Western Michigan (2-0) had two running backs go over 100 yards last week in Jamauri Bogan (131) and LeVante Bellamy (121). He praised an offensive line that dominated the Illini defensive line, considered the strength of the IL team.
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The Illinois Fighting Illini face off against the Western Michigan Broncos today in a college football game on the third weekend on the 2016 schedule.
Broncos coach P.J. Fleck celebrated the win with fans who made the trip and said his team was never overwhelmed by the idea of facing another Big Ten team.
“They’re humble enough to know that anybody at any moment can beat them if they don’t play their best, ” said Fleck. “It’s no bigger or less than any other win”.
The Broncos (2-0) enter as 3 1/2-point favorites against the Illini (1-1) as they attempt to set a school record with a second victory in the season against a Big Ten team.
Bogan had 36- and 1-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter, and Terrell tacked on a short-touchdown run to open the second and put Western Michigan up 21-0.
Bogan deflected praise coming his way, crediting the line in front of him.
Smith said players responded well to the loss and hope to clean up some of the errors, such as their 13 penalties for 99 yards. “We lost this past week and that’s motivation enough for us to play a better game”, Smith told reporters.
Records – Western Michigan 2-0 overall; IL 1-1 overall. Unable to run, their only touchdown came on a trick play, a reverse flea flicker that ended with quarterback Wes Lunt hitting tight end Ainslee Johnson deep down the right sideline to cut the Western Michigan lead to 21-7 midway through the second quarter.
“We said we’re a running football team”.
IL won its season opening game but then went on to lose to North Carolina in a week two by a 48-23 final score, dropping to a 1-1 record in the process.
The two wins over Big Ten teams in a season is a first for Western Michigan, and just the fourth time a Mid-American Conference team has two wins over Big Ten opposition in one season.
Western Michigan is one of just seven Bowl Subdivision teams that has not turned the ball over this season.
WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos’ win at Northwestern was a squeaker, requiring a late touchdown and some defensive heroics.
WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos are at home Saturday, against Georgia Southern, before they start MAC play at Central Michigan, which has its own win at a Power 5 school (Sept. 10 over Oklahoma State).
All-time series results – IL has won four of five meetings with Western Michigan, including a 24-7 victory for the Illini in the 2012 season.
In their last game, the Broncos played really well offensively, rolling up 614 yards including 359 on the ground.
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IL tailback Ke’Shawn Vaughn started the season quietly with a 49-yard day against Murray State, but after a strong game against the Tar Heels he’s looking more like the mix of power and speed the IL coaching staff says it wants in its primary back. But Fleck said that after Davis’ 1,408-yard, 15-touchdown season in 2015, he expects every team, IL included, to focus on taking away Davis.
