Western Michigan Broncos at Central Michigan Chippewas
Fri Oct 16 · 11:00 PM CT
By Pablo SanchezUpdated 6d ago·2 min read
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The Victory Cannon is back up for grabs, and this time the defending MAC champs are the ones riding into a rival's building with a target on their back.
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Best BetWestern Michigan
Western Michigan brings back its best two players on offense and a proven winning formula, while Central Michigan is still sorting out a three-way quarterback competition and replacing its top receiver. That gap in continuity is the whole ballgame here, even with the Broncos rebuilding their pass rush from scratch.
Western Michigan
+Reigning MAC champions, won 10 of last 11 games
+Buckley and Lowry both return to anchor the offense
−Every multi-sack defender from 2025 is gone
−First-time defensive coordinator calling the unit
Central Michigan
+Coach Drinkall projected by one analyst to reach 8-4
+Glasser back healthy and getting spring reps
−Leading receiver McIntosh out for the entire season
−Three-way quarterback competition still unresolved
Central Michigan hosts Western Michigan on Friday, October 16 for another shot at the Victory Cannon, and the Broncos arrive wearing the MAC championship crest. Western Michigan won 10 of its last 11 games in 2025, closed the year by beating Miami (OH) for the conference title, and capped it off with a Myrtle Beach Bowl win — the program's first double-digit-win season since 2016. Quarterback Broc Lowry and running back Jalen Buckley, who piled up over 1,000 yards on close to 6 yards a carry last season, both return to keep that machine humming.
The concern for Western Michigan is on the other side of the ball. Every Bronco who recorded multiple sacks in 2025 is gone, including a 14.5-sack menace off the edge, and new play-caller Greer Martini — promoted straight from coaching linebackers — is calling a defense for the first time in his career. That's a lot of turnover to ask a unit to absorb heading into a rivalry date.
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Central Michigan isn't walking in loaded either. Tommy McIntosh, who led the receiving room with 31 catches and 3 touchdowns a year ago, is out for the entire 2026 season, which pushes more targets toward Langston Lewis, Justin Ruffin and Collin Payne. Head coach Matt Drinkall's group also still needs its quarterback race settled — Angel Flores, Marcus Beamon and Jadyn Glasser are all back in the mix, with Glasser looking sharp in limited spring reps after an injury cost him 11 games last season.
Western Michigan Broncos
Oct 9?vs Kent State—
Oct 2?@ Buffalo—
Sep 25?vs Boise State—
Sep 19?@ Rice—
Sep 12?vs Monmouth—
Sep 5?@ Michigan—
Central Michigan Chippewas
Oct 9?@ Ohio—
Oct 2?vs Akron—
Sep 26?@ Miami—
Sep 19?vs Wyoming—
Sep 12?vs Colgate—
Sep 5?@ New Mexico—
Recent form.
This is one of the older rivalries in the MAC, dating back to 1907, and while Western Michigan holds the all-time series edge, Central Michigan has actually owned the head-to-head since both programs settled into Division I play in 1975. History doesn't care much about preseason hype — these late-season Friday nights in Mount Pleasant have a way of getting weird.
Western Michigan Broncos
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Central Michigan Chippewas
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
By mid-October, Western Michigan should have a clearer read on who its pass rushers actually are, and Central Michigan should know who's taking snaps at quarterback. Whichever team answers those questions first is probably the one walking away with the cannon.
