Broncos play keep away
Team had just seven turnovers
Arlington, Texas — P.J. Fleck, who is 36 years old and has been a head football coach for four seasons, probably has 1,000 slogans in his playbook.
One that likely will be relevant when No. 14 Western Michigan (13-0) faces No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3) in the Cotton Bowl on Monday at AT&T Stadium is this:
“The ball is the program.”
Translation: Don’t turn the ball over.
Western Michigan, which finished minus-16 in turnover margin in Fleck’s first season, enters the Cotton Bowl No. 2 nationally in turnover margin at plus-19.
The Broncos have forced 26 turnovers (15 interceptions and 11 fumbles) and have lost the ball just seven times (four fumbles and three interceptions).
They didn’t suffer their first turnover until the seventh game of the season.
“A lot of it has to do with maturity,” redshirt senior quarterback Zach Terrell, who has 45 starts and 48 games played, said Tuesday. “This isn’t a new slogan or something we’ve just brought about. This is something Coach Fleck had from the beginning.
“We have a lot of guys at key positions who have played a lot of football. We’ve failed a lot. I can remember back to my redshirt freshman year. I turned the ball over a lot and we were minus-16.
“And this year we have a lot of older guys and that has really resonated with us. That has been a key part in turning it around and why we take the ball so seriously. We do it every day in practice.
“We never overlook the ball and the importance of it.”
UW is tied for ninth nationally in turnover margin at plus-11. UW has forced 27 turnovers, including 21 interceptions.
Terrell has thrown 30 interceptions in four seasons and 892 attempts. He has completed 70.8% of his attempts this season (247 of 349) for 3,376 yards with 32 touchdowns and three interceptions.
“You have to take care of the football to win in this game,” Fleck said. “Have to. If you don’t, you’re going to lose a lot of games.”
Terrell impressed by Watt: Terrell expects to see outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who leads UW in sacks with 101⁄2 and tackles for loss with 14 in the backfield when the teams meet next week.
“He gets after it,” Terrell said. “It looks like he just loves to play football. He loves to hit. He hits everything in sight.
“I know we’re probably going to get a few face-toface meetings and I look forward to that.”
Transfers stay home: It is common knowledge that players who transfer into an FBS program sit out a year per NCAA rules.
Although those players practice all season, they are prohibited from traveling with their teammates for a bowl game. That means no bowl gifts.
“I don’t know what sparked that (rule),” UW coach Paul Chryst said. “Was there too many transfers and they wanted to lessen it? A lot of the other rules, we know why they’re there. There is a face to them. But on that one, I don’t get it.”
Two players who transferred to UW in the offseason are expected to play key roles in 2017. They are tailback Chris James (Pittsburgh) and cornerback Nick Nelson (Hawaii).
James used Twitter to express his displeasure with the NCAA rule:
“No bowl. No bowl gifts. No money. Well played. @NCAA.”
Extra points: UW senior linebacker Vince Biegel and most of his teammates were able to attend the Detroit Lions-Dallas Cowboys game Monday night. Biegel, a huge fan of Dez Bryant, was ecstatic to see the Dallas wide receiver catch two touchdown passes and throw for another in the Cowboys’ 42-21 victory. “Fantasy Football will do that to you,” Biegel said of following Bryant. “Dez Bryant had a great game. I’m like: ‘Dude, this is seriously the best start to the Cotton Bowl. Dez Bryant is going off on Monday Night Football.’ ”...
UW senior tailback Corey Clement has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala. Biegel is also set to play in the game.