Broncos face a tough schedule
Tim Lester returned to a program that is entirely different from the one he played for as a quarterback in the late 1990s.
Western Michigan has recently upgraded many of the football facilities, not to mention a vast improvement in talent and depth on the roster.
The promising Broncos still face challenges and will need to exceed expectations in order to clinch a bowl bid. Western Michigan is ranked No. 82 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team. Today at No. 82: Western Michigan
Coach: Tim Lester (6-6, entering second season; 46-29) 2017 record: 6-6, 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference; finished fourth in West Division Look back: The back-toback losses to USC and Michigan State to open last season served as a wake-up call for the Broncos, who were in for a completely different season than the record-setting 2016 Broncos. Western Michigan won four consecutive games, but injuries took a toll and the team managed just six wins. The Broncos were shut out of a bowl for the first time since 2013.
Offensive starters returning: 7
Offensive starters lost: 4
Defensive starters returning: 5
Defensive starters lost: 6
Key losses: RB Jarvion Franklin, TE Donnie Ernsberger, OL Chukwuma
Okorafor, DB Darius Phillips, LB Asantay Brown, LB Robert Spillane, LB Caleb Bailey, CB Malik Rucker
Top returnees: QB Jon Wassink, OL John Keenoy, OL Luke Juriga, WR D’Wayne Eskridge, WR Keishawn Watson, CB Sam Beal, CB Justin Tranquill, DL Antonio Balabani
Strengths: Quarterback Jon Wassink, who started the first eight games for the Broncos in 2017 before suffering a season-ending injury, returns to guide the offense. Wassink passed for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns while guiding the team to a 5-3 start in 2017.
The offensive line is anchored by All-MAC center John Keenoy and guard Luke Juriga. Weaknesses: Western Michigan moves on without defensive back and return specialist Darius Phillips, who earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season.
Western Michigan also must replace the school’s all-time career rushing leader in Franklin, who was just the third player in school history to rush for more than 4,000 career yards.
Outlook: Injuries hindered the team last season, but they also gave younger players opportunities to gain experience. It could help the Broncos survive one of the toughest schedules in the MAC.