Football | September 25, 2019

Central Michigan (2-2, 1-0 MAC) at Western Michigan (2-2, 0-0 MAC)

Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Mich.
Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 • Noon
Television: CBS Sports Network
Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Coach Lester & Jon Wassink Press Conference | Watch Replay

Bronco Review Radio Show | Listen to Replay

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Western Michigan returns home for the annual Battle for the Cannon clash with in-state rival Central Michigan ... The Broncos will also celebrate for Hall of Fame Weekend ... Kickoff on Saturday is set for 12 noon on CBS Sports Network
• The Broncos and Chippewas will play for the Cannon Trophy, which was established in 2008 between the student governments at Western Michigan and Central Michigan ... One side of the wood statue is maroon and lists each of Central Michigan's victories over the Broncos while the opposite side is brown and notes each of the Broncos' wins in the series
• A cannon sits atop the trophy, representing the cannon that is fired after scores at Central Michigan's Kelly/Shorts Stadium and Western Michigan's Waldo Stadium
• Saturday's game marks the first matchup in the round-robin competition for the Michigan MAC Trophy ... Created in 2005 by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the Michigan MAC Trophy is presented annually to the team with the best round-robin record among Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan ... The Broncos received the trophy in 2018 ... A similar trophy is also awarded in men's basketball
• The Western Michigan Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and the WMU Hall of Fame Committee will induct their class of 2019 this weekend, welcoming Shawn Faulkner (football), David Gennero (men's tennis), Frederika Girsang (women's tennis), Bill Horn (ice hockey), Shaylen Jackson (volleyball) and Jeff Zylstra (men's track & field/cross country)

WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN

• The Broncos and Chippewas will meet for the 90th time in program history on Saturday with Western Michigan owning a 49-38-2 record
• The two first met in 1907, with Western Michigan posting a 27-0 victory
• WMU is 6-2 against Central Michigan over the last eight seasons with the two losses in Kalamazoo (2013/27-22 & 2017/35-28)
• The in-state rivals have faced one another for 46 consecutive years, dating back to 1973. Since then, the outcome has been decided by 10 points or fewer 24 times, and on 12 occasions by 5 points or less, in addition to one tie (18-18, 1982)

Series vs. Central Michigan: Western Michigan leads 49-38-2
Series Streak: Broncos won 1
Last Meeting: 2018 (Western Michigan, 35-10)
Last Western Michigan Win: 2018

TELEVISION COVERAGE

• CBS Sports Network will broadcast the game to a national audience. Jason Horowitz (play-by-play) and Danny Kanell (analyst) will call the game

GAME NOTE NUGGETS

• An offensive force, Western Michigan enter the weekend leading the MAC in scoring offense (38.8), total offense (515.2) and pass efficiency (164.1) while standing second in passing offense (313.2) and third in rushing offense (202.0)
• Senior RB LeVante Bellamy has rushed for 357 yards in the last two games after totaling 97 ground yards through the first two games of the season ... Bellamy enters the weekend as the MAC's second-leading rusher with 113.5 yards per game after finishing the 2018 season second in the league with 94.46 yards per tilt ... Bellamy is also tied for the national lead in rushes of 30 or more yards with five and paces the country with four 40 or more yard rushes
• For the first time since 2016, Western Michigan will open the league portion of the season against the Chippewas
• WMU has downed Central Michigan the last four meetings (2016/49-10; 2015/41-39; 2011/44-14; 1999/38-16) that have also served as MAC openers for the Broncos
• Western Michigan is 2-0 in MAC openers under Lester and has not lost its first league game since falling 20-19 in overtime to Toledo on October 4, 2014
• Western Michigan has tallied 48 or more points in both of its home games this season. The Broncos have not reached 45 or more points in three consecutive home tilts since 2016
• Junior LB Treshaun Hayward has turned in four consecutive strong performances in the middle for the Broncos. The Ypsilanti, Mich., native owns a team-high 43 tackles. Hayward tallied 11 tackles at Syracuse, giving him double-digit tackles in three consecutive games after totaling 10 at Michigan State and 15 versus Georgia State. Hayward is the first Bronco with 10 or more tackles in three-straight games since Mike Jones in 2013 versus Buffalo (14), Ball State (11) and Massachusetts (11)