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Western Michigan Broncos 2006 Preview

Western Michigan Football Preview By: Matt Fargo
Matt Fargo remains the NUMBER ONE handicapper in 2005 at the Professional Handicappers League --- get his premium plays here.

college football previews :#93 – Western Michigan Broncos Preview

by: Matt Fargo

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#93 – Western Michigan Broncos 7-4 SU; 5-5 ATS

Fargo’s Take - The Broncos were the surprise team of the MAC last season and they had the best turnaround of any team in the country, going from 1-10 in 2004 to 7-4 last season. It was an impressive season to say the least seeing that the top two quarterbacks went down with injuries. Ryan Cubit, head coach Bill Cubit’s son will be back as the signal caller after gaining a sixth year of eligibility. The problem is that a lot of talent around him has departed while the schedule has gotten much more difficult. The defense did not do the team any favors, finishing 108th in total defense and 93rd in scoring defense. A trip to the MAC Championship was denied by Northern Illinois in the finale last season and that 35-point loss does not bode well heading into the new season. This is Cubit’s second season as head coach but his fifth in the program as a coach overall and if he can pull some more magic from his hat, the Broncos could surprise once again.

Returning Starters on Offense – 6 The return of Cubit at quarterback is a big boost since his replacement Tim Hiller will miss the entire 2006 season because of a knee injury. The offense finished 29th in the country in scoring last year but the departures of tailback Trovon Riley, receiver Greg Jennings, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and tight end Tony Scheffler will be tough to overcome. There is not a lot of experience or speed at wideout while the starting running back position is still up for grabs. Three offensive linemen return but the tackles need to be replaced so there is a lot of work that needs to be done to duplicate last year’s success. Cubit is a leader and he has the ability and the smarts to carry this team on his shoulders but it will be a lot easier if he can find some help around him.

Returning Starters on Defense – 9 The defense should be better with nine players coming back but those players contributed to one of the worst units in the country so it might not be a good thing after all. The defensive line is undersized while the secondary is young and fairly inexperienced. The Broncos were 116th against the pass last season and with four sophomores in the starting backfield, there is a huge cause for concern. The linebackers are the strength of the defense with four top caliber guys playing three positions and they are going to have to carry this unit if there is to be any improvement in 2006. A five-overtime loss to Ball St. where the defense allowed 60 points certainly inflated the scoring average allowed but Western Michigan gave up 34 ppg in its final three games not inspiring a lot of confidence heading into the fall.

Schedule - The Broncos played one of the softest schedules last season and with the slate becoming much more difficult, getting back to seven wins will be a challenge. They start the season at a much improved Indiana team and then travel to Virginia two weeks later following its home opener against Toledo. The rest of the conference schedule kicks in after a home date with Temple and the start of the MAC slate sets up well with Northern Illinois and Miami (Ohio) having to come to Kalamazoo. The Broncos close the season with three straight road games with the middle contest being at Florida St. in a rare late season non-conference game. Unfortunately, Buffalo and Kent St. are off the schedule.

You can bet on… Head coach Cubit will find a way to get points on the board as his offensive mind is one of the best. When he was the offensive coordinator from 1997-1999, the Broncos ranked in the NCAA Top 25 in passing offense, scoring offense and total offense in 1998 and 1999. The Broncos defense was the blame for not having a profitable season in 2005 as they allowed 42 or more points in three of the ATS losses while not allowing more than 36 points in the five ATS wins. Western Michigan is on a 0-10 ATS run as a home underdog and it could be in that role in game two of the season against Toledo. The Rockets are going to be tough again and the Broncos game at Indiana the previous week could tell us a lot.