KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Led by head coach P.J. Fleck, the No. 14 ranked Western Michigan University football Broncos defeated Kent State 37-21 tonight to improve to 10-0 and 6-0 in the Mid-American Conference. This is the first 10-win season in the program's 108-year history.
One of only five undefeated college football teams in the nation, WMU is No. 14 in the AP Top 25 and No. 21 in the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll. Minutes before the WMU-Kent State kickoff, updated College Football Playoff rankings were released that placed the Broncos at No. 21—a two-spot increase over the previous week.
Game highlights
The Broncos fell behind early, trailing Kent State by 14 in the first quarter. A pair of Butch Hampton field goals and a two-yard touchdown run by Davon Tucker cut the deficit to one at the half.
WMU held steady after taking the lead in the third quarter. Zach Terrell and Fabian Johnson connected on a 2-yard pass on the two-point conversion to make it 21-14. Kent State responded with an 83-yard drive, tying the game on a 20-yard touchdown. Soon after, linebacker Robert Spillane pulled Kent State's Justin Rankin down in the end zone for a safety and a 23-21 WMU lead.
The Broncos followed with two more rushing touchdowns, one by Jarvion Franklin and one by Johnson, to put the game away. Franklin broke off a 19-yard touchdown run for his 39th career rushing touchdown, tying Jerome Persell's school record.
WMU attempted just 13 passes in the game, with four of Terrell's six completions going to Michael Henry (48 yards). Justin Tranquill led the defense with 10 tackles.
Standouts
- Junior running back Jarvion Franklin: one TD, 139 yards rushing, 31 carries
- Senior running back Fabian Johnson: one TD, 126 yards rushing, 19 carries
- Junior linebacker Robert Spillane: six tackles, one tackle for loss (safety)
Remaining schedule
WMU will have a home-field advantage in the final two regular-season games against Buffalo and Toledo. The times for those games have not yet been announced.
- Saturday, Nov. 19, time to be announced, home at Waldo Stadium versus Buffalo
- Friday, Nov. 25, time to be announced, home at Waldo Stadium versus Toledo
For more information on WMU football, visit wmubroncos.com.
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.
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