WMU vs. Nicholls State Post-Game Notes
WMU vs. Nicholls State Post-Game Quotes
WMU vs. Nicholls State Game Stats
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan cruised past Nicholls State, 49-14, on CommUniverCity night behind a 298-yard, five touchdown performance from sophomore quarterback Alex Carder. Six different Broncos scored touchdowns in the game.
Western Michigan (1-1) controlled the game from the opening drive, but both teams gave the ball away and Nicholls State (0-2) hung around in the first half. The Broncos shut out the Colonels in the second half and tacked on four touchdowns for its largest margin of victory since beating Toledo 58-26 last season. WMU improved to 54-17-1 all-time in home openers at Waldo Stadium, 5-1 under head coach Bill Cubit.
Looking like a well-oiled machine, it took Western Michigan less than three minutes to march 79 yards down the field on its opening drive. Carder hit all five of his pass attempts on the drive, with strikes of 11, 13, 19 and 17 yards in succession. Antoin Scriven punched the ball in from one-yard out for his first career touchdown.
The Colonels' Jesse Turner hit a hole and raced 52 yards to tie the game at seven with 10:04 remaining in the second quarter. WMU was quick to respond, and on the next Bronco drive Carder unleashed a 74-yard bomb on the first play from scrimmage to Jordan White good for six.
An interception deep in Bronco territory led to another Colonel touchdown, but WMU rattled off a 68-yard drive to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. Getting his first career carries, running back Brian Fields totaled 27 yards on the ground on four straight handoffs. Carder then found White all alone for a five-yard touchdown.
Western Michigan stepped up its defensive effort in the second half and the offense kept rolling. Carder threw for three more touchdowns in the third quarter, becoming just the sixth WMU quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in a game. The last Bronco QB to do so was Carder's predecessor, Tim Hiller, on Oct. 8, 2005.
Tight end Blake Hammond caught a five-yard strike and Dallas Walker pulled in his first career TD reception from three yards out. Carder's final touchdown pass went to Ansel Ponder for 16 yards.
With the game well in hand, 42-14, redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler VanTubbergan took over signal calling to start the fourth quarter and shared duties with fifth-year senior Alex Jagels. Bouncing back from a fumble last week, true freshman Dareyon Chance scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run. He would finish as the Broncos' leading rusher with 46 yards on 13 carries.
White (two touchdowns) led the receiving corps with his fifth 100-plus game of his career, hauling in six catches for 130 yards. Juan Nunez caught five balls for 50 yards. Western Michigan racked up 484 yards of total offense, compared Nicholls' 241.
Although the defense was much better in the second half, the Broncos did have their highlights in the first. Mario Armstrong blocked a field goal at the end of the first quarter and Lewis Toler recovered a fumble. Toler recovered a second loose ball in the third quarter. Free safety Doug Wiggins led WMU with seven tackles while Josh Price made six.
Western Michigan will face its first Mid-American Conference opponent next week, hosting Toledo at 7 p.m. WMU is in the midst of a three-game home stretch, as Idaho visits Waldo Stadium Oct. 2 following a bye week Sept. 25.
