KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan football team authored their best rushing day of the season, complementing the dangerous quick strike passing game and helping the Broncos to a 45-21 victory over the Bowling Green Falcons before 20,238 fans on a sun-soaked day at Waldo Stadium. With the win, the Broncos improve to 4-2 overall, with a 2-0 record in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.
The Broncos rushed for 351 total yards and a season-high four rushing touchdowns against the Falcons, by far their best game of the season in moving the ball on the ground. Sophomore Tevin Drake recorded 10 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown, including a season-long 51-yard run in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Alex Carder added 13 carries for a career-high 97 yards and one score, and Brian Fields had nine carries for 79 yards. Antoin Scriven added a touchdown from the BGSU 1 at the 11:51 mark of the fourth quarter, the final Broncos points of the game.
That said, the Broncos offense has been defined by the ability to do damage through the air, and the game against the Falcons was no different; Alex Carder was 18-of-26 for 212 yards and three touchdown passes, including two scores to Jordan White. Carder was dangerous on the ground as well, recording 13 carries for 95 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run to open the scoring in the first quarter.
In the process, White continued his ascent in the program's record books. With 12 catches for 156 yards, he moved past Jamarko Simmons on WMU's career receiving yards list - Simmons finished his career with 3,019 career receiving yards, while White finished the game with 3,100 - and recorded his 16th career 100-yard receiving game, just one behind Greg Jennings for the program record. It was also the fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving yard game for White, tying Simmons' program record streak.
White finished the day with 233 career receptions, fourth in program history. Should he continue his current pace, he could reach second place on the program's career receptions list against Northern Illinois.
The Broncos scored the eventual game-winning points late in the second quarter, recording a touchdown to give themselves a 28-14 lead heading into halftime. Starting on the WMU 18, Carder found White on the right sideline for a 15-yard gain, and Carder ran a bootleg left for 17 yards on the next play, reaching midfield. Carder would complete three straight passes, two to Robert Arnheim and one to White, to put the Broncos inside the red zone. Facing third-and-three from the BGSU 9, Carder took a three-step drop and hit White streaking across the middle for the touchdown, capping a 10-play, 82-yard drive.
The drive was made possible by the Bronco defense, who dug in its heels and forced Bowling Green into a turnover on downs on the opposite end of the field. After the Falcons' Anthon Samuel was stopped a yard short on third-and-2 at the WMU 18 by Drew Nowak and Mitch Zajac, quarterback Matt Schilz hurried the offense and attempted a quarterback sneak. Schilz was stood up at the line by Dezmond Bozeman and Demetrius Anderson, and Aaron Winchester gave the defensive pile one last push to force the turnover on downs.
The Broncos would keep the heat on the Falcons in the second half, adding 10 points on their first two drives of the half. Placekicker John Potter kicked a 40-yard field goal on the first drive, and Carder again hooked up with White for the touchdown, this time on a 26-yard seam route that saw White leap over his defender and land in the end zone. That capped a nine-play, 66-yard drive that gave the Broncos a 38-14 lead with 4:03 remaining in the third.
The Broncos forced a three-and-out to open the game, and started their first drive at their own 35. Carder would show off his ability as a runner on the first drive, recording five carries for 52 yards, including runs of 18, 13, and 12 yards. Facing a first-and-goal on the BGSU 1, Carder rolled to his left and punched it into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the season.
The Falcons would strike back on the next drive when Schilz hit Kamar Jorden for a 57-yard touchdown on the third play of the next BGSU drive, but the Broncos would retake the lead later in the first quarter. After forcing their third three-and-out of the first quarter, the Broncos started their drive at their own 43. The Bronco drive seemed to stall early as White was stopped short of a first down at the BGSU 48. However, WMU elected to go for it on fourth down, and running back Brian Field powered his way off the right side for a first down conversion.
After Eric Monette caught a pass on the right side for a 10-yard gain and a first down at the BGSU 36, the Broncos benefitted from a pass interference call to reach the BGSU 21. Tevin Drake went off left tackle on first down for a gain of nine, and went off right tackle one play later for a 12-yard touchdown run, his first of the season.
Doug Wiggins finished as the team leader in tackles with nine stops, while Zajac had seven tackles and 1.0 TFL for one yard lost. Freddie Bishop finished with four tackles, 1.0 TFL for five yards lost, and two quarterback hurries. Rontavious Atkins added his first interception of the season, marking two straight games where he has recorded a takeaway for the Broncos.
Alex Carder to Jordan White - Nine-Yard TD
