KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan football team snapped a two-game losing streak with a dominant 44-7 win over New Hampshire in front of 20,119 fans at Waldo Stadium on Saturday night.
 
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Salopek returned to action, throwing for a career-high 252 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Corey Crooms finished with five catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. Sean Tyler had 35 yards on the ground and a touchdown, but also had one reception for 76 yards and a score.
 
The Bronco defense forced a season-high four turnovers on the night, also recording seven sacks and 17 total tackles for loss. Zaire Barnes had a team-high 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. Senior middle linebacker Corvin Moment had seven tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. The big highlight on the defense came late in the game, with senior safety Delano Ware intercepting a pass at the WMU three and returning it 97 yards for a touchdown. It was the third-longest pick six in program history.
 
Bricen Garner also had an interception to go with six tackles, while Kenny Givens and Tyson Lee each had fumble recoveries.
 
The Broncos (2-3, 1-0 MAC) pulled out all the stops on the first play of the game. After the opening kickoff Tyler took the handoff from Salopek and then flicked it back for the flea-flicker. Salopek found a wide-open Crooms for the 75-yard touchdown, giving WMU the early 7-0 lead.
 
New Hampshire drove the ball into WMU territory but had its drive stall at the 40. The punt was downed at the WMU four, but Western Michigan responded with a nine-play 96-yard scoring drive. La'Darius Jefferson, who led WMU with 36 yards on the ground on the night, gave the Broncos some early breathing room with a 17-yard run to start off. Driving down the field Salopek hit Jefferson for a 25-yard pass to get WMU into UNH territory. The Broncos drove down to the UNH 5-yard line before Jefferson ran it in for his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.
 
Western Michigan forced the Wildcats to a three-and-out on the next drive, taking over on their own 22. After a short pass to Jehlani Galloway and an incomplete pass, the Broncos had a third and eight from their own 24. Salopek hit Tyler on the screen pass and the junior running back was gone down the field for 76-yards and the score, pushing WMU ahead 21-0.
 
Early in the second quarter, the Broncos had a short field to work with after a bad snap forced New Hampshire's punter to run the ball to its 14-yard line. After a holding penalty pushed Western Michigan back to the 24, Salopek hit Galloway over the middle for 19 yards down to the 5. Tyler got the Broncos down to the 3 before Salopek hit a wide-open Josh Burgett in the endzone for the touchdown. The touchdown reception was the first for the Youngstown State transfer.
 
The Wildcats added a touchdown toward the end of the second quarter on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Max Brosmer to Dylan Laube to cap off a nine-play 93 yard drive.
 
The Broncos added a field goal late in the third quarter, with true freshman Palmer Domschke connecting from 34-yards out to push the lead to 31-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
WMU had a short field to work with to open the fourth quarter after Givens had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovering to give them the ball at the UNH 37. Tyler helped get the ball down to the UNH 11 before running it in to push the lead to 37-7 after the missed extra point.
 
The Broncos were pinned in their own end and were forced to punt. Mihalic's punt was blocked by a Wildcat and only went to the WMU 8-yard line. UNH got it down to the WMU 4 before Ware stepped in front of a pass by Brosmer and took it 97 yards to the house.
 
It's all Mid-American Conference play for the Broncos from here on out. Western Michigan welcomes Eastern Michigan to Waldo Stadium on Saturday at 12 p.m. Tickets are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets. The game will also be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.