2015 Western Michigan Broncos football team

The 2015 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University (WMU) in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach P. J. Fleck and played their home games at Waldo Stadium as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

2015 Western Michigan Broncos football
MAC West Division co-champion
Bahamas Bowl champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
2015 record8–5 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorKirk Ciarrocca (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorEd Pinkham (3rd season)
Home stadiumWaldo Stadium
(Capacity: 30,200)
2015 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
Bowling Green x$  7 –1     10 –4  
Ohio  5 –3     8 –5  
Akron  5 –3     8 –5  
Buffalo  3 –5     5 –7  
Kent State  2 –6     3 –9  
Miami  2 –6     3 –9  
UMass  2 –6     3 –9  
West Division
Northern Illinois xy  6 –2     8 –6  
Western Michigan x  6 –2     8 –5  
Toledo x  6 –2     10 –2  
Central Michigan x  6 –2     7 –6  
Ball State  2 –6     3 –9  
Eastern Michigan  0 –8     1 –11  
Championship: Bowling Green 34, Northern Illinois 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

Previous season

In 2014, the Broncos finished the season 8–5, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in third place in the West Division. They were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they lost to Air Force.

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 47:00 pmNo. 5 Michigan State*
ESPNUL 24–3730,885[1]
September 126:00 pmat Georgia Southern*
ESPN3L 17–4323,520[2]
September 197:00 pmMurray State*
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN3W 52–2020,543[3]
September 263:30 pmat No. 1 Ohio State*
ABC/ESPN2[4]L 12–38106,123[5]
October 10NoonCentral Michigan
ESPN3W 41–3920,201[6]
October 17Noonat Ohio
ASN[7]W 49–1422,825[8]
October 242:00 pmMiami (OH)
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN3[9]W 35–1318,523[10]
October 297:30 pmat Eastern Michigan
CBSSN[11]W 58–283,534[12]
November 57:30 pmBall State
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
CBSSN[13]W 54–712,058[14]
November 118:00 pmBowling Green
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
ESPN2[15]L 27–4114,436
November 188:00 pmat Northern Illinois
ESPN2[16]L 19–2710,194[17]
November 27Noonat No. 24 Toledo
CBSSNW 35–3016,151
December 24Noonvs. Middle Tennessee*
ESPNW 45–3113,123
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game
  • All times are in Eastern time
Schedule source:[18]

Game summaries

Ball State

WMU defeated Ball State 54–7 in a mid-week MACtion game nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. In the game, the Broncos gained a school-record 711 yards of total offense.[19] Western Michigan with a 5–0 in conference games were in first place in the West Division.

Awards

Conference Players of the Week

Four WMU football players have won five conference player of the week awards. Sophomore kickoff returner Darius Phillips has won two, and redshirt freshman running back Jamauri Bogan, sophomore linebacker Robert Spillane and junior quarterback Zach Terrell have each won one.

Jamauri Bogan

Bogan won the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 7. He ran the ball nine times for 135 yards and two touchdowns in a 49–14 win over Ohio. In the game, WMU as a team rushed for 430 yards, with 404 of those coming in the second half.[20]

Darius Phillips

Phillips was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1 and 6. In Week 1, he returned four kickoffs for 185 yards, including a touchdown on a 100-yard kick off return in a loss to No. 5 Michigan State University.[21] In Week 6. Phillips had two kick returns for 101 yards in WMU's 41–39 victory over rival Central Michigan.[22]

Robert Spillane

Spillane was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8. Spillane had 9 total tackles and 3​1⁄2 for loss (including 1​1⁄2 sacks) in a 35–13 win over Miami (Ohio).[23]

Zach Terrell

Zach Terrell was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week for Week 9. He was 17 of 23 passing for 252 yards and ran for a team-high 71 yards in a 58–28 win over Eastern Michigan. He also rushed for one touchdown. The 71 yards rushing were a career-high.[24]

Coaching staff

The following table lists the team's coaching staff.[25]

NamePositionYear at WMUAlma mater
P. J. FleckHead coach3rdNorthern Illinois (2004)
Kirk CiarroccaOffensive coordinator3rdTemple (1990)
Ed PinkhamDefensive coordinator, Defensive backs3rdAllegheny (1975)
Brian CallahanOffensive line3rdEastern Illinois (1992)
Mike HartRunning backs2ndMichigan (2008)
Bill KenneyTight ends, Offensive tackles3rdNorwich (1982)
Tim McGarigleLinebackers4thNorthwestern (2006)
Vinson ReynoldsDefensive line3rdNorthern Illinois (2004)
Matt SimonWide receivers2ndNorthern Illinois (2004)
Rob WengerSpecial teams, Defensive ends3rdColgate (2008)

References
  1. "Michigan St vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 4, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  2. "Georgia Southern vs Western Michigan Game Summary". ESPN. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  3. "Terrell throws for 4 TDs, W. Michigan tops Murray St., 52-20". ESPN. September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/4#.Vfc5fnUVhHw
  5. "Cardale Jones improves, gets help from defense in win over Broncos". ESPN. September 26, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. "Western Michigan outlasts Central Michigan 41-39". ESPN. October 10, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  7. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/7#.Vg_vhXUVhHw
  8. "Terrell's 4 TDs help Western Michigan beat Ohio 49-14". ESPN. October 17, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  9. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/8
  10. "Western Michigan rolls over Miami (Ohio) 35-13". ESPN. October 24, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  11. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/9#.ViZwgnUVhHw
  12. "Western Michigan scores 21 straight; beats Eastern Michigan". ESPN. October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  13. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/10#.VjjmoHyrQlU
  14. http://espn.go.com/college-football/game?gameId=400787346
  15. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/11#.VjzHgHyrQlU
  16. http://mattsarzsports.com/Schedule/Weekly/football2015/12
  17. http://espn.go.com/college-football/game?gameId=400787358
  18. "2015 Western Michigan Broncos Football Schedule". FBS Schedules. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  19. http://espn.go.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400787346
  20. http://www.mac-sports.com/news/2015/10/19/FB_1019150131.aspx
  21. http://mac-sports.com/news/2015/9/7/FB_0907154022.aspx
  22. http://mac-sports.com/news/2015/10/12/FB_1012153042.aspx
  23. http://www.mac-sports.com/news/2015/10/26/FB_1026154618.aspx
  24. http://www.mac-sports.com/news/2015/11/2/FB_1102152150.aspx
  25. "Football –Coaches". Archived from the original on 2015-09-28. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
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