Wisconsin Football Week One Opponent Preview: Western Michigan

The wait is nearly over, as the Wisconsin football program is set to kick off its 2024 season against Western Michigan on Friday night.

After a long offseason, the Badgers are looking to start the second year of the Luke Fickell era off with a convincing win over the Broncos. In front of a home crowd who will now have access to alcohol for the first time, Camp Randall should be rocking in the opening matchup.

Here are three things to know about Wisconsin's week one opponent.

Western Michigan Looking to Bounce Back After Rocky 2023 Campaign

Western Michigan hired former Louisville offensive coordinator Lance Taylor ahead of the 2023 season, and the first season was tough for the Broncos. An offense that struggled to make an impact combined with a defense that ranked in the bottom 25 in the country spelled disaster for Western Michigan.

One bright spot was freshman running back Jaylen Buckley, who was named the MAC Freshman of the Year last season after posting 1,003 yards and ten touchdowns. The Broncos will lean heavily on their budding star tailback this season.

An offseason of filling needs through the portal and retaining some top contributors won't help Western Michigan much against Wisconsin, but they could be a more competitive team in MAC play this season.

Broncos Bring Back Several Top 2023 Contributors

Along with the MAC Freshman of the Year returning, Western Michigan will also bring back starting quarterback Hayden Wolff and top receiver Kenneth Womack. Wolff threw for 1,505 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions last season, and Womack hauled in 76 receptions for 691 yards and a touchdown. Having some continuity on offense could help them as they look to improve in year two.

The Broncos will also have some continuity on defense. The top five tacklers from last season, who all recorded over 60 tackles, are returning for another year. Last season's defense ranked 109th in the country, but the defense will be under new direction this season, which could be beneficial to a group that will bring back several top contributors.

Western Michigan Enters the Season with New Philosophies

Western Michigan lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators in the offseason, with OC Billy Cosh taking a head coaching job in the FCS and DC Lou Esposito taking a job at Memphis.

This season, the Broncos will have former UMass head coach Walt Bell taking over the offense and promoting linebackers coach Scott Powers to head the defense. It was a needed change for Western Michigan, who 91st in points per game last season and 109th in opponent points per game last year.

In Bell's experience as an offensive coordinator, he's often taken a run-first approach. That should be no different this season, especially with a star tailback back in the fold. Wisconsin football should prepare to be tested in the ground game in week one, and it will be a good litmus test for where the defensive line currently stands after losing James Thompson Jr for the season.

Scott Powers will look to bring life to a Western Michigan defense that struggled mightily last season, allowing 403.5 yards per game last season. It will be an uphill battle, but a change of pace could do the Broncos well this season.

Week one's matchup will give just a glimpse of where Wisconsin football is at before heading in to some bigger matchups, including a game against Alabama in week three. Anything less than a big win would be a surprise and a bit discouraging for UW.

Related: Wisconsin Football News and Notes From the Week 1 Media Availability

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