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football Edit

What a difference a week makes

TOLEDO, Ohio - After laying an egg in DeKalb the Broncos needed to a breakout performance, and they did so in a big way with a convincing 58-26 win over Toledo at the Glass Bowl on Saturday night. Tim Hiller tied Bronco great Tim Lester for the program record with 87 career TD passes, also tying Lester for third on the MAC career list.
Hiller started his string of first half TD passes, hitting Jordan White on the Broncos' first offensive play from scrimmage for the 54-yard score. That tied him with Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski for fifth on the MAC career list at 85.
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Hiller, who finished with 270 yards on 16-of-26 passing (61.5 percent) connecting again with White from 19 yards out to give WMU a 14-0 lead, and Hiller his 86th career scoring strike. White finished with a career-high 117 yards receiving. It was White's second 100-yard game this season.
On the kickoff Vernon Stewart jarred the ball lose and kicker John Potter recovered the fumble, giving the ball to WMU at the UT 30 yard line. After a pair of Hiller completions, Brandon West everyone when he threw a 12-yard TD pass (first of his career) to Juan Nunez for a touchdown and a 20-0 Bronco lead..
Minutes later Nunez hauled in Hiller's record-tying 87th career TD, giving the Broncos two 100 receivers on the day.
The Broncos fumbled a QB keeper by Hiller and Toledo drove to WMU's three-yard line. Thanks to a Toledo penalty and a stiff Bronco D, Toledo had to settle for a field goal.
After putting 20 on the board in the first quarter the Broncos added 21 in the second as Brandon West added two rushing touchdowns. The first came from 15 yards out, the second from 19 and the third. West opened the third quarter taking a hand off for 70 yards and a TD.
Hiller was not the only one breaking records as B.West became only the fifth running back to rush for over 3,000 yards in a career. West rushed for three touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career, and finishing the game with a season best 153 yards on the ground.
Western Michigan's 58 points are the most the Broncos have ever scored against Toledo in series history. It is also the most ever scored against the Rockets by a MAC team, besting the previous high of 52 score by Kent State on Nov. 17, 1973.
Western Michigan did not allow a sack, punted once, rushed for over 250 yards and amassed 534 yards of offense, the most on the season, against the Rockets. It is the second game in a row WMU has not allowed a sack.
Post Game Quotes
"I thought we played real well. I was concerned coming into tonight on how well we would be able to run the ball. I thought we ran it well. I also thought Tim (Hiller) was outstanding."
"I thought our defense was really good. They scored two late touchdowns, but besides that we did a good job shutting them down."
"I liked the way our kids came out. We did a great job preparing during the week. I knew we were going to play well, but not this well."
"We had some big plays out there tonight early in the game."
Scoring SummaryWestern Michigan: Jordan White 54 yd pass from Tim Hiller (John Potter kick)Western Michigan: Jordan White 19 yd pass from Tim Hiller (John Potter kick)Western Michigan: Juan Nunez 12 yd pass from Brandon West (missed kick)Toledo: Alex Steigerwald 21 yd FGToledo: Alex Steigerwald 40 yd FGWestern Michigan: Brandon West 15 yd run (John Potter kick)Western Michigan: Juan Nunez 2 yd pass from Tim Hiller (John Potter kick)Western Michigan: Brandon West 19 yd run (John Potter kick)Toledo: Eric Page 6 yd pass from Austin Dantin (failed 2pt pass)Western Michigan: Brandon West 70 yd run (John Potter kick)Western Michigan: John Potter 37 yd FGToledo: Stephen Williams 18 yd pass from Austin Dantin (Alex Steigerwald kick)Toledo: Matt Shumaker 8 yd pass from Austin Dantin (Alex Steigerwald kick)Western Michigan: Glenis Thompson 29 yd run (John Potter kick)Team Statistics ToledoWestern MichiganTOTAL FIRST DOWNS2825TOTAL NET YARDS449534Total Plays8958Average Gain59.2NET YARDS RUSHING209252Rushes4531Average per rush4.68.1NET YARDS PASSING240282Completions-attempted23-4417-27Sacked00Yards Lost00TOTAL TURNOVERS11Interceptions00Fumbles Lost11OTHER Penalties94Penalty Yards7938Time of Possesion37:2322:37Punts51Punt Average34.834Return Yards143116PassingToledoCMPATTYDSTDINTYDS/ATT Austin Dantin (0)1728160305.7Aaron Opelt (0)61580005.3 Team (0)010000.0Western MichiganCMPATTYDSTDINTYDS/ATT Tim Hiller (0)16262703010.4Brandon West (0)11121012.0RushingToledoATTYDSTDAVG Morgan Williams (0)179705.7DaJuane Collins (0)125304.4Austin Dantin (0)113603.3Aaron Opelt (0)41604.0Eric Page (0)1707.0Western MichiganATTYDSTDAVG Brandon West (0)14153310.9Glenis Thompson (0)345115.0Aaron Winchester (0)93704.1Tim Hiller (0)32307.7 Team (0)2-60-3.0ReceivingToledoATTYDSTDAVG Stephen Williams (0)65919.8 Eric Page (0)455113.8 Danny Noble (0)43809.5 Robin Bailey (0)32608.7 Morgan Williams (0)21608.0 Jerome Jones (0)121021.0 Kenny Stafford (0)112012.0 Matt Shumaker (0)1818.0 DaJuane Collins (0)1505.0 Western MichiganATTYDSTDAVG Jordan White (0)5117223.4 Juan Nunez (0)447211.8 Ansel Ponder (0)349016.3 Brandon West (0)224012.0 Matt Stevens (0)133033.0 Robert Arnheim (0)111011.0 Chleb Ravenell (0)1101.0
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