Photo by Jeffrey Sabo
Western Michigan struck early and never looked back, defeating Miami (Ohio) 23–13 in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game on Saturday at Ford Field.
The Broncos (9–4) scored on the third play of the game and controlled the matchup wire-to-wire, while the RedHawks (7–6) will now await their bowl destination announcement on Sunday.
“Really proud of my guys,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “We took this thing maybe a little further than I thought we would at different points this year… Just really proud of this group. They kept coming and coming.”
How It Happened
Western Michigan opened the scoring on a 67-yard touchdown burst by Jalen Buckley just seconds into the contest. Miami responded immediately, as Thomas Gotkowski connected twice with Kam Perry for 50 total yards, highlighted by a one-handed grab at the WMU 10 that stood after review. A roughing-the-passer penalty extended the drive, and Jordan Brunson punched in a two-yard touchdown. A blocked PAT kept the Broncos ahead 7–6.
After an Eli Blakey sack stalled the next WMU drive, the Broncos settled for a field goal to take a 10–6 lead after one quarter. Western extended the margin to 13–6 early in the second before adding a 50-yard kick in the final minute of the half to carry a 16–6 advantage into the break.
Buckley broke free again less than two minutes into the third quarter, this time for a 64-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 23–6. Miami advanced to the WMU 23 on its next significant possession but turned the ball over on downs and struggled to generate momentum until late in the fourth.
With 6:43 remaining, Henry Hesson hit Cole Weaver on a six-yard slant to cut the deficit to 23–13. The eight-play, 80-yard drive featured three straight completions from Hesson — including a 36-yard strike to Weaver — and a 16-yard run by D’Shawntae Jones.
Miami’s defense delivered a late fourth-down stop to give the RedHawks another chance, but the offense could not capitalize. After halting a fake field goal inside two minutes, Miami regained possession once more but again failed to mount a scoring drive as Western Michigan closed out its championship win.
Notes
- Eli Blakey recorded a game-high 15 tackles.
- Jackson Kuwatch matched his career high with 11 tackles by halftime and finished with a career-best 14.
- Brock Uihlein, who entered with 15 career tackles, posted 11 stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
- Perry eclipsed 100 receiving yards (101) for the fourth time this season and now ranks ninth on Miami’s single-season receiving yardage list with 966.
About the Author
Dalton Tinklenberg is the Founder and Media Director of The Scouting Depot, where he leads comprehensive coverage of college and professional football. He is an active member of some of the most respected organizations in sports journalism, including the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), Maxwell Football Club, Online News Association (ONA), National Football Foundation (NFF), and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).
Before launching The Scouting Depot, Dalton worked with Blue HQ Media, where he covered major sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500, the College Football Playoff, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Through his professional affiliations and on-the-ground experience, Dalton combines deep knowledge of the game with recognized standards of storytelling, editorial excellence, and authenticity in sports coverage.
