Grit. 

It's an attitude in which head coach Lance Taylor is seeing in his third Western Michigan University football team. 

Grit – meaning, Greatness, Resilience, Intensity, Tenacity. 

''This is a gritty team,'' Taylor said. ''We talk about grit a lot. 

''The seniors and older leaders took that motto and they have wanted this team to be known for their grit. It's a blue-collar attitude to show up and work hard, to focus on one play at a time and one day at a time. It's not worrying about the outcome goals, but look at the process and I think this group embraces that. 

''This was Week Three of practices and we called it GRIT Week and the guys were grinding through it.'' 

The Broncos showed that grit in a recent Friday night scrimmage, hitting like they were going up against first-game opponent Michigan State. WMU plays the Spartans on Friday, Aug. 29, in East Lansing at 7 p.m. live on FS1. 

''We really had a good second scrimmage,'' the head coach said. ''We're 14 practices in and it was a good competitive week.'' 

It was so competitive that Taylor isn't ready to name his starting quarterback. Junior transfer Brady Jones and redshirt sophomore Broc Lowry are making the jobs of Taylor and offensive coordinator Walt Bell very hard when it comes to picking one to start against MSU. 

''The recent scrimmage didn't make it any easier,'' Taylor said with a smile. ''It's a great problem to have as Brady and Broc have battled. 

''They have been great leaders, great teammates, cheered for each other and cheered for their teammates. That is a good combination when you get that from your leadership position.'' 

For Riverside, Calif., Community College last season, Jones threw for 4,456 yards and 44 touchdowns with one game being for a school record 529 yards.  

Lowry was the No. 2 quarterback last season, seeing action in 11 games for the Broncos. He rushed for 113 yards and passed for 21 yards. 

Probably 99.9 percent of the football head coaches in the nation wouldn't allow a quarterback to be hit during a scrimmage, not wanting to risk an injury. At WMU, the quarterbacks wear yellow jerseys in scrimmages.  

Then there was Lowry, who wanted to play as if he was in a game. 

''I don't normally make a quarterback 'live', especially this close to game day, but he came to me and asked to go live, which shows his mentality, his grit,'' Taylor said. ''In order for him to be who he is and compete, I think it was only fair to make him live.'' 

And Lowry didn't hesitate on several plays to tuck the ball under his arm and scramble down field, being hit many times. 

''We would have liked to make the decision on which quarterback to start after the recent scrimmage, but the guys are neck and neck, trading turns to make plays,'' the head coach said. ''We're going to have to evaluate them for another week, and probably going into game week, we'll make a decision on the starter.'' 

Taylor has been pleased with the growth of several positions. 

''The first position I'd point to is the defensive ends,'' he said. ''They have been pretty dominate and tough to block at times.'' 

Transfers Kershawn Fisher and Nadame Tucker have teamed with returners Tyson Lee and Rodney McGraw for a formidable group.  

''We're really talented on the edge, to get to the passer and stop the run,'' Taylor said. ''We have good depth in that position.'' 

Speaking of depth, another position which Taylor points to as improving, is tight end. Blake Bosma is the returning starter who is on the national John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List.  

''Bosma, Mareyohn Hrabowski, Cade Conley, Ryan Brotherton and Brennan Wooten, we've asked them to do a lot in the run game and they are a gritty, tough group,'' the head coach said. ''They have to be good in both the running and passing games for us.'' 

WMU has been melding a large group of transfers with the group of returning players. It's a meld which has come along quickly, according to Taylor. 

''Honestly, it's uncharacteristic for guys who haven't known each other very long to have the bond, the relationship in the locker room in which this team has,'' Taylor said. ''It's something special we have with his group.'' 

And it starts with Grit. 

''We've built a great foundation, to go to a bowl game, and now in year three, we want to see the fruit of that labor, of laying a good foundation,'' Taylor said.