KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan football team secured bowl eligibility and the Michigan MAC Trophy after wrapping up the regular season with a 26-18 win over Eastern Michigan at Waldo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Several seniors made key contributions to the win on Senior Day, led by running back Zahir Abdus-Salaam. Abdus-Salaam had a career-high 135 yards rushing on 19 carries with one touchdown and three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker Donald Willis had a team-high 14 tackles, including a sack, and classmate Bilahl Kone had a key interception while helping WMU's defense hold the MAC's top passing offense to just 91 yards.
The Bronco defense also had a season-high seven pass breakups, with three coming from the defensive line.
Joining Abdus-Salaam in surpassing the century mark was redshirt sophomore Jalen Buckley. Buckley rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Graduate student Hayden Wolff was 12-for-17 for 126 yards and a touchdown in his final game at Waldo Stadium.
It was a defensive battle to start, with both teams scoreless late into the second quarter. Willis sacked EMU quarterback Cole Snyder on a 2nd 9 to force a 3rd and long from the Eagle 15. After a short run, Iowa transfer defensive tackle Anterio Thompson burst into the backfield to block the punt. Eastern's punter Mitchell Tomasek rushed back to the goal line and batted the ball through the endzone to prevent the touchdown for WMU and give the Broncos two points on the safety.
Jordin Parker returned the free kick to the EMU 48 but the Broncos were facing a 3rd and 10 when Wolff scrambled out of the pocket and found Malique Dieudonne on the left sideline for 17 yards. On the next play, Wolff dropped it off to Abdus-Salaam and the running back followed his blocker and then blew down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown reception, pushing WMU's lead to 9-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, senior kicker Cale Allaire popped up the kickoff down the right sideline and the returned was muffed by EMU tight end Nick Devereaux. Redshirt freshman defensive back Joey Pope pounced on the ball and the Broncos (6-6, 5-3 MAC) took over at the Eastern Michigan 37. After a short pass to Chris Toudle was stopped short of the first down at the 28, WMU elected to go for it on 4th and 1. Wolff went right back to Toudle and the graduate transfer tight end went for seven yards to pick up the first down. A pass to Blake Bosma got the Broncos down to the EMU 15 and then Buckley ran through and over the Eagle defense on the next play for the touchdown. Western Michigan went into the locker room with a 16-0 lead.
Eastern Michigan opened the third quarter with the ball and marched down the field on a 9-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run by Delbert Mimms III to cut the lead to 16-6. The Eagles opted for the 2-point conversion and were successful, making it 16-8.
Western Michigan responded with a steady drive down the field, going 9 plays for 72 yards and eating up 5:58. Abdus-Salaam got the Broncos into the endzone on a 22-yard touchdown run to push ahead 23-15.
The Eagles responded again, and again it was Mimms III finding the endzone, this time on a 1-yard run to cut the lead to 23-15.
The Broncos counter-punched with another scoring drive resulting in a 25-yard field goal by graduate transfer Luka Zurak. WMU used a steady dose of Buckley and Abdus-Salaam on the ground to get down to the EMU 8 before the field goal.
Eastern Michigan kept the pressure on but had to settle for a 32-yard field goal on the next drive to cut the lead to 26-18.
After each team went 3-and-out, the Broncos drove down to the EMU 28 and opted to go for it on 4th and 1, but Buckley was stopped in the backfield and the Eagles got the ball back with 2:18 left to play.
The very next play, Kone picked off a pass by Snyder to give the Broncos the ball back. WMU had a 3rd and 3 from the Eastern Michigan 42 and the Eagles needed to stop it to keep the game alive, but Abdus-Salaam burst up the middle for 7 yards. The Broncos assumed the victory formation and knelt down to run the clock out.
The Broncos will now have to wait to find out if they will be headed to a bowl game.
