# 2024 Western Michigan Broncos football team

The 2024 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos were led by Lance Taylor in his second year as the head coach. The Broncos played their home games at Waldo Stadium, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

## Preseason
### Preseason polls
#### Coaches Poll

On July 19 the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Western Michigan was picked to finish seventh in the conference. They received zero votes to win the MAC Championship.
MAC Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Miami | 119 (9) |
| 2 | Toledo | 109 (3) |
| T3 | Bowling Green | 92 |
| T3 | Northern Illinois | 92 |
| 5 | Ohio | 81 |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 64 |
| 7 | Western Michigan | 60 |
| 8 | Central Michigan | 59 |
| 9 | Ball State | 42 |
| 10 | Buffalo | 37 |
| 11 | Akron | 24 |
| 12 | Kent State | 13 |
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Miami | 10 |
| 2 | Toledo | 2 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 9:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin* | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | FS1 | L 14–28 | 75,158 |
| September 7 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 2 Ohio State* | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | BTN | L 0–56 | 102,665 |
| September 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Bethune–Cookman* | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN+ | W 59–31 | 23,476 |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at Marshall* | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | ESPN+ | L 20–27 | 18,723 |
| October 5 | 2:00 p.m. | at Ball State | Scheumann StadiumMuncie, IN | ESPN+ | W 45–42 | 10,342 |
| October 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Akron | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN+ | W 34–24 | 19,507 |
| October 19 | 3:30 p.m. | at Buffalo | UB StadiumBuffalo, NY | ESPN+ | W 48–41 | 18,487 |
| October 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Kent State | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN+ | W 52–21 | 23,537 |
| November 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN2 | L 28–42 | 10,346 |
| November 12 | 7:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH | ESPN2 | L 13–31 | 1,156 |
| November 19 | 7:30 p.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI (rivalry, Michigan MAC Trophy) | ESPN2 | L 14–16 | 13,102 |
| November 30 | 1:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy) | ESPN+ | W 26–18 | 11,263 |
| December 14 | 9:00 p.m. | vs. South Alabama* | Cramton BowlMontgomery, AL (Salute to Veterans Bowl) | ESPN | L 23–30 | 12,021 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### at Wisconsin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Badgers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 28 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: Friday August 30, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy 71 F; Wind: North West 6 mph
* Game attendance: 75,158
* Referee: Greg Sujack
* TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (sideline)
| Statistics | WMU | WISC |
| First downs | 13 | 27 |
| Total yards | 261 | 388 |
| Rushing yards | 120 | 196 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 192 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12-19-1 | 21-36-0 |
| Time of possession | 24:42 | 35:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 12/18, 141 |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jalen Buckley | 16-64, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Malique Dieudonne | 2-45 |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 21/36, 192 |
| Wisconsin | Rushing | Chez Mellusi | 19-74, TD |
| Wisconsin | Receiving | Will Pauling | 6-60 |

### at Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 2 Buckeyes | 21 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 102,665
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (BTN): Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | WMU | OSU |
| First downs | 6 | 30 |
| Plays–yards | 48–99 | 72–683 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–28 | 39–273 |
| Passing yards | 71 | 410 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 8–17–0 | 25–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:24 | 34:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 8/15, 71 yards |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Keshawn King | 8 carries, 22 yards |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 3 receptions, 41 yards |
| Ohio State | Passing | Will Howard | 18/26, 292 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio State | Rushing | Quinshon Judkins | 9 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Jeremiah Smith | 5 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD |

### Bethune–Cookman (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats (FCS) | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Broncos | 14 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 59 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: September 14, 2024
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: E 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
* Game attendance: 23,476
* Referee: David Siegle
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | BCU | WMU |
| First downs | 17 | 30 |
| Total yards | 255 | 677 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 372 |
| Passing yards | 116 | 305 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–15-0 | 15–19–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:45 | 26:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Bethune–Cookman | Passing | Cam Ransom | 10/14, 116 yards |
| Bethune–Cookman | Rushing | Cam Ransom | 20 carries, 44 yards, 2 TD |
| Bethune–Cookman | Receiving | Lorenzo Jenkins | 1 reception, 44 yards |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 15/19, 305 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 17 carries, 189 yards, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 4 receptions, 103 yards, TD |

### at Marshall

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: September 28, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 18,723
* Referee: Greg Sujack
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Keith Morehouse (play-by-play) and Mark Martin (analyst)
* Pregame line: Marshall –3.5
| Statistics | WMU | MRSH |
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Total yards | 318 | 420 |
| Rushing yards | 192 | 243 |
| Passing yards | 126 | 177 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–28–0 | 15–25–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:29 | 28:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 15/28, 126 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 23 carries, 146 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 4 receptions, 56 yards |
| Marshall | Passing | Stone Earle | 15/25, 177 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | A. J. Turner | 9 carries, 124 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Elijah Metcalf | 4 receptions, 52 yards |

### at Ball State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 21 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 45 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
at Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN
* Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SE 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 10,342
* Referee: Andrew Speciale
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Tyoka Jackson (analyst)
| Statistics | WMU | BALL |
| First downs | 23 | 23 |
| Total yards | 397 | 461 |
| Rushing yards | 197 | 68 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 329 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 26/29, 264 yards, 3 TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 14 carries, 124 yards, 3 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Anthony Sambucci | 9 receptions, 74 yards, TD |
| Ball State | Passing | Kadin Semonza | 21/34, 307 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Ball State | Rushing | Braedon Sloan | 18 carries, 65 yards |
| Ball State | Receiving | Tanner Koziol | 9 receptions, 102 yards |

### Akron

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Zips | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Broncos | 0 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: October 12, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Charlie Strong (analyst)
| Statistics | AKR | WMU |
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 68-501 | 66-387 |
| Rushes–yards | 27-88 | 39-196 |
| Passing yards | 413 | 191 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26-38-1 | 17-25-0 |
| Time of possession | 29:34 | 30:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | Ben Finley | 24/36, 395 yards, INT |
| Akron | Rushing | Jordon Simmons | 13 carries, 63 yards, TD |
| Akron | Receiving | Adrian Norton | 8 receptions, 168 yards |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 17/25, 191 yards, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jalen Buckley | 7 carries, 103 yards |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Malique Dieudonne | 3 receptions, 48 yards |

### at Buffalo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 48 |
| Bulls | 10 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 41 |
at UB Stadium, Amherst, NY
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 18,487
* Referee: Billy Williams
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima (play-by-play) and Je'Rod Cherry (analyst)
| Statistics | WMU | UB |
| First downs | 26 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 74–489 | 73–551 |
| Rushing yards | 209 | 242 |
| Passing yards | 280 | 309 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–31–0 | 22–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:22 | 26:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 20/31, 280 yards, 3 TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 14 carries, 112 yards, 3 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Blake Bosma | 6 receptions, 85 yards, 3 TD |
| Buffalo | Passing | C.J. Ogbonna | 22/34, 309 yards, 2 TD |
| Buffalo | Rushing | Al-Jay Henderson | 12 carries, 97 yards, TD |
| Buffalo | Receiving | Victor Snow | 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD |

### Kent State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Broncos | 14 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 52 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind: NW at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
* Game attendance: 23,537
* Referee: Andrew Speciale
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Charlie Strong (analyst)
| Statistics | KENT | WMU |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 64–250 | 61–579 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–136 | 37–358 |
| Passing yards | 114 | 221 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 12–25–2 | 17–24–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:15 | 29:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kent State | Passing | Tommy Ulatowski | 12/24, 114 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Kent State | Rushing | Ky Thomas | 15 carries, 62 yards |
| Kent State | Receiving | Luke Floriea | 3 receptions, 43 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 15/21, 208 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 8 carries, 135 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 2 receptions, 68 yards |

### Northern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 0 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: Wednesday November 6, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)
| Statistics | NIU | WMU |
| First downs | 21 | 21 |
| Total yards | 411 | 390 |
| Rushing yards | 255 | 211 |
| Passing yards | 156 | 179 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13-17-0 | 14-28-3 |
| Time of possession | 29:24 | 30:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Ethan Hampton | 13/16, 156 yards, 2 TD |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Telly Johnson Jr. | 23 carries, 141 yards, 2 TD |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Trayvon Rudolph | 6 receptions, 74 yards |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 14/27, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 12 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 4 receptions, 51 yards |

### at Bowling Green

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Falcons | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Doyt Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, OH
* Date: Tuesday November 12, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 37 °F (3 °C) • Wind: NE 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
* Game attendance: 1,156
* Referee: David Siegle
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Steve Addazio (analyst)
| Statistics | WMU | BGSU |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 69–292 | 56–402 |
| Rushing yards | 97 | 226 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 176 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–33–2 | 15–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:23 | 26:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 24/32, 195 yards, 2 INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jalen Buckley | 15 carries, 73 yards, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 4 receptions, 62 yards |
| Bowling Green | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 15/22, 176 yards, 2 TD |
| Bowling Green | Rushing | Terion Stewart | 15 carries, 150 yards, TD |
| Bowling Green | Receiving | Harold Fannin Jr. | 10 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD |

### at Central Michigan (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chippewas | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI
* Date: Tuesday November 19, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 54 °F (12 °C) • Wind: SE 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
* Game attendance: 13,102
* Referee: Rich Edwards
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Noah Reed (play-by-play), Craig Haubert (analyst) and Scott Ferrier (sideline)
| Statistics | WMU | CMU |
| First downs | 10 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 51–184 | 66–307 |
| Rushing yards | 50 | 167 |
| Passing yards | 134 | 140 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–26–0 | 8–17–1 |
| Time of possession | 23:43 | 36:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 13/23, 126 yards |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jalen Buckley | 12 carries, 50 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 4 receptions, 47 yards |
| Central Michigan | Passing | Jadyn Glasser | 8/17, 140 yards, INT |
| Central Michigan | Rushing | Marion Lukes | 15 carries, 93 yards |
| Central Michigan | Receiving | Solomon Davis | 3 receptions, 73 yards |

### Eastern Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 18 |
| Broncos | 0 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 1:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst)
| Statistics | EMU | WMU |
| First downs | 15 | 20 |
| Total yards | 294 | 356 |
| Rushing yards | 203 | 230 |
| Passing yards | 91 | 126 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7-22-1 | 12-17-0 |
| Time of possession | 24:01 | 35:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Cole Snyder | 7/22, 91 yards, INT |
| Eastern Michigan | Rushing | Delbert Mimms III | 18 carries, 127 yards, 2 TD |
| Eastern Michigan | Receiving | Markus Allen | 3 receptions, 59 yards |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 12/17, 126 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Zahir Abdus-Salaam | 19 carries, 135 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Zahir Abdus-Salaam | 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD |

### South Alabama (Salute to Veterans Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
at Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
* Date: December 14, 2024
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Overcast • Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: ESE 11 mph
* Game attendance: 12,021
* Referee: Cal McNeill
* TV announcers (ESPN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), and Dana Boyle (sideline)
| Statistics | USA | WMU |
| First downs | 25 | 21 |
| Total yards | 537 | 317 |
| Rushing yards | 266 | 121 |
| Passing yards | 271 | 196 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–24–1 | 17–27–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:56 | 32:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Alabama | Passing | Bishop Davenport | 15/24, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| South Alabama | Rushing | Kentrel Bullock | 17 carries, 130 yards, TD |
| South Alabama | Receiving | Jeremiah Webb | 6 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TD |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Hayden Wolff | 17/27, 196 yards, TD, INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Jaden Nixon | 11 carries, 45 yards |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 5 receptions, 89 yards |