Western Michigan vs Wisconsin Full Game Replay 30 Aug 2024 College Football Week 1
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Western Michigan vs Wisconsin Full Game Replay
2024 NCAA College Football - Week 1
9:00 PM, August 30, 2024
Coverage: FS1
Madison, WI
Attendance: 75 158
Western Michigan Broncos vs Wisconsin Badgers What to Watch:
On Friday night, the Wisconsin Badgers will take on the Western Michigan Broncos in an attempt to start the season with a resounding victory. Under head coach Luke Fickell, who guided the Badgers to a 7-6 record the previous season, Wisconsin is in its second season. Lance Taylor, a second-year coach at Western Michigan, led the Broncos to a 4-8 record the previous season. This is the first time these teams have faced each other since Wisconsin defeated them 24–16 in 2017.
The Badgers advanced to the bowl game in Fickell's first season, so Wisconsin has something to work on going into his second year.
After transferring from Miami, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke won the preseason competition with 2,703 yards and 19 touchdowns on 65.8% of his passes. After Braelon Allen went for the NFL, Chez Mellusi, a sixth-year running back, will take over as the starting quarterback.
Mellusi is a good choice in the backfield because of his 1,595 rushing yards while playing for Wisconsin. Will Pauling, a wide receiver who caught a team-high 74 passes with six touchdowns the previous season, is also returning. Western Michigan has lost its last six games versus Big Ten opponents, while Wisconsin has won nine of their last ten games in August.
After winning four games the previous season, Western Michigan is hoping to improve in its second season under Taylor. In eight games (four starts) in 2023, quarterback Hayden Wolff completed 65.5% of his throws for 1,505 yards and eight touchdowns. With 1,003 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, sophomore running back Jalen Buckley won MAC Freshman of the Year, capping an outstanding season.
Western Michigan can depend on him to manage the clock on Friday because he averaged 5.3 yards per rush.
Key wide receivers Anthony Sambucci and Kenneth Womack are also back with the Broncos, providing Wolff with dependable targets in the passing game. Due to their return experience, they are a risky road underdog in Week 1 and covered the spread in six of their last nine games from the previous season.