KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan football team's offense and defense was rolling on all cylinders as the Broncos defeated Ball State 42-24 in front of 21,880 fans at Waldo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the victory, WMU (2-3, 1-1 MAC) picked up its first conference win of the season and the first Mid-American Conference win for first-year head coach Lance Taylor.
 
Redshirt freshman Treyson Bourguet had a career high in all passing categories with 328 yards on 24-for-39 and three touchdowns. Junior Anthony Sambucci had a career-high 73 yards receiving and three touchdown receptions. Kenneth Womack led WMU with six catches for 58 yards. Zahir Adbus-Salaam had 53 yards rushing on eight attempts and two touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Jalen Buckley had 13 carries for 50 yards and a score.
 
The Bronco defense produced a season-high six sacks to go along with 10 total tackles for loss. Linebacker Donald Willis had seven tackles with two sacks, Jacob Wahlberg, Boone Bonnema, DaShon Bussle, and Mason Nelson also recorded sacks. Corey Walker made two tackles, batted down one pass at the line of scrimmage and forced a crucial fumble that led to a Bronco touchdown.
 
It was the Cardinals that got on the scoreboard first after driving down to WMU's nine-yard line before the Bronco defense forced a field goal attempt. Jackson Courville made his attempt from 27 yards to give BSU an early 3-0 lead with 8:37 left to play in the first quarter.
 
Western Michigan responded on the next drive on a seven-play, 75-yard march down the field. WMU picked up an early first down on the drive and Bourget then hit Malique Dieudonne for 39 yards over the middle to get down to the Cardinal 22. Two plays later Bourguet avoided a sack and found Sambucci alone in the endzone from 18 yards out to give the Broncos a 7-3 lead.
 
A big sack by Bonnema on the next drive forced Ball State to punt and the Broncos took over on their own eight after a 65-yard punt by Lucas Borrow. Bourguet connected on back-to-back plays with Austin Hence to move the ball into Ball State territory. The first catch went for 17 yards and the next one went for 32 down to the BSU 43. WMU got deeper into Cardinal territory after a nine-yard reverse run by Sambucci to wrap up the first quarter. Runs by Bourguet and Buckley got the Broncos down to the one and Abdus-Salaam punched it in for his first touchdown of the game, giving Western Michigan a 14-3 lead. It was the second scoring drive this season of 90 yards or more.
 
The Cardinals pushed the ball across mid-field on their next drive but Walker forced a fumble on BSU quarterback Layne Hatcher as he tried to run for it on third and long, with Damari Roberson pouncing on it for the lone turnover of the game. WMU took advantage of the short field and seven plays later it was Buckley running it in from 12 yards to push the lead to 21-3.
 
Ball State responded with its first touchdown of the game, a two-yard touchdown catch by Maximus Webster after a six-play, 73-yard scoring drive. The score cut the lead to 21-10 with 2:45 to play in the half.
 
The teams traded punts and the Broncos took over with 1:28 left to play in the second quarter. Bourguet led Western Michigan down the field and found Sambucci from two yards out for their second scoring connection of the night, sending WMU into halftime with a 28-10 lead.
 
Ball State scored on the opening drive to cut the lead to 28-17 after capping off a six-play, 73-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Hatcher to Qian Magwood.
 
WMU had struggled to score in the second half in the first four games of the season, but answered on the next drive. Bourget hit Womack for a 27-yard gain on the second play of the drive to move into Ball State territory. After a targeting penalty on Ball State, the Broncos had the ball on the 31-yard line. Bourguet ran a play-action fake and Sambucci was all alone at the 10-yard line for the easy score.
 
The teams traded possession until the Cardinals ended the third quarter in their own territory on the 32. BSU opened the fourth quarter with a short pass and then Hatcher hit Ahmad Edwards for a  57-yard touchdown pass on the next play, bringing BSU within 11, 35-24.

Each team went three-and-out before the Broncos took over on their own 15 with 12:15 let in the game. Buckley helped get the Broncos out to their own 40 before Bourget passed it to Blake Bosma over the middle and the sophomore tight end took off down to the BSU two for a 58-yard reception. Abdus-Salaam rushed it in from there to seal the win.
 
Western Michigan takes a break from MAC play and heads to Starkville, Ms., for its first-ever game at Mississippi State on Saturday at 12 p.m. The game can be watched live on the SEC Network, with the Bronco Media Network providing radio coverage. \