michigan State    W, 21-18
1964    Louisville    W, 10-7
1988    Wisconsin    W, 24-14
1994    Iowa State    W, 23-19
2000    Iowa    W, 27-21
2006    Virginia    W, 17-10
2007    Iowa    W, 28-19
2008    Illinois    W, 23-17
2016    Northwestern    W, 22-21
2016    Illinois    W, 34-10

SCOUTING SPARTY
Michigan State recorded a 35-10 season-opening win over Bowling Green this past weekend. The Spartans recorded 465 yards of total offense (215 receiving; 250 passing) while holding Bowling Green to 212 yards of total offense (67 rushing; 145 passing). Michigan State also had 25 first downs compared to BGSU's 9.  Sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke won his first career game as a starter. The Spartans are coming off of a 3-9 / 1-8 Big Ten season last year. With wins over Northwestern and Illinois, Western Michigan had more Big Ten wins that Michigan State a year ago.