# 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).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 7:00 pm | No. 5 Michigan State* | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPNU | L 24–37 | 30,885 |
| September 12 | 6:00 pm | at Georgia Southern* | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN3 | L 17–43 | 23,520 |
| September 19 | 7:00 pm | Murray State* | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN3 | W 52–20 | 20,543 |
| September 26 | 3:30 pm | at No. 1 Ohio State* | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | ABC/ESPN2 | L 12–38 | 106,123 |
| October 10 | Noon | Central Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy/Victory Cannon) | ESPN3 | W 41–39 | 20,201 |
| October 17 | Noon | at Ohio | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ASN | W 49–14 | 22,825 |
| October 24 | 2:00 pm | Miami (OH) | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN3 | W 35–13 | 18,523 |
| October 29 | 7:30 pm | at Eastern Michigan | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy) | CBSSN | W 58–28 | 3,534 |
| November 5 | 7:30 pm | Ball State | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | CBSSN | W 54–7 | 12,058 |
| November 11 | 8:00 pm | Bowling Green | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN2 | L 27–41 | 14,436 |
| November 18 | 8:00 pm | at Northern Illinois | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN2 | L 19–27 | 10,194 |
| November 27 | Noon | at No. 24 Toledo | Glass BowlToledo, OH | CBSSN | W 35–30 | 16,151 |
| December 24 | Noon | vs. Middle Tennessee* | Thomas Robinson StadiumNassau, Bahamas (Bahamas Bowl) | ESPN | W 45–31 | 13,123 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
    Schedule source:

## 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. 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.

#### 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. In Week 6. Phillips had two kick returns for 101 yards in WMU's 41–39 victory over rival Central Michigan.

#### Robert Spillane

Spillane was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8. Spillane had 9 total tackles and 31⁄2 for loss (including 11⁄2 sacks) in a 35–13 win over Miami (Ohio).

#### 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.

## Coaching staff

The following table lists the team's coaching staff.
| Name | Position | Year at WMU | Alma mater |
| P. J. Fleck | Head coach | 3rd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
| Kirk Ciarrocca | Offensive coordinator | 3rd | Temple (1990) |
| Ed Pinkham | Defensive coordinator, Defensive backs | 3rd | Allegheny (1975) |
| Brian Callahan | Offensive line | 3rd | Eastern Illinois (1992) |
| Mike Hart | Running backs | 2nd | Michigan (2008) |
| Bill Kenney | Tight ends, Offensive tackles | 3rd | Norwich (1982) |
| Tim McGarigle | Linebackers | 4th | Northwestern (2006) |
| Vinson Reynolds | Defensive line | 3rd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
| Matt Simon | Wide receivers | 2nd | Northern Illinois (2004) |
| Rob Wenger | Special teams, Defensive ends | 3rd | Colgate (2008) |