EAST LANSING, Mich. – In its first road contest of the season the Western Michigan football team dropped a 51-17 decision at No.19 Michigan State on Saturday night inside Spartan Stadium.

Senior Jon Wassink was able to attack the Spartan secondary finishing the game going 23-for-37 for 252 yards and one touchdown. With the 23 completions, Wassink moved into 10th on WMU's career completions list. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native found eight different receivers on the night, averaging 11.1 yards per pass.

Wassink's lone touchdown fell into the hands of fellow senior Giovanni Ricci who led the Broncos with six receptions for 53 yards. Ricci now has three touchdowns on the season, matching the most he's had in a season in his career.

Graduate transfer Keith Mixon Jr., continued his stellar start to the season recording 150 all-purpose yards. Mixon Jr., had four receptions for a team-high 71 yards while also having 79 kick return yards. In the first two games this season, Mixon Jr., has accumulated 319 all-purpose yards.  

Defensively, senior Justin Tranquill led the Broncos with a career-high 14 tackles (6 solo) and one QB hurry. Junior Treshaun Hayward also had double-digit tackles, posting 10 for the Brown & Gold. Senior Drake Spears ranked third on the team with seven tackles while senior D'Wayne Eskridge had four tackles and three pass break-ups.

Recording the first interception of the year for WMU was senior Najee Clayton, doing so midway through the second quarter off a tipped pass from Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke. Fellow senior Antonio Balabani finished with four tackles and also forced his second career fumble that was recovered by redshirt freshman Will McCabe.

On the night the Broncos registered 352 total yards with 285 yards coming through the air. The Spartans outgained WMU, 251-67 on the ground with the Broncos posting 18 first downs compared to MSU's, 31. Western Michigan also held a 31:51 to 28:09 advantage in time of possession against the Spartans.

The Broncos first touchdown came early in the second quarter as Wassink found Ricci on a 14-yard touchdown pass at the 11:34 mark. WMU traveled 66 yards in 10 plays, spanning over five minutes and converted the 14-yard touchdown on a fourth and two.

WMU scored 10 of its 17 points in the fourth quarter as junior Thiago Kapps got the scoring started, connecting on a 31-yard field goal with 8:41 left. On the Broncos' final drive of the game, sophomore quarterback Griffin Alstott found redshirt freshman Ryan Selig on a 15-yard touchdown strike. It was Alstott's first career passing touchdown as he went 4-for-4 on the nine play, 72-yard drive.

Western Michigan returns home on Saturday, Sept. 14 for a match-up with Georgia State on CommUniverCity. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. inside Waldo Stadium.









#LetsRide