(LB) 3.58 GPA John Keenoy (OL) 3.7 GPA Taylor Moton (OL) 3.28 GPA Trevor Sweeney (WR) 3.77 GPA Zach Terrell (QB) 4.0 GPA Justin Tranquill (DB) 3.85 GPA Academic All-Conference Sixteen players from the team were named to the Academic All-Conference team: Lucas Bezzera, Kasey Carson, Lucas Cherocci, David Curle, Alex Grace, Austin Guido, Luke Juriga, John Keenoy, Odell Miller, Derek Mitchell, Taylor Moton, Zach Novoselsky, Giovanni Ricci, Trevor Sweeney, Zach Terrell and Justin Tranquill. Rankings After winning their first two games against Northwestern and North Carolina Central, WMU received 1 vote in the Coaches Poll. Their road win against Illinois moved the Broncos to 3–0 where they received 6 votes in the AP Poll and 16 votes in the Coaches Poll. WMU received their first Top 25 ranking in program history after they defeated rival Central Michigan and moved to 5–0. The table below shows the week-by-week status of WMU in the college football polls. Game summaries Northwestern Source Western Michigan withstood a three-touchdown effort from Northwestern running back Justin Jackson and used a late Jamauri Bogan touchdown to win its season opener in Evanston. The Broncos recovered a fumble late in the game that was upheld on video review. It marked the Broncos' first win over a Big Ten school since 2008. North Carolina Central Source Seven different Western Michigan players scored touchdowns in the Broncos' home-opening 70–21 win over Division I FCS opponent North Carolina Central. Illinois Running back Jamauri Bogan scored two rushing touchdowns and kicker Butch Hampton booted two field goals to lift the Broncos to victory over their second Big Ten opponent of the season. It was the first win over Illinois since 2008. Georgia Southern Source Darius Phillips' kickoff return touchdown and interception return touchdown helped stake the Broncos to a 42–17 lead as they eventually held on to win, 49–31, over non-conference opponent Georgia Southern. Central Michigan Source Western Michigan used a fast start that resulted in a 21–3 halftime lead to defeat the arch-rival Chippewas in Mount Pleasant, 49–10. The victory gave the Broncos their third straight victory in the series, their fifth victory in the past six meetings, and their third consecutive victory in Mount Pleasant (2012, 2014, 2016) after only having won there in 1965, 1970, 1973, and 2002 since WMU went Division I in 1962. Northern Illinois Source Western Michigan beat Northern Illinois 45–30, to improve their record