AKRON, Ohio -- The Western Michigan football team picked up its seventh win of the season after drubbing Akron, 42-14 on the road at InfoCision Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Broncos (7-3, 5-1 MAC) put up a season-high 566 yards of offense, including 360 on the ground.
Broc Lowry finished 15-for-15 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarter back Mayson Reynolds was 7-for-8 for 56 yards and two touchdowns, along with 42 yards rushing.
Jalen Buckley had 126 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, while
Cole Cabana eclipsed 100 yards for the second-straight game with 107 on nine carries and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver
Baylin Brooks had a career-high eight receptions for a team-best 78 yards receiving. Tight end
Nate Levicki had four catches for 25 yards and two touchdown receptions, while Keiven Boone-Nelson II had two catches for 23 yards and his first career touchdown reception.
The Broncos held the ball for 42:46 to Akron's 17:14.
In the first quarter, Lowry drove the Broncos down the field. WMU had a 4th and 1 on the Akron 43 and Lowry was sacked and hit in the head. Reynolds was subbed in after the WMU defense forced a 3-and-out.
Reynolds drove the Broncos down the field for the touchdown. Reynolds completed his first career pass for six yards to Levicki and then ran the ball for 35 yards down to the UA 4. After a rush by Buckley, Reynolds found Levicki open in the flat for the 3-yard touchdown pass, giving the Broncos the lead with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
WMU got the ball back early in the second quarter and for the second-straight game Cabana ran in 82 yards for the score to push the lead to 14-0 with 12:47 left in he half.
Akron had a quick 3-play drive to respond, cutting the lead in half, but Reynolds and the Broncos drove down the field to respond with a 1-yard touchdown run by Buckley. It capped off a 17-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 9:19 on the clock and gave the Broncos a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Buckley extended the lead to 28-7 with 5:11 left to play in the third quarter. It was 4th and 1 at the Akron 35 and Buckley bounced his run to the outside and down the right sideline for the score.
Lowry, who started the second half, pushed the lead to 35-7 on a 20-yard touchdown pass to Boone-Nelson II to cap off a 6-play, 55-yard drive.
Akron responded with another quick scoring drive, with Cibastian Broughton finding Marcel Williams in the endzone on a 39-yard touchdown pass with 11:51 left to play.
Reynolds capped off the game with his second touchdown pass to Levicki with 7:01 left to set the final at 42-14.
Western Michigan hosts Eastern Michigan next Tuesday. game time is to-be-determined. Tickets are on-sale at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.
