DATE | Sept. 13, 2025
TIME | 7:00 PM ET
LOCATION | Champaign, Ill.
VENUE | Memorial Stadium (60,670)
TV | FS1
RADIO | Bronco Media Network
LIVE STATS | WMUBroncos.com
THIS WEEK
Western Michigan continues non-conference play this Saturday at No. 9 Illinois. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be live on FS1 and the Bronco Media Network.
THE SERIES
WMU trails the series 2-4, all-time. The last two times the teams met was back on Sept. 17, 2016, with Western Michigan coming away with a 34-10 win over the Fighting Illini en route to a perfect 13-0 regular season. The Broncos' other win came back on Nov. 8, 2008, 23-17, at Ford Field.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois started the season ranked No. 11 but jumped up to No. 9 this week after 45-19 road win at Duke.
Through two games, UI has averaged 429.5 yards per game on offense. The Fighting Illini are led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, who is in his third and final season at Illinois after transferring in 2022 after two seasons at Mississippi. Altmyer was a All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection last season and was Preseason All-Big Ten in many publications heading into this season. Through two games he has thrown for 513 yards, six touchdowns and completed 75 percent of his passes. His favorite target has been wide receiver Hank Beatty, who has 13 receptions for 236 yards. Wide receiver and Ball State transfer Justin Bowick has three of the six touchdown receptions to lead the team.
Two running backs have amassed over 100 yards through the two games, led by Kaden Feagin. Feagin, a junior measuring at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, has a team-high 122 yards and two touchdowns. Aidan Laughery has 106 on the ground with two touchdowns.
Illinois' defense has allowed just 11.0 points per game in its two contests and 299.5 yards per game. Senior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas was a Third Team All-American last season after 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. Jacas was also named a Preseason All-American heading into this season and is on the Bronko Nagurski Watch List. IU's defense has recorded 7.0 sacks in two games, with Jacas having 3.0.
IN BETWEEN DAYS
Western Michigan kicker
Palmer Domschke was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 3-for-3 on field goals and extra points against North Texas. Domshke connected from 40, 43 and 48 yards, with each coming at pivotal moments of the game.
That first 40-yard field goal put the Broncos up 17-7. Domshke missed the majority of the season last year due to injuries, only attempting one field goal in the season-opener at Wisconsin. Prior to that, his last successful field goal attempt was on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 against Bowling Green, a 48-yarder. In total, Domschke went 655 days between field goal makes.
HAVOC PLAYER
Defensive end
Rodney McGraw had himself a game against North Texas. McGraw posted five tackles and a career-high 2.5 sacks. He was just two tackles shy of his career-high he set last season against Bethune-Cookman.
McGraw's performances marks the second straight game a Bronco defensive lineman has recorded at least 2.0 sacks.
HAVOC UNIT
Through two games, Western Michigan's defense has produced seven sacks and 5.0 of them have come from
Nadame Tucker and
Rodney McGraw (2.5 each). It doesn't just end with sacks for the defensive line, that unit has also had two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries in the two games.
SEVEN
Junior running back
Jalen Buckley picked up his seventh career 100-yard rushing game after reaching 112 on 30 carries against North Texas. Buckley is now tied for 13th all-time with Trovon Riley, Craig Morrow, Larry Cates and Richard Lawson in WMU History.
FIRST-TO-FIRST CONNECTION
Western Michigan's second touchdown against North Texas was a pair of firsts. WMU quarterback
Broc Lowry found a wide-open
Jalen Buckley out in the flat for a 17-yard touchdown pass. It was Lowry's first career TD pass and was also the first career TD reception for Buckley.
