KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Broncos are looking to solidify their first bowl bid since 1988 and stop a two-game skid as Western Michigan travels to Akron to face the Zips from the Mid-American Conference East Divsion over the Thanksgiving weekend. The game will air live on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m. with Mike Adamlee calling the game and Chris Martin providing analysis.
THE GAME ? This is the regular season finale for both teams but may not be the final game of 2006 for either. Western Michigan comes into the game with seven wins and is bowl eligible, while Akron needs one more victory to claim six wins and become elibigle for postseason action itself.
TELEVISION ? The game will air live on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m. Mike Adamle will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcast, while Chris Martin will serve as the color analyst for the telecast. It will mark the eighth time WMU has been televised the day of the game. Last week's battle at Florida State was televised but on delay, airing on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20.
RADIO ? This and all Western Michigan football games will be broadcast live on the Bronco Radio Network, which includes its flagship station, WFAT - 96.5 FM, as well as WZUU - 92.3 FM in the Kalamazoo market. Robin Hook (play-by-play) and Monty Porter (analysis) will have the call as they have together for the past eight seasons.
WEB SITE ? All home WMU football games can be seen and heard live via the official athletics web site (www.wmubroncos.com) by subscribing to Bronco Insider, which can be found on the home page of the site. For those who do not subscribe to ESPNU, the match up between WMU and Akron can be seen live on Bronco Insider subscription service. This game can also be viewed via Live Stats through Akron's athletic web site, www.gozips.com.
SERIES IN BRIEF ? This is only the 14th meeting between these two teams and the first contest since 2001, when WMU claimed a 31-14 victory. Western Michigan has a 10-3-0 edge in the series and besides a 27-7 loss in 1996, has won every meeting since 1987.
THE COACHES ? Bill Cubit (Delaware, 1975) is in his second season as the head coach of Western Michigan. The Sharon Hill, Pa., native led the Broncos to the biggest turnaround in Mid-American Conference history with five conference wins. Cubit served as offensive coordinator for WMU from 1997-99.
J.D. Brookhart (Colorado State, 1988) is in his third year at the helm of the Akron football program. In just his second season, Brookhart took the Zips to their first Mid-American Conference Championship game and title, defeating Northern Illinois, 31-30, at Ford Field. Brookhart's coaching career began in the "League" as he served as an assistant coach for the Denver Broncos from 1995-96. He then served as a tight ends coach, receivers coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh (1997-2003) before taking the post at Akron in 2004.
UP NEXT ? Western Michigan will wait to find out its fate and see if the Broncos will participate in their first postseason bowl since the 1988 campaign.
