Box Score
Overall Statistics
Notes
Quotes
Kalamazoo, Mich. ? On a day when Greg Jennings became Western Michigan's all-time leader in all-purpose yards, Tony Scheffler had a season-high 131 yards receiving and Trovon Riley matched a career-best two touchdowns, the Broncos use a relentless defensive effort to hand Kent State its sixth-straight loss, 44-14, at Waldo Stadium on Saturday.
Western Michigan (5-3, 3-2 MAC) scored on its second drive, needing only three plays to take a 7-0 lead at the 10:02 mark of the opening quarter. Riley scored the first of his two touchdowns from five yards out. That play was set up by a Tim Hiller to Scheffler 43-yard hook up on the previous play. It was the longest reception of the senior tight end's career and put him on his path to 122 yards in the first half. He would finish with 131 yards and a touchdown on seven catches to lead all receivers.
Riley closed out the first quarter with a jaw-dropping, juke-filled 31-yard run at the 1:49 mark. The drive began at the Broncos' three-yard line after the Golden Flashes (1-7, 0-5 MAC) failed to convert on fourth and one.
Hiller, who finished with 246 yards on 19-of-29 passing hit Sheffler for a 24-yard touchdown for the only scoring of the second quarter, giving Western Michigan a commanding 21-0 lead. The Brown & Gold had amassed 269 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes and had pitched a shutout on the defensive side of the ball. But football is played for 60 minutes.
Kent State opened the third quarter with a seven-play, 57 yard scoring drive of its own. Michael Machen, hit Najah Pruden from 20 yards out for the Golden Flashes' first score. Machen finished with 336 yards passing, the second 300-yard aerial effort of the season. Pruden led the receiving corps with six catches for 125 yards.
Last week, Bowling Green scored quickly in the second half and WMU answered with an offensive touchdown of its own. Such was not the case against KSU. Kent State took over possession at the 9:08 mark of the third quarter and needed only 42 seconds to march 66 yards for the score. Derrick Bush, the running back, threw a 31-yard strike to Shawn Lewis for the Golden Flashes' second score, cutting the Broncos' lead to 21-14. It was the third touchdown toss of Bush's career, giving the senior 129 yards on 5-of-6 passing for his career. (continued on page 2)
