Game Stats
Post-Game Notes
Post-Game Quotes
PHILADELPHIA - On a day when points were at a premium, Western Michigan football scored a hard-fought Mid-American Conference win on the road with a 7-3 victory over Temple at Lincoln Financial Field. It was the Broncos' lowest point total in a win since defeating Akron by the same score in 1995 at Waldo Stadium.
Western Michigan was held scoreless in the first half and did not post its touchdown until the 2:16 mark of the third quarter but when the Broncos needed a score, they put together a nine-play, 77-yard drive that chewed 5:05 off the game clock to take the lead for good. The 7-3 score is the fewest points for WMU in a win since defeating Akron by the same score at Waldo Stadium in 1995. The scoring drought of 43:44 of game time is the longest of the season for Western Michigan.
Trailing, 3-0, due to a Jake Brownell 45-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, Western Michigan took over on offense on its own 23-yard line. The first play of the drive, a loss of three yards on an Aaron Winchester rush exemplified how strong Temple's run defense was on Saturday as the Broncos managed 36 yards on the ground. On the next play Tim Hiller, finishing 26-for-42 on the day found Brandon West for five yards to gain back the loss. The teams exchanged a pair of penalties on successive plays and then Hiller found Branden Ledbetter for 11 of his 52 yards receiving and Kirk Elsworth rushed for five yards. The Broncos were aided by another of Temple's 10 penalties (for 76 yards) when Brian Sanford hit Hiller late for a 15-yard penalty. Hiller to Ledbetter worked again for five yards before Winchester moved the ball six yards on two carries.
On the next play, Juan Nunez slipped behind the Owls' defense down the left sideline and Hiller connected with the sophomore from 30 yards out for Hiller's 55th career TD pass and Nunez's second touchdown reception of the season.
WMU's defense was stellar throughout despite Temple starting four drives in Bronco territory. On two of those drives, the defense forced a three-and-out and Temple turned the ball over on downs on another late in the game. WMU held Temple's redshirt freshman Chester Stewart to 60 yards on 10-of-20 passing but he did put a scare into the Bronco faithful when on third-and-eight from WMU's 11 he had Bruce Francis wide open in the end zone but bounced the pass for an incompletion.
That drive resulted in a Brownell field goal attempt hitting the right upright. It was his second miss of the day. He had missed wide right in the second quarter as well.
Boston McCornell led the WMU defense with 10 tackles (six solo) and he chipped in with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Justin Braska had 1.5 TFLs as well as WMU's only sack of the game. Western Michigan had 7.0 tackles for loss on the day. Nick Varcadipane, named defensive team captain for the game, finished with five stops, led with 2.0 TFLs and forced one fumble.
Western Michigan starts the season 4-1 for its best start since beginning the 2000 campaign 8-1 and is now 2-0 to start its Mid-American Conference schedule for the first time in the Bill Cubit era. WMU will go for its 500th program victory when Ohio visits Waldo Stadium for the 85th Annual Homecoming game on Oct. 4. The Bobcats earned their first win of the year, 51-31, over Virginia Military Institute.
