# 2018 Western Michigan Broncos football team

The 2018 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University (WMU) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Tim Lester and played their home games at Waldo Stadium as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in MAC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they lost to BYU.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Rimington Trophy | John Keenoy | C | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | Jamauri Bogan | RB | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | LeVante Bellamy | RB | JR |
| John Mackey Award | Giovanni Ricci | TE | JR |
| Outland Trophy | Luke Juriga | G | JR |
| Outland Trophy | John Keenoy | C | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Jamauri Bogan | RB | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Justin Tranquill | DB | JR |

### Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Broncos predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.
West Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 133 (15) |
| 2 | Toledo | 125 (7) |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 87 (1) |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan | 67 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 58 (1) |
| 6 | Ball State | 34 |

## Schedule

The following table lists WMU's schedule.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Syracuse* | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | CBSSN | L 42–55 | 20,628 |
| September 8 | Noon | at No. 21 Michigan* | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | FS1 | L 3–49 | 110,814 |
| September 15 | 7:00 p.m. | Delaware State* | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN+ | W 68–0 | 23,244 |
| September 22 | 2:00 p.m. | at Georgia State* | Georgia State StadiumAtlanta, GA | ESPN+ | W 34–15 | 15,264 |
| September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at Miami (OH) | Yager StadiumOxford, OH | ESPN+ | W 40–39 | 15,012 |
| October 6 | Noon | Eastern Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy) | ESPN+ | W 27–24 | 24,282 |
| October 13 | 3:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH | ESPN+ | W 42–35 | 18,551 |
| October 20 | 3:00 p.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI (Victory Cannon / Michigan MAC Trophy) | ESPN+ | W 35–10 | 10,097 |
| October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Toledo | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPN2 | L 24–51 | 11,389 |
| November 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Ohio | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPNU | L 14–59 | 11,935 |
| November 13 | 6:00 p.m. | at Ball State | Scheumann StadiumMuncie, IN | ESPN2 | L 41–42 $^{OT}$ | 5,503 |
| November 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | ESPNU | W 28–21 | 18,278 |
| December 21 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. BYU* | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) | ESPN | L 18–49 | 18,711 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Syracuse

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Orange | 24 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 55 |
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 28 | 7 | 42 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| First meeting |||

### At Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 21 Wolverines | 21 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 0–6 | 2011 | MICH, 34–10 |

### Delaware State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broncos | 14 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 68 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| First meeting |||

### At Georgia State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Panthers | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| First meeting |||

### At Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 14 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 40 |
| RedHawks | 17 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 39 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 21–37–1 | 2015 | WMU, 35–13 |

### Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 33–18–2 | 2017 | WMU, 20–17 |

### At Bowling Green

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 42 |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 18–32–3 | 2015 | BGSU, 41–27 |

### At Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Chippewas | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 48–38–2 | 2017 | CMU, 35–28 |

### Toledo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 14 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 51 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 30–42 | 2017 | TOL, 37–10 |

### Ohio

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 21 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 59 |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 33–28–1 | 2016 | WMU, 29–23 |

### At Ball State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 41 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 25–19 | 2017 | WMU, 55–3 |

### Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 24–18 | 2017 | NIU, 35–31 |

### Vs. BYU (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 0 | 28 | 14 | 49 |
| Broncos | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 2–3 | 1970 | WMU, 35–17 |