Broncos stampede to 56-0 win
Sept. 16, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University's football Broncos scored on their first three possessions en route to a 56-0 victory over Indiana State at WMU's Waldo Stadium on Saturday night (Sept. 16). The contest was played before a Mid-American Conference record crowd of 36,361 at the annual CommUniverCity Night football season home opener.
Western Michigan improved to 2-1 on the season with its second consecutive victory. Indiana State fell to 0-3. The Broncos opened the 2000 campaign with a 19-7 loss at defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin and won, 27-21, at Iowa on Sept. 9.
WMU now owns the three largest home attendance marks in MAC history. All three records were set during the past two seasons. The Broncos have also set a new MAC home attendance record at each of the past three CommUniverCity Night contests.
In the win over Indiana State, senior Robert Sanford rushed for 159 yards in 24 attempts for a 6.6 yards-per-carry average. Sanford scored three touchdowns. His 27 career TDs is fourth-best in Bronco history.
Indiana State had its best opportunity to get on the scoreboard late in the first half. Trailing 21-0, the Sycamores got a first down at the Bronco 5-yard line after a blocked punt set up Indiana State at the Bronco 39. On fourth down from the 1-yard line, WMU's Jermaine Lewis stopped Iindiana State quarterback Jamie Dishroom for no gain.
WMU quarterback Jeff Welsh completed 13 of 20 passes for 184 yards. He threw three touchdown passes, including one of 38-yards to Steve Neal. Neal finished with 110 yards on five receptions. Josh Bush had three catches for 38 yards, and Mobolaji Afariogun had 18-yards on three receptions, including one touchdown.
Quarterback Ryan Harris saw action at the end of the first half and through much of the fourth quarter, but in both cases, the Broncos were content to work on the clock and their ground attack. In relief of Sanford in the fourth quarter, runningback Charles Woods gained 66 yards on 14 attempts behind the Broncos' "heavy jumbo" nine-man front line.
As a team, Western Michigan gained 295 yards on the ground and 194 through the air. The defense held Indiana State's triple-threat offense to just 77 yards rushing and 64 yards passing.
The 59-0 win was the largest margin of victory for a WMU team since a 78-0 rout of Washington (Mo.) in 1959.
The Broncos open defense of their MAC West Division championship on Saturday, Sept. 23, when they host perennial power Toledo. The annual "Southwest Fest" contest begins at 6 p.m.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
WMU Broncos 14 7 21 14 56
Indiana State 0 0 0 0 0
Attendance: 36,361
For more information, visit the Broncos on the Web at <wmubroncos.com>.
Media contact: Daniel Jankowski, 616 387-4122; daniel.jankowski@wmich.edu