MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Western Michigan football team opened Mid-American Conference play with a 49-10 win at rival Central Michigan Saturday night. It was the Broncos' third straight Battle of the Cannon Trophy victory over CMU and Western Michigan improved its overall record on the season to 5-0.
 
The 5-0 record matches the best start for the Bronco football program since 1994. The 1941 team went undefeated, finishing with an 8-0 record.
 
As it has in nearly every game this season, Western Michigan dominated the game on the ground, racking up 254 yards rushing to Central Michigan's 99.
 
Western Michigan forced the Chippewas into two turnovers. The Broncos however, have yet to give the ball away this season, a proud fact that is one of the very fundamentals of the Western Michigan culture, as "The Ball is the Program."

How it happened:
Western Michigan gave up a field goal on Central Michigan's opening drive and then rattled off 21-straight point to end the first half. The Broncos went on to add four more touchdowns in the second half, two in each quarter.
 
The Broncos started their surge with a methodical drive down the field near the end of the first quarter that chewed up over five minutes on 13 plays, ending in a Michael Henry swing pass to put WMU on the board 7-0.
 
The highlight of the first half came following a forced fumble by Eric Assoua which was recovered by Keion Adams at the Central Michigan 43-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Corey Davis set the Mid-American Conference receiving record with 4,252 career yards, surpassing the previous record holder, former Bronco Jordan White who had 4,187 yards from 2006-11. The very next play following the record-breaking catch, Jarvion Franklin ran 34 yards untouched into the end zone to make it 14-3 Broncos.
 
Western Michigan applied constant pressure to Cooper Rush, sacking him seven times in the first half and finishing with a season-high eight. The eight sacks are the most since 2006.
 
The Broncos put the game away on the initial sequence of the second half when Central Michigan attempted an onside kick to begin the half but was called for illegal touching giving Western the ball at the CMU 45. On the next play Zach Terrell hit Davis for a 45-yard TD giving the Broncos a 28-3 lead, just eight seconds into the third quarter.
 
Darius Phillips then got into the act, with his second-straight pick-six in as many games, this time with an 85-yard return to paydirt for his third career interception return for a touchdown and a 35-3 lead.
 
Central Michigan scored its only touchdown of the game with 4:02 left in the third quarter as Rush hit Mark Chapman for a 37-yard touchdown.
 
WMU's Davis recorded his second TD of the night to open the fourth quarter, shaking a defender in the end zone. Davis finished the day with six catches for 72 yards and two TDs.
 
The Broncos punched one more final touchdown in with 2:37 remaining in the game. Fabian Johnson ripped off a career-long 42 run on the drive and then was rewarded with his first career touchdown on a three-yard run.


Who stood out:
WMU Defense: 2 turnovers, 8 sacks, allowed just 277 yards total offense
Sr. WR Corey Davis: becomes MAC all-time leader career receiving yards, 2 TDs
Jr. RB Jarvion Franklin: 132 yards rushing, 23 carries, 1 TD
Jr. CB Darius Phillips: 1 INT for TD, second straight-game with pick-six
RFr. DB Justin Tranquill: led WMU with career-high 8 tackles
So. DL Eric Assoua: two sacks, forced fumble
Sr. QB Zach Terrell: 170 yards passing, 3 TDs, 15-21-0 (C-A-I)

Quotable:

Notable:
-- The game was played in front of the second-largest crowd ever (30,411) at Kelly-Shorts Stadium, behind CMU's matchup against Michigan State (35,127) in 2012.
-- Western Michigan has won 5 of the last 6 against Central Michigan, dating back to 2011.

Up Next:
Western Michigan hosts Northern Illinois on Homecoming, next Saturday at 6:30 p.m., at Waldo Stadium. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.