AKRON, Ohio - Western Michigan football puts up over 500 yards of offense, has two receivers over 100 yards for the second time this year and Alex Carder over throws for over 300 yards and throws five TDs in WMU's 56-10 win at Akron to put the Broncos at 2-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
Western Michigan came into this game needing to show it can perform at a high level against a team with a sub-par record and the Broncos did that and more in the first half against the Zips. Alex Carder threw for 294 yards and four TDs on 11-of-15 passing during the opening half to give the Broncos a 35-3 at the break.
His favorite target for most of the half was Nunez who had five catches for 182 yards (36.4 yards per catch) and three touchdowns in the first half, finishing with six for 192. Nunez and Carder hooked up for the first score on a 36-yard score when the defender fell on the coverage and Nunez walked into the end zone on WMU's fourth play of its first drive. The Broncos' offense moved the ball well throughout the first quarter with 109 yards of total offense but only found the end zone that one time. Nunez's 192 receiving yards are the fifth most in a game in program history and his three scoring grabs tie five other Broncos for the second most in a game.
That changed 10 seconds into the second quarter. when Carder found Nunez again, this time from 59 yards out to put the Broncos up 14-0. It was the third multi-TD game for Nunez and first since Toledo in 2009 but he was not finished, but it was the WMU defense's turn on the scoreboard. On 1st-and-10 for Akron, Patrick Nicely was pressured in the end zone by Freddie Bishop. Nicely threw the ball up to avoid the sack and safety. Travonte Boles ran under the ball and caught in the end zone for WMU's second defensive TD of the season (Toler had a pick-six at Ball State on Oct. 9). The 11 seconds between scores is the second fastest stretch for the Broncos in 2010.
Jordan White, playing in his first collegiate game in Northeast Ohio ever, would not be left out in his home debut, hauling in a 34-yard TD reception mid way through the second quarter on a seam route through the Akron defense. Both White and Nunez ended the half with over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season. Nunez would grab one TD, from 18 yards out, over a defender to give WMU a 35-0 lead with 4:16 to go in the first half.
Nunez would finish the game with 192 yards receiving, the fifth most receiving yards in a game in WMU football history. His three receiving TDs also tie five others for the second most in a game in program history. White would had one more TD reception as he scored from 10 yards out, pushing the pile into the end zone. It was White's third career multi-TD game.
The Bronco offense went to their reserves late in the third quarter. Tyler VanTubbergen, celebrating his 19th birthday today, ran for 13 yards on his second play of the game but bobbled a snap to give Akron a defensive score to make it 42-10 in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing kick off Dervon Wallace personally made sure the Broncos gained that touchdown back, taking the kick 91 yards for the score.
Ironically, those back-to-back plays conjured up the same game from 2007. The defensive fumble return for a TD is the first WMU had given up since Indiana's Greg Middleton took one back 44 yards for the score on Sept. 8, 2007. Wallace's KO return for a score was the first for the Broncos since Brandon West took one 98 yards for a TD against Indiana in that same game.
Tevin Drake scored his first career touchdown on a 1st-and-10 from the Broncos' 43-yard line. Take the ball 57 yards up the far sideline for WMU's eighth TD of the game. The 57-yard run is the longest of the season for Western Michigan. It is also the first time this year WMU has scored over 50 points and the third time over the past two seasons, both coming in conference games (56 at Toledo and vs. Miami in 2009).
