Ohio (6-3 overall, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) controls its own MAC title destiny as it heads on the road Tuesday night for a huge matchup against Western Michigan (5-4 overall, 4-1 MAC).
The Bobcats are in a great place as they head into the final stretch of the season, sitting tied for first place atop the MAC after they pulled off arguably the biggest win of their season last Tuesday at home over rival Miami.
That huge win over the RedHawks sets the stage for an even bigger game against the Broncos. Whichever team comes out victorious in Kalamazoo will be a near-lock to take one of the two spots in the MAC title game.
With that being said, here is everything to know about Western Michigan.
Head Coach
Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor comes into this matchup in his third year at the helm of the Broncos. He currently has just a 15-19 overall record with Western Michigan, but this year has been his best yet in Kalamazoo, as he has his team at 4-1 in the MAC.
Before taking the head coaching job at Western Michigan, he spent time at both the college and pro levels. He was an assistant for both the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets, and he also spent time as the offensive coordinator for Louisville, most recently.
Quarterback
There is a new face at quarterback this year for the Broncos in duel-threat redshirt sophomore Broc Lowry. Lowry is an Ohio native, hailing from Canfield, just outside of Youngstown. He spent his freshman season at Indiana, where he redshirted, and last year he played in 11 games but threw just eight passes.
This year, he has been enjoying a breakout season, establishing himself as a legit threat to run and pass the ball in the MAC. Through nine games, he has thrown for 1,314 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception.
On the ground, he has been very effective, going for 591 yards and eight touchdowns.
Running Backs
Headlining the running backs for the Broncos is redshirt junior Jalen Buckley. So far this season he has just 351 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the presence of Lowry in the running game has negatively impacted the rushing numbers for the backs.
His backups have been decent this season as well, as senior running back Devin Myles has gone for 214 yards and two touchdowns, while Ofa Mataele has 181 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Wide Receivers
Lowry has a solid group of weapons to complement him in the efficient Western Michigan passing game. Graduate student Tailique Williams has transferred in from Georgia Southern and has been the number one option so far, as he has gone for 403 yards and two touchdowns.
Baylin Brooks and Aveon Chenault have been the second and third receivers in the offense this year, with Brooks going for 276 yards without a score and Chenault racking up 225 yards and two touchdowns on the year.
Defense
While the offense has been solid, the defense has been at the heart of Western Michigan’s success this year. The Broncos boast the second-best defense in the MAC in both points and yards allowed.
Linebacker Sefa Saipaia Jr. has been the leader of the defense, leading the team in tackles with 55, and he is second on the team in tackles for loss with 5.5. The alpha dog off the edge for Western Michigan is Nadame Tucker, one of the MAC’s best edge rushers.
So far this year, he has been dominant with 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. Those are eye-popping numbers, and he will be a huge problem for Ohio if it cannot contain him.
