2026 MAC Football Week 7 Game Preview: Western Michigan Broncos vs. Central Michigan Chippewas

A day over seven years in the making is set to take place in Mt. Pleasant, as the Central Michigan Chippewas (3-3, 1-1 MAC) are set to host the Western Michigan Broncos (4-2, 2-0 MAC) for a bitter rivalry contest on a Saturday afternoon for the first time since 2019.

Both teams are coming off very different results. Central was smacked around from start-to-finish on the road by the Ohio Bobcats to fall back down to .500, while Western moved up to 2-0 in league play with a convincing 38-7 home win over Kent State.

A win would obviously do very good for both sides here, but Central is in much more dire need of it, as another loss would likely put them out of MAC title contention with games still to be had with last year's MAC runner-up Miami and a neutral-site game against rival Eastern Michigan (who currently sits at 3-0 atop the MAC table) upcoming in back-to-back weeks.

Should Western win, they'll continue to keep pace for a trip to Detroit in early December; Toledo took a stumble last week, meaning only four teams remain unblemished– two of which WMU is set to play down the line.

Game notes

• Date and Time: Saturday, October 17th, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Location: Deromedi/Kramer Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
• TV options: The game will stream exclusively on ESPN+. A valid subscription is required.
• Western Michigan radio: Robin Hook (play-by-play) and John Creek (color) will provide the WMU call for Jack 106.5 FM.
• Central Michigan radio: Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and Brock Gutierrez (color) will provide the CMU call for WUPS-FM 98.5.
• Gambling Considerations: Western is a 6.5 point favorites; over/under is 42.5-43.5 by book, per Covers.
• All-time series: WMU leads the all-time series with a 54-41-2 record, with the Broncos winning three of the last four contests. Their last meeting in Kalamazoo saw WMU manage to pull out a 24-21 win.

Western Michigan outlook

Western's attack will look pretty familiar to Central, as they're also a run-centric offense when they want to be. However, the major differentiator is their ability to push the ball downfield when necessary.

That ability was at the forefront last week against Kent State, as quarterback Broc Lowry pushed the pace with two 20+ yard passing touchdowns while also adding a rushing touchdown to bury the Golden Flashes before the halftime break and later tossed in a third passing score to add to an already successful afternoon.

This version of WMU has not been as explosive as last year's unit, currently sixth in the MAC in total offense out of 13 members, but they have still found ways to persevere and keep the game state favorable in a general sense, even if they were stymied early in the season.

This team employs lots of multiple tight-end looks offensively, and aren't afraid of running or passing out of them, with three TEs sitting in the top 10 of the receiving charts. At their most effective, WMU wants to have near-total balance between the run and the pass– though if it comes down to it, they prefer to run and trim down the time of possession.

Lowry sits six yards short of 1,000 passing yards on a 68 percent completion rate for seven touchdowns to one interception, while also being second on the team in rushing (222 yards, three touchdowns). All-MAC halfback Jalen Buckley has 392 yards and five touchdowns through six games, averaging five yards per carry.

The Broncos have done an admirable job spreading the ball around, with 15 players earning at least one catch, four receivers at 100+ yards and another (Adam Parks) just short at 98 yards. Parks, a tight end, was a standout vs. Kent State last week with 55 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions. Aveion Chenault's ascent from last year has solidified midway through 2026, as he leads the team with 20 catches for 292 yards and a touchdown– 143 yards more than second-leader Baylin Brooks (16 rec., 194 yards). Brooks does lead the team in receiving scores (three), though two were against Monmouth.

Defensively, the team has been missing safety Micah Davis in the backfield for the last month or so. He'll be questionable in the lead-up to this week's game, but they have fared pretty well despite his absence, averaging 336.2 yards allowed per game, good for third in the MAC, and giving up the league's second-fewest touchdowns (14). The Broncos also sit third in the MAC in sacks accumulated (13).

On the whole, there are nine Bronco defenders who have picked up at least one sack on the season, with the team notching an additional 23 TFLs between 16 players. EDGE rusher Dillon Moore has emerged as WMU's best penetrating D-lineman, with three tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, while defensive end Scoop Gardner Jr. leads the team with six QB hurries.

Safety Joey Pope (31 tackles, team-leading five pass break-ups) and corner Joshua Franklin (30 tackles, three PBUs) have done a great job of manning the defensive backfield, though they have had tough luck in the turnover department; both of WMU's picks have come from linebackers.

Central Michigan outlook

There are two Central Michigan teams to know in 2026: the Central which plays at home and the Central which plays on the road.

The splits at this point are undeniable, as the Chippewas gain 182 more total yards (376 vs. 194), score 18 more points (26 vs. 8) and give up 28 less points per game on average (13 vs. 40) when inside the confines of Kelly/Short Stadium than when on the road.

CMU's ability to run the ball is vital to their success in such a way that if they can't get it going or fall behind early, they have no real way to recover. To wit, CMU is 3-0 at home with wins over Colgate (FCS), Wyoming and Akron and average nearly 50 rushing attempts and 5.97 yards per rush per game in those contests– but only attempt 29.5 carries with 2.93 yards per rush when on the road, an average of 87 yards per game.

QB Angel Flores is the focal point of the offense, leading CMU in both rushing (501 yards) and passing (313 yards), with five total touchdowns (four rushing, one passing). Barring something unforeseen, Flores should pass last season's total rushing yards (527) and be on pace for a potential 1,000-yard season on the ground. Teams have to focus on his dual-threat ability for a chance to win.

Holy Cross transfer Jayden Clearveaux (239 yards, two touchdowns) and LIberty transfer Vaughn Blue (146 yards, TD) lead the way, with HBCU transfer Nick Woodford and on-roster returnee Brock Townsend each contributing two touchdowns as well.

CMU's preference is to run, averaging 188 yards on the ground, so projecting the pass game is tough. When they do send the ball though, it's generally on field-stretching passes which take advantage of mismatches or on screens with up-field blocks. Both of CMU's passing scores came vs. Akron two weeks back, with the Chippewa passing attack amongst the worst in the NCAA at 96 yards per game on average.

Their defense will be tasked with stopping one of the MAC's most experienced offensive units. CMU has been a middling unit in total yards, looking most vulnerable in rushing defense (177.7 yards allowed per game)– where WMU has been traditionally strong– and in opposing leverage down (third/fourth) conversions, where they sit 13th and 12th in the MAC respectively. Where they do excel is in havoc and takeaways, leading the MAC in interceptions and forced fumbles.

The defensive backfield, which was a large question mark in the offseason, has really come alive in 2026, with five interceptions by defensive backs in six games. (Linebacker Brett McCalla also had a game-sealer against Colgate.) Wyoming transfer safety Justin Taylor has been the leader of the clubhouse in that respect, with two interceptions and four pass break-ups to go with 34 total tackles.

Newcomer Jaxon Cherry has popped in recent film and leads the team with four tackles-for-loss and three sacks from the defensive tackle position. Transfer backers Mayson Hitchens and McCalla (41 tackles apiece) top the tackle charts in the middle of the defense and have come on strong after spending last season in the lower levels.

Game outlook

With the information in hand, it's hard not to look at the matchup on paper and thing Western Michigan has the edge.

Between Lowry, Buckley and their experienced offensive line, the Broncos should have no issues running against a CMU defense which has struggled for air against superior rushing attacks. CMU's lack of clutch play, especially in the pass game, could also turn around and haunt the Chippewas.

As cliche as it is, however, we should probably throw away the records. Of the last four games played by these two teams, only one has ended with a final tally of two or more scores– and even that one was just 10 points.

CMU's last win in 2024 was a gutsy one, as they played a third-string freshman QB and were fighting a litany of injuries to win in adverse weather conditions the last time the teams played in Mt. Pleasant. Last season's game in Kalamazoo saw WMU climb out of a halftime deficit to claim a three-point victory in a game where they did not lead until the last two minutes of the contest.

There's only two ways this can really go, given the history: it'll either be an overdue 20+ point blowout (which we haven't had in the series since 2018), or another nail-biter decided at the end.