CSN Log
September 9th, 2013, 04:10 AM
09-08-2013 04:56 AM
Western Michigan University paid a large sum to unveil a new brand of football to Kalamazoo Saturday night.
No one seemed to leave Waldo Stadium satisfied with the product they saw on the field as the Broncos lost 27-23 to Nicholls State University, a Football Championship Subdivision team that finished with 1-10 records the past two seasons and lost, 66-3, at Oregon last week.
Trailing 27-23 with one minute, 44 seconds left in the game and no time outs, Western Michigan (0-2) had one final drive to try to win the game, but the Broncos’ hopes of winning came to a halt when senior quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen saw his pass intended for Corey Davis get intercepted by Nicholls’ Josh Dewey with around 30 seconds left in the game.
MORE: Official game stats [PDF]
Nicholls (1-1) gained a 7-0 lead before anyone in the stadium could blink. The Colonels marched 73 yards on five plays, pickup up four first downs in the process, and senior running back Marcus Washington finished the job with an eight-yard touchdown run with 12:48 remaining in the first quarter.
Western Michigan was forced to punt on its first two possessions of the game.
The Broncos had one good offensive drive and could barely get it going offensively while the defense could not stop the Colonels.
Nicholls didn’t seem to realize it was a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2007, when it finished 6-5.
The Colonels got out to a 14-0 lead when quarterback Kalen Henderson scampered in from a yard out with 1:31 remaining in the first quarter. Henderson set up his own touchdown with a 55-yard run earlier in the drive.
RECAP: Live blog and fan conversation
WMU got on the scoreboard with 13:41 remaining in the second quarter when Andrew Haldeman converted a 42-yard field goal attempt to make the score 14-3.
The Broncos pulled within five points, 14-9, when Brian Fields rumbled in from two yards out with 6:53 left in the second quarter.
Western Michigan’s defense continued to struggle against the quick Nicholls offense as the Colonels’ Washington walked in to the end zone for a four-yard touchdown with 5:07 left in the first half.
Nicholls recorded 305 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes of the game, thanks largely to good discipline. The Colonels were flagged twice in the first half for a total of 20 yards.
WMU outgained NSU 485-447, but the Colonels took advantage of opportunities created by big plays.
Henderson was 8-for-11 passing for 159 yards and was Nicholls’ leading rusher with 87 yards on six totes in the first half.
However, the Colonels lost some momentum when Henderson was carted off the field with a minute remaining in the first half with what appeared to be an injury to his left leg.
Western Michigan again pulled within five points, 21-16, when Fields scored a 13-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
That drive, which went 75 yards on seven plays, was the best of the game for the Broncos as they had five plays of at least 10 yards on that trek.
Fields and fellow running back Dareyon Chance were lone bright spots for the Broncos as both rushed for over 100 yards in the game.
Fields gave WMU its only lead of the game, 23-21, when he ran in for a nine-yard touchdown with 3:13 left in the third.
Fields finished with 103 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Chance picked up 123 yards on 21 totes.
The Broncos couldn’t keep the lead, though.
Led by third-string quarterback Figaro Tuskani, the Colonels marched 61 yards on 13 plays and a 29-yard field goal by Andrew Dolan with 11:19 left gave Nicholls a 24-23 lead.
Nicholls sealed the win when the Colonels forced WMU to burn all three time outs on a drive that lasted 3:32 and was capped by a 28-yard Dolan field goal with 1:44 left in regulation.
Tuskani completed two of seven passes for 66 yards. He rushed the ball 15 times for 72 yards.
By David Drew, MLive
http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2013/09/western_michigan_football_upse.html
More... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2013/09/08/nicholls-state-picks-off-fbs?blog=2)
Western Michigan University paid a large sum to unveil a new brand of football to Kalamazoo Saturday night.
No one seemed to leave Waldo Stadium satisfied with the product they saw on the field as the Broncos lost 27-23 to Nicholls State University, a Football Championship Subdivision team that finished with 1-10 records the past two seasons and lost, 66-3, at Oregon last week.
Trailing 27-23 with one minute, 44 seconds left in the game and no time outs, Western Michigan (0-2) had one final drive to try to win the game, but the Broncos’ hopes of winning came to a halt when senior quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen saw his pass intended for Corey Davis get intercepted by Nicholls’ Josh Dewey with around 30 seconds left in the game.
MORE: Official game stats [PDF]
Nicholls (1-1) gained a 7-0 lead before anyone in the stadium could blink. The Colonels marched 73 yards on five plays, pickup up four first downs in the process, and senior running back Marcus Washington finished the job with an eight-yard touchdown run with 12:48 remaining in the first quarter.
Western Michigan was forced to punt on its first two possessions of the game.
The Broncos had one good offensive drive and could barely get it going offensively while the defense could not stop the Colonels.
Nicholls didn’t seem to realize it was a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2007, when it finished 6-5.
The Colonels got out to a 14-0 lead when quarterback Kalen Henderson scampered in from a yard out with 1:31 remaining in the first quarter. Henderson set up his own touchdown with a 55-yard run earlier in the drive.
RECAP: Live blog and fan conversation
WMU got on the scoreboard with 13:41 remaining in the second quarter when Andrew Haldeman converted a 42-yard field goal attempt to make the score 14-3.
The Broncos pulled within five points, 14-9, when Brian Fields rumbled in from two yards out with 6:53 left in the second quarter.
Western Michigan’s defense continued to struggle against the quick Nicholls offense as the Colonels’ Washington walked in to the end zone for a four-yard touchdown with 5:07 left in the first half.
Nicholls recorded 305 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes of the game, thanks largely to good discipline. The Colonels were flagged twice in the first half for a total of 20 yards.
WMU outgained NSU 485-447, but the Colonels took advantage of opportunities created by big plays.
Henderson was 8-for-11 passing for 159 yards and was Nicholls’ leading rusher with 87 yards on six totes in the first half.
However, the Colonels lost some momentum when Henderson was carted off the field with a minute remaining in the first half with what appeared to be an injury to his left leg.
Western Michigan again pulled within five points, 21-16, when Fields scored a 13-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
That drive, which went 75 yards on seven plays, was the best of the game for the Broncos as they had five plays of at least 10 yards on that trek.
Fields and fellow running back Dareyon Chance were lone bright spots for the Broncos as both rushed for over 100 yards in the game.
Fields gave WMU its only lead of the game, 23-21, when he ran in for a nine-yard touchdown with 3:13 left in the third.
Fields finished with 103 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Chance picked up 123 yards on 21 totes.
The Broncos couldn’t keep the lead, though.
Led by third-string quarterback Figaro Tuskani, the Colonels marched 61 yards on 13 plays and a 29-yard field goal by Andrew Dolan with 11:19 left gave Nicholls a 24-23 lead.
Nicholls sealed the win when the Colonels forced WMU to burn all three time outs on a drive that lasted 3:32 and was capped by a 28-yard Dolan field goal with 1:44 left in regulation.
Tuskani completed two of seven passes for 66 yards. He rushed the ball 15 times for 72 yards.
By David Drew, MLive
http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2013/09/western_michigan_football_upse.html
More... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2013/09/08/nicholls-state-picks-off-fbs?blog=2)