GAME DAY: WMU vs. Eastern Illinois - 9.8.12 - ESPN3
GAME 2
Western Michigan (0-1) vs. Eastern Illinois (1-0)
All-Time series - WMU trails 0-1
Last Meeting - Eastern Illinois 28, WMU 20 (Aug. 29, 1996)
Sept. 8, 2012 // Waldo Stadium (30,200)
7 p.m. // Kalamazoo, Mich. // ESPN3
RADIO BROADCAST | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS
The
game will be broadcast live on the Bronco Radio Network: 96.5 FM
(Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan); 96.1 FM (Hollad, Grand Rapids,
Muskegon), 94.1 FM (Lansing, Jackson, Battle Creek), and 94.3 FM
(Detroit). Robin Hook (play-by-play) and John Creek (analysis) will
have the call beginning at 6 p.m.
TELEVISION BROADCAST | WATCH LIVE on ESPN3
The
WMU-Eastern Illinois game will be broadcast live online on ESPN3 with an 7:06 p.m.
official kick time.
WMU FOOTBALL NOTES OF INTEREST
• Western Michigan plays its 21st CommUniverCity game on Sept. 8
• Western Michigan opens its 74th full season at Waldo Stadium and holds a 55-17-1 record in openers at the venue
• WMU is 6-1 in home openers under head coach Bill Cubit
• WMU is on a four-game win streak in home season openers
• Western Michigan is looknig for its fourth undefeated home season under head coach Bill Cubit in 2012 and 12th overall
• WMU has gone unbeaten at home under Cubit in 2006, 2008 and 2011 with one of those wins coming in a home game at Ford Field against Illinois (23-17 in 2008)
• WMU and Eastern Illinois have met only once in program history (Aug. 29, 1996)
• This is the third time WMU has played a team from the Ohio Valley Conference under Bill Cubit and fourth time in program history
• Johnnie Simon leads the nation in tackles per game after registering 18 in the season opener at Illinois
• Thirteen different Broncos made their WMU and/or career debuts in the season opener
• Western Michigan’s defense gave up the fewest yards at Illinois (248) since allowing 241 to Nicholls in the 2011 season opener on Sept. 10, 2011
• WMU extended its program record consecutive PATs made streak to 130 with Andrew Haldeman’s first career PAT in the season opener at Illinois
• Western Michigan followed all but one loss with a win during the 2011 season
• Two Broncos had more than 10 tackles in the season opener at Illinois — Johnnie Simon (18), Terry Easmon (11)
• Western Michigan defensive coordinator Rich Nagy is the lone member of the staff with ties to the Ohio Valley Conference
• Nagy served as the defensive coordinator at Murray State University in Kentucky from December 2005 through the 2008 season
• Nagy’s Murray defense allowed just 328.4 yards per game during one season and linebacker Nate Williams was named to both the Walter Camp and Associated Press All-American first teams, was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, voted All- Ohio Valley Conference’s (OVC) first team and selected the OVC Defensive Player of the Year
HERE’S SOMETHING YOU DID NOT KNOW
Eastern Illinois is the last Division I-Football Championship Series team to defeat Western Michigan, on Aug. 29, 1996 and the only team from the Ohio Valley Conference to ever defeat the Broncos.
LIVE CHAT - WMU vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS
