2023 Western Michigan Broncos football team

The 2023 Western Michigan Broncos football team represents Western Michigan University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos play their home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and compete in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[1] They will be led by first-year head coach Lance Taylor who was the offensive coordinator for Louisville in 2022.[2]

2023 Western Michigan Broncos football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record2–6 (1–3 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBilly Cosh (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorLou Esposito (7th season)
Home stadiumWaldo Stadium
(capacity: 30,200)
2023 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Miami (OH)  3 –1   6 –2  
Ohio  3 –1   6 –2  
Buffalo  3 –1   3 –5  
Bowling Green  2 –2   4 –4  
Akron  0 –4   1 –7  
Kent State  0 –4   1 –7  
West Division
Toledo  4 –0   7 –1  
Northern Illinois  3 –1   4 –4  
Central Michigan  2 –2   4 –4  
Eastern Michigan  2 –2   4 –4  
Western Michigan  1 –3   2 –6  
Ball State  1 –3   2 –6  
Championship: December 2, 2023
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
As of October 27, 2023
Rankings from AP Poll

Preseason

Coaches Poll

On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Western Michigan was picked to finish last in the West.[3]

East
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Ohio 63 (9)
2 Miami 52 (2)
3 Buffalo 51 (1)
4 Bowling Green 35
5 Akron 26
6 Kent State 19
West
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Toledo 66 (11)
2 Eastern Michigan 55 (1)
3 Northern Illinois 38
4 Central Michigan 37
5 Ball State 27
6 Western Michigan 23
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
Rank Team Votes
1Toledo7
2Ohio4
3Buffalo1

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 31 7:00 p.m. Saint Francis (PA)*
ESPN+ W 35–17 19,432
September 9 3:30 p.m. at Syracuse*
ACCNX/ESPN+ L 7–48 32,637
September 16 3:30 p.m. at No. 25 Iowa*
BTN L 10–41 69,250
September 23 1:30 p.m. at Toledo
ESPN+ L 31–49 19,068
September 30 3:30 p.m. Ball State
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
 ESPN+ W 42–2421,880
October 7 12:00 p.m. at Mississippi State*
SECN L 28–41 47,158
October 14 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH)dagger
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
 ESPN+ L 21–34 20,039
October 21 12:00 p.m. at Ohio
CBSSN L 17–20 16,048
October 28 1:00 p.m. at Eastern Michigan
ESPN+
November 7 7:30 p.m. Central Michigan
ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN
November 14 7:00 p.m. at Northern Illinois
ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN
November 21 7:00/7:30 p.m. Bowling Green
  • Waldo Stadium
  • Kalamazoo, MI
 ESPN2/ESPNU
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[4][5]

Game summaries

at Mississippi State
See also: 2023 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
Game Six – Western Michigan Broncos (2-3) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (2–3) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Western Michigan 0 7 14728
Mississippi State 10 7 141041

at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS

  • Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 47,158
  • Referee: Scott Walker
  • TV announcers (SECN/ESPN+): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Derek Mason (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (10:09) MSST – Kyle Ferrie 31-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:45; Mississippi State 3-0)
  • (6:04) MSST – Jordan Mosley 15-yard pass from Will Rogers (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:30; Mississippi State 10-0)
Second quarter
  • (4:03) MSST – Creed Whittemore 16-yard pass from Will Rogers (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:03; Mississippi State 17-0)
  • (0:52) WMU – Austin Hence 10-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 3:11; Mississippi State 17-7)
Third quarter
  • (12:18) MSST – Mike Wright 3-yard run (Kyle Ferrie kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:41; Mississippi State 24-7)
  • (8:57) WMU – Blake Bosma 23-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Mississippi State 24-14)
  • (6:44) MSST – Seth Davis 5-yard run (Nick Barr-Mira kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:12; Mississippi State 31-14)
  • (3:23) WMU – Zahir Abdus-Salaam 11-yard run (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Mississippi State 31-21)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:31) MSST – Freddie Roberson 36-yard pass from Will Rogers (Nick Barr-Mira kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:44; Mississippi State 38-21)
  • (10:48) WMU – Leroy Thomas 25-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Palmer Dornschke kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:43; Mississippi State 38-28)
  • (4:12) MSST – Nick Barr-Mira 49-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:07; Mississippi State 41-28)
StatisticsWMUMSST
First downs2125
Total yards77–41365–440
Rushing yards32–11633–194
Passing yards297246
Passing: Comp–Att–Int33–45–123–32–0
Time of possession28:4631:14
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western MichiganPassingHayden Wolff27/35, 262 yards, 3 TD, INT
RushingZahir Abdus-Salaam18 carries, 60 yards, TD
ReceivingKenneth Womack12 receptions, 113 yards
Mississippi StatePassingWill Rogers16/22, 189 yards, 3 TD
RushingSeth Davis10 carries, 65 yards, TD
ReceivingFreddie Roberson5 receptions, 68 yards, TD

References
  1. "Football Ticket, Game Day & Waldo Stadium Information". Western Michigan Athletics.
  2. "Western Michigan hires Louisville OC Lance Taylor as coach". ESPN.
  3. "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked to win conference championship; BGSU tabbed to finish fourth in MAC East". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  4. "2023 Western Michigan Football Schedule".
  5. "Western Michigan Broncos Schedule 2023/season/2023". ESPN.
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