MAC Champs! Western Michigan Broncos Claim 4th Title in Detroit
DETROIT — I fully planned on watching this one live, but life had other plans. So I saved it for early Sunday morning and headed off to a holiday event with friends. Somehow, the final score never found me — which meant I got to watch the whole thing without knowing the outcome… a rare gift these days.
That’s the beauty of streaming, honestly. Every Michigan-based pro and college team gets recorded automatically, and when you’re running a one-person sports operation, sometimes you’ve just got to improvise.
And I’m glad I made time for this one. This year’s Mid-American Conference title game — Western Michigan vs. Miami (OH) at Ford Field — delivered a strong showing from the Broncos. They controlled Miami’s offense from start to finish, and the defense played outstanding football in a 23–13 win.
Even as a proud Central Michigan alum who does not typically root for the Broncos, I’ve got to hand it to Western Michigan. You could almost get me to say congratul—
Well… let’s not get carried away.
I’ve also got a good friend who never lets me hear the end of it when I overlook the Broncos (unintentionally, of course). Back in October, I wrote an article about great athletes from Michigan schools outside of MSU and U-M. Within minutes, he pointed out that I somehow left out Western’s own — and Miami Dolphins great — John Offerdahl. Fair enough.
So let me say this, genuinely: congratulations. For the first time since 2016, Western Michigan is back on top of the MAC.
Buckley, You Have My Attention
As I was watching this game, I realized something: I really wasn’t all that familiar with Jalen Buckley. Before starting Mitten Sports Talk, Western wasn’t a program I followed closely outside of when they played CMU. So I went into this one without much of an opinion about him.
Well… that changed pretty quickly.
On the third play of the game, he broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown, and right away I thought, “Okay, this guy can play. Then, early in the third quarter, he did it again, this time a 64-yard score that felt like the moment the game really tilted. At that point, even as a CMU alum, I couldn’t help but appreciate what he was doing out there.
He finished with 193 yards on 19 carries, but the numbers only tell part of it. The more you watch him — and especially when you look at his career totals — the more you realize he’s been producing like this for a while. I just hadn’t been paying close enough attention.
Consider me caught up now.
And credit to Broc Lowry, the Brono Quarterback, too. He didn’t overcomplicate anything, made smart decisions, and added just enough with his legs to keep things moving. It was exactly what Western needed from him during a game when Buckley was doing most of the heavy lifting.
The Defense Didn’t Just Show Up — They Took Over
Here’s the part that might be getting overlooked: Western’s defense showed up in a big way.
They held Miami to under 300 yards in total offense, and allowed just 13 points. This to a tieam that averaged 350 yards and 25 points for the season.
The reat stadouts in this game were Nadame Tucker, who recorded 2.5 sacks, four QB hits, and Joshua Franklin, who led the defense with 9 tackles.
Special Teams? Yeah, They Showed Up Too
You know what championship teams have?
A kicker who nails the big ones.
Palmer Domschke was automatic — three field goals, including a 50-yarder. Add in his 2 extra points, and he accounted for almost half of Western’s output.
Lance Taylor: “Complementary Football” — And He’s Not Wrong
After the game, Head Coach Lance Taylor talked about “complementary football,” and normally that’s coach-speak we all just nod at… but he’s right.
This was one of those nights where:
- The offense kept the defense fresh.
- The defense got stops and gave the offense short fields.
- Special teams added points and pressure.
Every unit lifted the other.
Every moment felt connected.
Every mistake got erased by a big play somewhere else.
That’s how you win championships.
Going Bowling
So enjoy the celebration Western Michigan fans. This CMU alumus know when to say “job well done”.
WMU heads to the Myrtle Beach Bowl on December 19 to face Kennesaw State, who were winners of Conference USA this year. They did face now #1 Indiana early in the season and were beaten badly, 56-9, but then went on to win 10 of 11 games.
This should be a good matchup, and the Broncos will have to bring their A-game if they want to collect some additional hardware this bowl season.
Bronco fans — soak it in. Enjoy this moment. Maybe next year, Central will have its turn.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
