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

What do you think Lester's first quality win will be?

We had to wait almost a season and half before we got Fleck's: either Ohio, Bowling Green St, or Central Michigan in his second season, 2014.

Something tells me we won't have to wait quite as long for Lester's first quality win. Arguments could be made for Michigan St, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, and possibly even Toledo.

Or maybe you think we won't get a quality win under him this year, only beating the MAC cellar dwellers.

Or maybe you think it's too early to tell and we'll have to look in retrospect what the best wins were.

Michigan State.

(07-15-2017 08:54 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  What do you think Lester's first quality win will be?

We had to wait almost a season and half before we got Fleck's: either Ohio, Bowling Green St, or Central Michigan in his second season, 2014.

Something tells me we won't have to wait quite as long for Lester's first quality win. Arguments could be made for Michigan St, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, and possibly even Toledo.

Or maybe you think we won't get a quality win under him this year, only beating the MAC cellar dwellers.

Or maybe you think it's too early to tell and we'll have to look in retrospect what the best wins were.

The first MAC win, regardless of who it is against, will be the first "meaningful" quality win.

That said, beating MSU would make all of us giddy. It would be thrilling, but meaningless if WMU tanks in the MAC (see CMU's win at OSU last fall and WMU's wins at Iowa and Illinois in the Cubit era).

If Ohio, BGSU, and CMU are the barometers for a quality win, then I'd expect several quality wins this year.

Context is a little different for the two coaches; one inherited a 4-8 team, the other inherited a 13-1 team.

Unless Terrell, Davis, et al are returning - Lester didn't inherit a 13-1 team.

He has the what's left of that team, including only 13 seniors, plus his first recruiting class.

Lou Holtz used to say every week you have a different team. That certainly holds true every year as well because your roster turns over approximately 20%.

O-Line + Ernsberger = A
Running Backs = A
QB & WR's = C

D-Line = B
Linebackers = A
Secondary = A

Special Teams = C

At least 12 wins! Let's Ride!

(07-16-2017 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Lester didn't inherit a 13-1 team.

Let me guess, you voted for Trump too.

Glad you unblocked me though.

This isn't a Fleck vs. Lester thing like some of you want to make it out to be. It's just a matter of fact that if the barometer for "quality wins" are MAC opponents and it took Fleck two seasons to achieve those quality wins (as the original poster stated), there are certainly reasons for that.

But my point was that we have plenty of returning talent without Terrell, Moton, and Davis. I don't know why the standards are suddenly lowered for some of you. We should have multiple "quality wins"... with that, I am expecting/hoping for an 8-9 win season.

Passing Game and Special Teams bad places to be average in. Only worse place might be OL.

QB is obvious, but many potentially great seasons gave gone awry for want of a punter or place kicker.

(07-16-2017 08:35 AM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  O-Line + Ernsberger = A
Running Backs = A
QB & WR's = C

D-Line = B
Linebackers = A
Secondary = A

Special Teams = C

At least 12 wins! Let's Ride!

Agree with all of your offensive grades. I think I'd probably rate our special teams a little higher (B). On defense I generally agree with your grades but would slightly change to the following:
D-Line = B+
Linebackers = A-
Secondary = A-

New thread?

(07-15-2017 10:19 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Michigan State.

That would be great, but it's hard to believe that MSU will be as bad as they were last year.

Then again, with all the turmoil and personnel losses they've gone through, maybe they will.

You only get so many At Bats when you play CFB.

No win is so small that you'd throw it back, especially in era when bowl eligibility depends on W's.

For example Idaho is not a P5 or even perennial G5 powerhouse but they were 9-4 last year and have a very good QB returning.

Beating them in Lester's first home game as HC would be pretty meaningful.

And yes I know Vandals are going FCS next year.

(07-16-2017 10:05 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  For example Idaho is not a P5 or even perennial G5 powerhouse but they were 9-4 last year and have a very good QB returning.

For sure. That might be why it’ll be hard to tell what a quality win is until the season’s in progress, or even over.

(07-16-2017 06:16 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  If Ohio, BGSU, and CMU are the barometers for a quality win, then I'd expect several quality wins this year.

Those were pretty good MAC teams that year, especially Bowling Green St. The next year, BGSU destroyed us at home.

(07-16-2017 10:01 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 10:19 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Michigan State.

That would be great, but it's hard to believe that MSU will be as bad as they were last year.

Then again, with all the turmoil and personnel losses they've gone through, maybe they will.

Our QB/passing game scares me. It’s a huge question mark. If we had a returning QB – or even a QB who saw playing time last year – I don’t think it’d be a question of us not winning.

(07-16-2017 08:51 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  

(07-16-2017 08:35 AM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  O-Line + Ernsberger = A
Running Backs = A
QB & WR's = C

D-Line = B
Linebackers = A
Secondary = A

Special Teams = C

At least 12 wins! Let's Ride!

Agree with all of your offensive grades. I think I'd probably rate our special teams a little higher (B). On defense I generally agree with your grades but would slightly change to the following:
D-Line = B+
Linebackers = A-
Secondary = A-

New thread?

Sounds good! Maybe Cory Olsen can do a little research this week and let us know his thoughts.

Sure would be nice to see MLive cover ANYTHING WMU football.

Pretty sad when Twitter is your go-to source for WMU football info.

(07-16-2017 10:01 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 10:19 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Michigan State.

That would be great, but it's hard to believe that MSU will be as bad as they were last year.

Then again, with all the turmoil and personnel losses they've gone through, maybe they will.

It's tough to tell how both teams will be this year. Fall camp will answer a lot of questions.

MSU's pass defense was awful last year and might be even worse this year after graduation and attrition. Serious lack of experience and depth at D-line and secondary. They also lost QB, top 4 receivers and 4 starting O-linemen. Every single unit took a hit this offseason and they are hurting big time. The only solid position might be RB.

I think MSU is ranked #129 in the league in returning experience, according to Phil Steele.

They better pray not to suffer any injuries or this might be a 3-win team again, max.

MSU opens at home against BUGS while we have to go to LA Coliseum to face USC.

Then we go to East Lansing.

Who does that favor?

(07-16-2017 02:29 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  MSU opens at home against BUGS while we have to go to LA Coliseum to face USC.

Then we go to East Lansing.

Who does that favor?

Huge advantage for MSU.

Can't imagine having to travel to LA and face one of the best teams in the country and then turnaround and go up to MSU.

At least we got a new Video board out of it.

Thanks to our previous HC.

(07-16-2017 02:39 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  At least we got a new Video board out of it.

Thanks to our previous HC.

Waiting for the inevitable ChipDip response...

(07-17-2017 08:25 AM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(07-16-2017 02:39 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  At least we got a new Video board out of it.

Thanks to our previous HC.

Waiting for the inevitable ChipDip response...

"Stop talking about PJ!"

<talks about PJ>