Week 6: Ohio at Western Michigan

The first weekend of October seems awfully early for a must-win scenario, but the Bobcats and the Broncos come to this dance with just that frame of mind. Ohio can not afford to slip two games down in the loss column since matchups with all of the East Division competitors remain.

Western Michigan is trying to stay in stride with West Division tough guys Ball State and Central Michigan, and all three teams enter the weekend 2-0 in the league.

Ohio finally has something to feel good about after taking out its month worth of frustrations on VMI last weekend. The Bobcats, who lost competitive games against the likes of Ohio State, Northwestern, Wyoming and Central Michigan in their first four games, piled up 535 yards of offense while letting loose on VMI.

The Bobcats seem to have a pretty good balance working between the passing of QB Boo Jackson, who was 16-of-23 for 287 yards and two scores last week, and the running of Donte Harden, who had 142 yards on 20 carries, including a 67-yard touchdown run.

Western Michigan has flourished in the background while two-time MAC defending champ Central Michigan and a powerhouse named Ball State have grabbed most of the headlines. The Broncos have one of the MAC’s better defenses, and that unit was called on to the hilt last week as it held Temple out of the end zone in a 7-3 Western win.

Senior QB Tim Hiller is not as flamboyant or innovative as some of his MAC counterparts, but his workmanlike approach has paid big dividends for the Broncos. His 26-of-42 effort at Temple allowed the Broncos to keep the Owls offense off the field long enough to preserve the lead, and let Western Michigan win its fourth straight since a season-opening loss at Nebraska.

Notes:

Bobcats freshman Donte Harden broke loose on a 67-yard run for a touchdown on the first play of an Ohio possession last weekend against VMI.

Western Michigan has started the season 4-1 for its best start since beginning the 2000 campaign 8-1. The Broncos will try and win the 500th game in program history when Ohio comes to town.

The Bobcats have good reason to be excited about their offense -- Ohio’s 575 yards of offense last week was the fifth-most in school history, and the 51 points the Bobcats scored were their most in six seasons.

Western Michigan’s offense exploded for 633 total yards against Tennessee Tech, marking the first time since 2003 the Broncos eclipsed the 600-yard mark.

Key Player (Bobcats) – Steven Jackson, S

The junior from Texas is a leader on the back end for Ohio, and he had a game-high 12 tackles, with an interception, a forced fumble and two pass break ups in the tough 16-8 loss at Northwestern.

Key Player (Broncos) – Boston McCornell, LB

The product of Georgia Military College had a big role in the defensive door slamming at Temple, where the Broncos kept the Owls out of the end zone. McCornell had 10 tackles, a forced fumble, and also a recovered fumble with 19 seconds left in the game to secure the victory.

Western Michigan by 6