2012 wmu football record book - Western Michigan University ...

110WMU FOOTBALL BOWL HISTORYBowl Date Opponent Result AttendanceAviation Dec. 9, 1961 New Mexico L, 12-28 3,694California Dec. 10, 1988 Fresno State L, 30-35 31,272International Jan. 6, 2007 Cincinnati L, 24-27 26,717Texas Dec. 30, 2008 Rice L, 14-38 58,880Little Caesars Pizza Dec. 27, 2011 Purdue L, 32-37 46,1771961 AVIATION BOWLNew Mexico 28, Western Michigan 12Western Michigan made its postseason debut in the inaugural Aviation bowl on Dec. 9, 1961.The Broncos were led by quarterback Ed Chlebek, who completed 18 passes for 207 yards andone touchdown.WMU fell behind 14-0 but bounced back on a Bob White scoring run from four yards out. NewMexico added two more scores before Chlebek found Dave Cooke in the end zone from five yardsout for the final score of the game.1988 CALIFORNIA BOWLFresno State 35, Western Michigan 30Twenty-seven years after its first bowl trip, WMU made its second after winning the only outrightMid-American Conference title in program history and capturing a program-record nine wins.For the second time in a bowl game, WMU fell behind by two scores but this time, the Broncosfought back to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. Robert Oliver hauled in a 31-yard pass from TonyKimbrough for the team’s first score. Robert Davis followed with a 51-yard scoring run to tie thegame. It is still the longest rush in WMU bowl history. John Creek made good on his only fieldgoal of the game to give the Broncos its first lead of the game.Fresno State outscored the Broncos, 21-7, in the third quarter to put the game away. WMU’s Kimbroughran in a score from six yards out late in the game. He accounted for all but one of WesternMichigan’s touchdowns on the day.2007 INTERNATIONAL BOWL2008 TEXAS BOWLRice 38, Western Michigan 14Western Michigan played in front of the second-largest bowl crowd in Mid-American Conferencehistory against Rice in the Texas Bowl. The game marked the second postseason appearance forthe Broncos in the last three seasons.Rice’s offense put Western Michigan too far behind, scoring 24 points in the first half and 14more in the second before the Broncos’ first score. Tim Hiller found senior Kirk Elsworth from twoyards out for WMU’s first points of the game in the fourth quarter. He hooked up with SchneiderJulien near the game’s end for another touchdown, giving two on the day to tie a WMU bowlrecord.2011 LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWLPurdue 37, Western Michigan 32Western Michigan’s offense was on the national stage in the program’s fifth bowl game and thirdin the past six seasons. The Broncos posted 485 yards of offense in a narrow loss to Purdue inthe 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.Jordan White set a MAC bowl record with 265 receiving yards and his one-handed grab in thesecond half was the top play on that night’s SportsCenter. Alex Carder threw for over 400 yards ina game for the fifth time in 2011, racking up 439 yards through the air but turnovers proved to betoo costly for WMU in the end.In all WMU set or matched 12 program bowl records in the LCPB and grabbed the Broncos’ firstever lead in a bowl game on the first score of the game, a 49-yard pass from Carder to White on aflea flicker at the 9:14 mark of the opening quarter.Cincinnati 27, Western Michigan 24The Broncos played in the second inaugural bowl game in program history, taking on Big Eastopponent Cincinnati in the 2007 International Bowl. For the third time in as many postseasongames, WMU fell behind 14-0 early and had to climb out from behind the eight ball.Western Michigan eventually dug itself into a 24-point hole before getting its offense kick started.Cornerback E.J. Biggers and Jamarko Simmons connected on a 76-yard touchdown completion,the longest in WMU bowl history, for WMU’s first score. The Broncos bounced back with anotherTD through the air, this time on a Ryan Cubit to Herb Martin hook up from 30 yards out. WMUscored 17 points in the second quarter to pull within a score at the break.Brandon West tied the game at 24-all with a seven-yard run at the 10:53 mark of the fourthquarter, but the Bearcats punched in a 33-yard field goal to take the lead back four minutes later.A field goal attempt from 51 yards out went begging as the Broncos were dealt their closest bowlloss in program history.2012 WMU FOOTBALL RECORD BOOK