KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan football fell to ACC opponent Syracuse 55-42 on Friday night inside Waldo Stadium, despite a 27-point halftime deficit and career performances from junior wide receiver D'Wayne Eskridge and junior quarterback Jon Wassink.

Eskridge had eight receptions for a career-high 240 yards and two touchdowns against the Orange, becoming the first Bronco to have over 200 receiving yards since 2016 NFL Draft No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis. Eskridge's 240 receiving yards tied for the 12^th most in a single-game in Mid-American Conference history.
 
Eskridge torched the Syracuse secondary on Friday night, becoming the first receiver to go over 200 yards against the Orange since Ernest Wilford of Virginia Tech did so back in 2001.

Wassink made his first appearance since suffering a season-ending injury in Week 8 last season against Eastern Michigan. Wassink went 19-of-36 for a career-high 379 yards and three touchdowns against the Orange. He set career-highs in attempts and yards while connecting on an 84-yard touchdown pass, the longest of his career.

Also coming off a season-ending injury in 2017, junior running back LeVante Bellamy returned to form on Friday night, rushing for 120 yards and a career-high two touchdowns on 11 rushing attempts. His longest run of 64 yards went for a TD in the third quarter.

In his first collegiate game, freshman wide receiver Jayden Reed had seven receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. Reed, an Aurora, Ill., native was targeted nine times and averaged 17.3 yards per reception. The duo of Eskridge and Reed are the first pair of Bronco receivers to eclipse the 100-yard mark since Corey Davis and Michael Henry did so back in 2016 against Buffalo.

As a team WMU outgained Syracuse, 621-560 and had 379 passing yards to Syracuse's, 226. It's the first time the Broncos have had over 600 total yards of offense since having 645 total yards in their seven overtime game against Buffalo.

The Broncos trailed 34-7 at the half before 21 unanswered points in the third quarter brought the crowd of 20,628 to a roar. On the second play of the second half, sophomore defensive lineman Ali Fayad registered his first career fumble recovery to swing the momentum in the Broncos favor. Two plays later, Wassink found Eskridge in the back of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

After a Syracuse three and out, Wassink connected with Eskridge yet again on an 84-yard touchdown pass to cut the Orange lead down to 13. Two minutes later the Broncos were back at it again as Bellamy burst through the right side of the line and scampered for a 64-yard touchdown.

With WMU trailing by six midway through the third quarter, Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey connected with Justin Custis on a 21-yard touchdown pass to propel the
Orange's lead back to 13. It didn't take long for the Brown & Gold to answer back with a three play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a 59-yard pass from Wassink to Eskridge. The drive was capped off one play later with a four-yard rushing touchdown by Wassink.

Syracuse scored near the end of the third to take a 48-35 lead into the fourth quarter. In the third quarter the two teams combined for 484 total yards and 42 points. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Wassink's pass down the middle was intercepted and returned to the WMU 27-yard line. The Orange scored one play later on a 27-yard rushing touchdown by Dungey.

The Bronco offense was stagnant in the fourth, scoring late in the quarter on a 17-yard touchdown from Wassink to Reed. It was Reed's first career touchdown as the freshman wide receiver also became the first Bronco since Eskridge to have a touchdown reception in his first collegiate game.

WMU heads to in-state Big Ten Conference opponent and No. 14-ranked Michigan next weekend on Saturday, Sept. 8, for a noon kickoff. It will be the fifth time since 2001 the Broncos and the Wolverines have met.