The Western Michigan Broncos hammered the UMass Minutemen, 52-14, in Waldo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Western Michigan (3-3, 1-1) jumped all over the Minutemen in the first half, taking a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. Tyler Van Tubbergen was absolutely superb for the Broncos, completing 23-of-28 passing attempts for 283 yards and five touchdowns. Tubbergen also ran for a score, getting in from 1 yard out in the third quarter.
UMass (0-6, 0-3) had no answer on either side of the ball, allowing 551 total yards and gaining just 218 yards of their own. The largest discrepancy was on the ground, where the Minutemen were out-gained 268-83.
The only player who had what could be considered a good day for UMass was wide receiver Deion Walker, who hauled in nine passes for 81 yards. Quarterback Mike Wegzyn struggled, throwing for just 88 yards on 12-of-19 passing before leaving in the second half in favor of A.J. Doyle, who didn't do any better.
Box score hero: Tyler Van Tubbergen. The junior signal-caller was tremendous for the Broncos throughout the contest, throwing for 283 yards and five touchdowns in 23-of-28 passing. The only blemish on Tubbergen's line was an interception in the second quarter.
Rankings ramifications: Despite winning big, Western Michigan won't be moving into the top 25.
Did they cover?: The Broncos were favored by 17 and covered easily.
Next week's schedule: Western Michigan will travel to play the Ball State Cardinals next Saturday while UMass has a bye week.