Football | October 30, 2019
Ball State (4-4, 3-1 MAC) at Western Michigan (5-4, 3-2 MAC)
Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Mich.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 • 8 pm
Live Television: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Bronco Radio Network
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Coach Lester & A.J. Thomas Press Conference | Watch Replay
Bronco Review Radio Show | Listen to Replays
Bronco Updates | Listen to Replays
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Western Michigan plays its final home game of the 2019 season and kicks off midweek action by hosting Ball State ... The Broncos will hold their second annual Indoor Tailgate on Tuesday, November 5
• In its last game, on October 26, WMU hosted Bowling Green and won 49-10 behind six rushing touchdowns ... The Cardinals faced Ohio on the same day and suffered a 34-21 setback
• The Broncos and Cardinals will meet for the 46th time in program history Tuesday with Western Michigan leading the all-time series 25-20 ... WMU has won four of the last five, and six of the last nine, meetings ... Ball State's last win in Kalamazoo was a 38-17 triumph on October 19, 2013
• Points have been plentiful recently against Ball State as Western Michigan has scored 40 or more points in each of the last five meetings
• Head coach Tim Lester went 3-1 in his playing career versus the Cardinals, capturing three consecutive victories in 1997, 1998 and 1999
• This year's senior class owns 31 victories, tied for the third most in program history and four shy of the 2017 group for the program record
• WMU heads into Tuesday looking for an undefeated home season, its first since 2016, and just the third 6-0 home campaign since 2000: 2008 (6-0) and 2016 (6-0)
• In five home games this fall, Western Michigan has scored 223 points for an average of 44.60 per tilt ... The Broncos have outscored their opponents 133-26 in opening halves at home this season ... Defensively, the Broncos have allowed just 41 points during the last 15 quarters inside Waldo Stadium, and no visiting squad has reached 20 points in a game this fall ... WMU is outscoring its opponents by an average of 31.80 points per home contest this season
WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. BALL STATE
• The Broncos and Cardinals will meet for the 46th time Tuesday, November 5 with Western Michigan leading the series, 25-20. WMU has won four of the last five, and six of the last nine, meetings
• Lester is went 3-1 in his playing career versus Ball State, winning in 1997, 1998 and 1999
• Last year in Muncie, the Broncos suffered a 42-41 overtime loss LeVante Bellamy's two-point conversion try was stopped in OT. The Broncos were able to force the extra session on Giovanni Ricci's nine-yard TD pass from Kaleb Eleby with 1:48 to play
Series vs. Ball State:Â Western Michigan leads 25-20
Series Streak:Â Ball State won 1
Last Meeting:Â 2018 (Ball State, 42-41 OT)
Last Western Michigan Win:Â 2017
LIVE TELEVISION
• ESPN2 will provide television coverage of the event. Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Tom Ramsey (analyst) will call the game.
GAME NOTE NUGGETS
• Tuesday's game features the two highest-scoring teams in the Mid-American Conference with Western Michigan averaging 36.0 and Ball State 33.0 ... The two are the only programs in the MAC to surpass 30.5 points per game this fall
• The Broncos enter the weekend having allowed 25.8 points per game to stand third in the Mid-American Conference. A year ago, Western Michigan ranked 10th in the league, surrendering a touchdown more per contest at 34.5 points
• Senior RB LeVante Bellamy has scored at least two rushing touchdowns in each of the last three contests, and in five games this fall ... Bellamy has 17 ground scores in 2019, the most in the country and the fourth most in a single season in program history ... Bellamy paces the conference in scoring, averaging 11.30 points per contest and is second in rushing yards per game at 117.22 yards ... He now owns the seventh most career rushing yards in program history (3,303)
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• Junior LB
Treshaun Hayward is the first Bronco with 100+ tackles in a season since
Robert Spillane booked 111 in 2016
• True freshman WR
Skyy Moore is tops among all MAC rookies in catches with 32
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• WMU's offense turned in four plays from scrimmage of 60+ yards last season. Already this campaign, the Broncos have six such plays
• In Western Michigan's four losses this season, the defense has combined to create six turnovers, 1.5 TOs per contest. In the five wins, the Broncos have caused 11 TOs, 2.2 turnovers a victory
• WMU is 5-0 this season when allowing fewer than 7.0 yards per completion
• Sophomore CB
Patrick Lupro has an interception in three consecutive home games and is tied for second in the MAC with three INTs
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