The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Grades for each game:

vs MSU = C+

A late 3rd/early 4th quarter surge helped the game become respectable. Philips wowed the crowd and Terrell put up good yardage numbers. Still, we left points on the field, our running game non-existent and it would've been nice to punch in that last TD. Still beat the spread. (I give CMU a 'B' for their game at MSU, despite the larger loss margin)

@ GSU = F

It wasn't that we lost, but we got killed. I put this game on the coaching staff. Coming in so non-chalant and disorganized irked many a fan, and for good reason.

vs Murray State = A

Did what we had to do here. Maybe good timing for a mediocre FCS team to get our heads squared away again.

@ Ohio State = C+

There's no moral victory in a 26 point loss. But unlike our 26 point loss at GSU, we drove between the 20s and did well running up the gut for 169 yards. Glad to see Fleck mix both Bogan and Franklin in the game. And remember OSU was "mad" coming in and out to prove a point. But the same MSU issues arose: Couldn't cash in with points when deep in their territory. And the penalties reared their ugly head too. But still beat the spread.

Overall = C

Scores of 37-24 and 38-12 aren't too butt-ugly when considering we played #2 and #1 (though one could question if both those teams deserve such a lofty ranking). There was no 2013 Iowa repeat. And we took care of business against an FCS foe. But the mistakes and inability to get points in key parts of the game, mainly due to our kicker struggles, frustrate.

This grade would've been higher if we battled GSU appropriately, even in a loss. That performance and lack of preparation still stings.

On a side note, I'm loving the return to the brown emphasis on the unis. But those big oars... ugh. I've been okay with PJ's slogans and videos - if the players and recruits like it and it gets the locker room rocking, that's fine. But not a fan when it's too integrated within the game day experience.

Can't argue with that. And I especially agree about the uniforms. Those oars are hideous.

Our special teams (minus Phillips) play is killing us. Am I to believe that there's nobody else on campus that could kick FGs/XPs better than Haldeman? I'm about to walk into Fleck's office and offer myself for a tryout. I could at least do the XPs and I don't need a scholarship. Mitchell is great on kickoffs. Can he not do the other stuff?

This was a brutal OOC schedule. I'm hoping with the extra week, we come roaring into MAC play with something to prove. CMU looks tough so let's get up early, hit them in the mouth and destroy their morale before they can recover.

We have had tough OOC schedules with Cominiversity gimmies thrown in, it's all about MAC now.

Now it looks way touted because the 1 and 2 teams, I don't think they end up that high by year end.

(09-27-2015 11:41 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  We have had tough OOC schedules with Cominiversity gimmies thrown in, it's all about MAC now.

Now it looks way touted because the 1 and 2 teams, I don't think they end up that high by year end.

Nope. Michigan State and Ohio State are two of the best teams in college football and we've NEVER had an OOC schedule that compares to this season. Ever. Period.

J

(09-27-2015 12:43 PM)ChuckNorris Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 11:41 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  We have had tough OOC schedules with Cominiversity gimmies thrown in, it's all about MAC now.

Now it looks way touted because the 1 and 2 teams, I don't think they end up that high by year end.

Nope. Michigan State and Ohio State are two of the best teams in college football and we've NEVER had an OOC schedule that compares to this season. Ever. Period.

We will see by the end of the year Chuck. At any rate they were L's just like every other ranked opponent. Nothing new or exciting from #brocoach yet!

Idaho put 20 on GASO yesterday. GASO is so MONEY!

(09-27-2015 12:50 PM)rtletterman Wrote:  J

(09-27-2015 12:43 PM)ChuckNorris Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 11:41 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  We have had tough OOC schedules with Cominiversity gimmies thrown in, it's all about MAC now.

Now it looks way touted because the 1 and 2 teams, I don't think they end up that high by year end.

Nope. Michigan State and Ohio State are two of the best teams in college football and we've NEVER had an OOC schedule that compares to this season. Ever. Period.

We will see by the end of the year Chuck. At any rate they were L's just like every other ranked opponent. Nothing new or exciting from #brocoach yet!

Idaho put 20 on GASO yesterday. GASO is so MONEY!

GASO is the telling point in preconference play....A peer team and the Broncos weren't able to compete play for play....We will see come MAC play.

It is a little surprising to me that people would consider us on a par with the Georgia Southern team this year. This is a team that has a history of winning with a lot of tradition. They have won National Championships, yes it was at the one step lower level of the Div I AA level. Then in the first year of completion they join the Sun Belt Conference a similar mid major conference, they become dominate in that adventure and win it the very first year of competition.

That was a team experienced in winning, and one with a tradition of winning. That is what the NIU's and Toledo's have done in the MAC, and which we hope to achieve in the very near future. The game was a disappointment, but our team is still young and does not have that momentum of being a winner for more than a year. The Georgia Southern team has been a constant winner, our success last year and the good showing against a ranked opponent in the first game gave our young player "too much" confidence at this point in our development. While the Georgia Southern game was shocking to this viewer as well as all of you, it should not have been unexpected.

I saw writings here that we would end up the OOC schedule with a 1-3 record so some of our reader did not expect that win. To escape this group of teams with this record should not be a shame, we now enter the MAC conference and I'm sure that the way we handled the MSU and OSU games will equip us well in conference play. The GSU game will also be a "lesson learned" we should not take ourselves too seriously in any win in the future. Our young players have now seen what "overconfidence" can do to a player. Let's all hope that these lessons have been noted.

Always proud to be a Bronco, RTB.

Pretty sure everyone here was expecting to go 1-3 in conference play, 2-2 would have been a blessing though.

Looking forward, after seeing the other MAC teams play, our record might not be so great after all is said and done.

I predicted 8-5 to 6-6 record this year. Looking like more of a 6-6 record. Games against CMU, BGSU, and Toledo (could argue Ohio) look at lot more challenging than originally though. No gimmies on the schedule like previously thought either. Looking like a 6-6 year or less.

(09-27-2015 09:50 PM)Nacho Wrote:  Pretty sure everyone here was expecting to go 1-3 in conference play, 2-2 would have been a blessing though.

Looking forward, after seeing the other MAC teams play, our record might not be so great after all is said and done.

I predicted 8-5 to 6-6 record this year. Looking like more of a 6-6 record. Games against CMU, BGSU, and Toledo (could argue Ohio) look at lot more challenging than originally though. No gimmies on the schedule like previously thought either. Looking like a 6-6 year or less.

Acre, it's not about 1-3. We were favored going into GAS. They were coming off a 44 point drubbing and we're playing a back up QB. We looked totally unprepared. If as Fleck says it's about the process, I fail to see how that game was part of a process leading us Into MAC play. That game should have been a lead in to how we approach MAC play. It was a disaster.