Kalamazoo, MI (Sports Network) - Tyler Van Tubbergen tallied a career-high six
touchdowns as the Western Michigan Broncos made easy work of the Massachusetts
Minutemen, 52-14, in a Mid-American Conference bout at Waldo Stadium.
Van Tubbergen completed 23-of-28 passes for five touchdowns and rushed for
another score for WMU (3-3, 1-1 MAC), which has won two of three. As a team,
the Broncos rushed for 268 yards, paced by Brian Fields with 71 yards on 11
carries. Jaime Wilson led all receivers with 88 yards.
For UMass (0-6, 0-3), Mike Wegzyn went 12-of-19 passing for 88 yards and he was
sacked four times. Deion Walker hauled in nine catches for 81 yards. Dating
back to last season, the Minutemen have lost nine games in a row.
WMU struck first midway through the opening quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass
from Van Tubbergen to Fields.
The Broncos scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second
quarter to take a 28-0 advantage. Van Tubbergen tossed a pair of touchdown
passes in that span to Justin Collins (13 yards) and Matt Cutler (seven yards)
and Antoin Scriven rushed in a two-yard score.
UMass finally halted WMU's run in the waning seconds of the first half when
Michael Cox rushed in a one-yard touchdown.
WMU picked up where it left off in the second half as Van Tubbergen completed a
three-yard scoring strike to Scriven early in the third quarter. The Broncos'
quarterback added his fifth touchdown pass of the game just minutes later on an
18-yard pass to Wilson to put the home team up, 42-7.
Van Tubbergen continued his scoring onslaught later in the quarter, this time
with a one-yard touchdown rush. The Broncos' lead extended to 52-7 in the
fourth quarter on a 30-yard field goal from Andrew Haldeman.
The Minutemen tallied one more score late in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard
touchdown run from Jordan Broadnax.
WMU outgained UMass, 551 yards to 218, and it recorded twice as many first
downs as the Minutemen (32 to 16).
GAME NOTES:
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