Western Michigan College Football Preview 2024: Key Players, Game Schedule, Season Predictions

Western Michigan College Football Preview 2024

Everyone knew the first season under Lance Taylor would be a little rocky.
The offense improved a bit, the defense struggled too much, and the special teams weren’t quite strong enough.

It was the worst season of Western Michigan football since the true rebuild under PJ Fleck in 2013, but that’s about it. 2023 was forgivable, but the program is too good to not get back in the mix for the MAC Championship, go bowling, and start making a move to be consistently dangerous again.

The schedule—at least in MAC play—couldn’t be any easier. The experience on both sides of the ball is better, Taylor got his first year out of the way, and he made a few tweaks in the coaching staff to improve on the 4-8 clunker that closed ugly.

Taylor is a former offensive coordinator before getting this gig. His attack can’t be so mediocre again, and it won’t be because …

Western Michigan Football Preview 2024: Offense

- Walt Bell should make a difference. The former UMass head coach was the Indiana offensive coordinator over the last two years, and now he’s taking over the Bronco O.

Last year’s attack stalled. There wasn’t any downfield passing game, the rushing attack was inconsistent, and five times the team failed to score more than 17 points. Bell should generate a quicker attack with a better pace, and it starts with …

- The offensive line should be a bit better. The depth isn’t there, and a few key parts are gone, but Jacob Gideon might be the MAC’s best center and Addison West is a solid guard to work around. There’s enough size to bash away.

Jalen Buckley ran for over 1,000 yards and ten scores, Zahir-Abdus-Salaam was second on the team with 470 yards and five touchdowns, and these two should combine for well over 1,500 yards in the modified attack.

- Can Hayden Wolff make more big things happen? Treyson Bourguet was the other main option, but he left for BYU. Wolff spent his first three years at Old Dominion and last year was decent at hitting the midrange throws, but the big plays were missing.

The fifth-year senior doesn’t run, and he throws too many picks, but the offense is his to run. He has the receivers to make the attack better.

Western Michigan Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The defense was steadily mediocre, struggled to come up with a third down stop, and wasn’t good enough in pass D. But the secondary returns with three veterans to work everything else around.

The corner combination of Bilhal Kone and Aaron Wofford can tackle, but they need to come up with bigger plays when the ball is in the air. Tate Hallock led the team in tackles from his safety spot - Wofford was second - but the rest of the safeties are thin on experience.

- The pass rush is missing the best of the bunch. Marshawn Kneeland was taken in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys, but Corey Walker is a big factor on the other side who led the team in tackles for loss.

The expectations are high for Louisville transfer Popeye Williams on the other side. The tackles have a good 310-pound veteran in Mason Nelson on the nose.

- There’s a nice mix of athleticism and size in the linebacking corps. Donald Willis has good range, and 6-4, 235-pound Jacob Wahlberg should be a statistical star in the middle.

Key To The Western Michigan Football Season

Be better against the run.
There are plenty of areas that need lots and help and improvement, but it mostly comes down to where or not the defense can hold up against the run. Last year’s team was 1-8 when allowing more than three yards per carry, and was 3-0 when allowing fewer.

Since 2017 WMU is 15-4 when allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards.

Western Michigan Key Player

Hayden Wolff, QB Sr.
The veteran has to rise up and be fantastic. The Western Michigan offense might have to go to good recruit JD Davis if Wolff can’t be consistently good.

The 6-5 senior was good at Old Dominion, throwing for over 2,900 yards two years ago with 18 touchdowns, but last season he didn’t take too many shots down the field. There’s too much time logged in - and his receivers are too good - to not put in a big year.

Western Michigan Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Devaughn Mortimer, WR Jr.
“Bugs” Mortimer was dangerous when he got the ball in his hands at ULM, averaging over 19 yards per catch last season and being used a bit as a runner. He should be more of a playmaker now that he’ll get more work - the Broncos will keep feeding him.

Top Transfer Out: Treyson Bourguet, QB Sr.
The Broncos don’t lose a ton of key talents to the transfer portal, and it was hardly a sure thing that Bourquet would’ve pushed to the top spot on the depth chart. It would’ve been nice to have him around to make a push. He threw for 1,314 yards and six touchdowns in two years, and now he’s off to be on the BYU depth chart.

Western Michigan Key Game

Northern Illinois, Nov. 6
The MAC schedule couldn’t be any easier. Miami University and Toledo are the league’s two best teams, and they’re not on the slate—neither is Ohio.

There might be other good teams to deal with—going to Central Michigan will be a problem—but if Western Michigan is even just okay, it’ll be 3-1 at worst, possibly 4-0 before getting a week off in early November.

Then Northern Illinois comes to town. Last year, it was a 24-0 loss for the Broncos. Win, and at least being bowl eligible should be close, if not complete.

10 Best Western Michigan Football Players

1. Jacob Gideon, C Sr.
2. Kenneth Womack, WR Sr.
3. Addison West, OG Sr.
4. Jalen Buckley, RB Soph.
5. Aaron Wofford, CB Jr.
6. Hayden Wolff, QB Sr.
7. Tate Hallock, S Sr.
8. Anthony Sambucci, WR Sr.
9. Corey Walker, DE Jr.
10. Bilhal Kone, CB Jr.

Western Michigan 2023 Fun Stats

- Interception Return Yards: Opponents 9 for 163 yards, Western Michigan 9 for 2 yards

- 4th Down Conversions: Western Michigan 19-of-39 (49%), Opponents 2-of-10 (20%)

- 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 106, Western Michigan 45

Western Michigan Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

It’s not like Western Michigan lost to any teams it shouldn’t have last year.

It lost to the three Power Five programs - Syracuse, Iowa, and Mississippi State. It lost to eventual MAC champ Miami University, 11-win Toledo, an Ohio team that won ten games, and to Northern Illinois and Bowling Green squads that finished with winning seasons.

It beat the four teams it was supposed to, for the most part. The Eastern Michigan was 50/50, but you get the point.

Bethune-Cookman, Akron, at Buffalo, Kent State. There are another four games on the slate this year the Broncos can win, the rest of the MAC schedule isn’t bad, and those Miami, Toledo, and Ohio teams that beat WMU last year aren’t on the slate.

It’ll be a step-forward season for coach Lance Taylor with five wins, but there will also be a few too many misses to get to six. The team will be more competitive, though.

Set The Western Michigan Win Total At … 5.5

Likely Wins: Akron, Bethune-Cookman, Kent State

50/50 Games: at Ball State, at Bowling Green, at Buffalo, at Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois

Likely Losses: at Marshall, at Ohio State, at Wisconsin

2024 Western Michigan Football Schedule

Aug 31 at Wisconsin
Sept 7 at Ohio State
Sept 14 Bethune-Cookman
Sept 21 OPEN DATE
Sept 28 at Marshall
Oct 5 at Ball State
Oct 12 Akron
Oct 19 at Buffalo
Oct 26 Kent State
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 6 Northern Illinois
Nov 12 at Bowling Green
Nov 19 at Central Michigan
Nov 30 Eastern Michigan
Missing: Miami University, Ohio, Toledo