GAME 7: 
WESTERN MICHIGAN (2-4, 1-1 MAC) vs. MIAMI (OH) (5-1, 2-0 MAC)
 
Date: Oct. 14, 2023
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Stadium: Waldo Stadium (30,00)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: https://www.wmustats.com
All-Time Series: Miami leads 37-24-1

THIS WEEK
Western Michigan returns home to host the Miami Redhawks for Homecoming/Hall of Fame Weekend on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Marcus Ray on the call. Robin Hook and John Creek will be on the call on the WMU Media Network.
 
THE MATCH UP
- Saturday is the 64^th meeting between the Broncos and the RedHawks, with Miami leading the all-time series at 37-24-1.
- HOWEVER, the Broncos have won each of the last eight games stretching back to 2006.
- Four of those eight wins by the Broncos have been by six points or less.

HUNGRY LIKE A WOLFF
Western Michigan quarterback Hayden Wolff saw this most playing time for the Broncos since transferring from Old Dominion in the summer. Wolff made his WMU debut at Syracuse, going 3-for-9 passing for 47 yards.
 
Last weekend against Mississippi State he was inserted into the game late in the second quarter and immediately made an impact, leading the Broncos down the field for their first touchdown. Wolff finished 27-for-35 in the air with 262 yards and three touchdowns. His 77.1 completion percentage was the highest by a Bronco quarterback in 18 games since Kaleb Eleby went 21-for-26 (80.8 percent) in a win at Northern Illinois on Nov. 23, 2021.
 
BACK-TO-BACK
WMU quarterbacks have thrown three touchdowns in back-to-back games. Treyson Bourguet had three in Western Michigan's win over Ball State, while Wolff had three at Mississippi State. That has not happened since Kaleb Eleby threw five at Central Michigan on Nov. 17, 2020 and three against Toledo on Nov. 11, 2020.
 
FINALLY FINDING THE ENDZONE
Western Michigan junior running back Zahir Abdus-Salaam scored a touchdown in his second straight game this season. He had 60 yards on the ground and one touchdown at Mississippi a week after scoring twice in the win over Ball State. The Newark, N.J., native has four touchdowns on the season, the only four in his career after missing out on the endzone in his first two seasons.
 
A DOZEN
Sophomore wide receiver Kenneth Womack was Hayden Wolff's favorite target last Saturday. The two connected on all 12 of Womack's receptions, a new career-high for the Sacred Heart transfer. Womack was also the first time a Bronco had eclipsed 100 yards receiving this season and his 12 receptions are the most by a Bronco since Skyy Moore had 12 on Nov. 23, 2021 in a win at Northern Illinois.
 
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS (5-1, 2-0 MAC)
- Miami enters Saturday's game as one three teams that are unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play at 2-0.
- Not only are the RedHawks off to a 2-0 start in conference, they have only given up three points in those two games. MU opened its MAC schedule with a 23-3 win at Kent State and then shutout Bowling Green at home last Saturday, 27-0.
- Miami is also on a five-game winning streak. After dropping the Battle of the Miami's to the Hurricanes to open the season, the RedHawks rattled off wins at UMASS, at Cincinnati, at home against Deleware State and then the wins over the Flashes and the Falcons.
- Junior quarterback Brett Gabbert commands an offense that averages 31.2 points per game and 385.5 yards per game. Gabbert has 1,232 yards through the air on 77-of-123 passing, with 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
- Gabbert's favorite targets have been wide receivers Gage Larvadain and Joe Wilkins Jr. Larvadain has 18 receptions and a team-high 438 yards receiving, bolstered by a 273-yard performance in the win at UMASS, in which he also caught three touchdown passes, with one going for 99 yards. Larvadain has missed the last two games since suffering an injury against Delaware State. Wilkins Jr. leads the team with 19 receptions and 296 yards receiving.
- Sophomore Rashad Amos leads the team in rushing with 325 yards on 75 carries and three touchdowns. Amos is a big back that measures out at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds.
- Junior Matt Salopek (no relation to Jack) leads the team in tackles so far with 54. He had a career-high 18 in the overtime win over Cincinnati earlier this season. Defensive lineman Caiden Woullard and linebacker Ty Wise lead the team in sacks with four each. The RedHawks have picked off opposing quarterbacks five times on the season, with defensive back Michael Dowell leading the way with two.