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2025 Western Michigan

10–⁠4 (7–⁠1 Mid-American Conference), coached by Lance Taylor.

Schedule and results

Western Michigan in 2025, game by game: lost at Michigan State 6–23; lost vs. North Texas 30–33; lost at No. 9 Illinois 0–38; won vs. Toledo 14–13; won vs. Rhode Island 47–14; won at Massachusetts 21–3; won vs. Ball State 42–0; lost at Miami (OH) 17–26; won vs. Central Michigan 24–21; won vs. Ohio 17–13; won at Northern Illinois 35–19; won at Eastern Michigan 31–21; won vs. Miami (OH) 23–13; won vs. Kennesaw State 41–6+42−38Lost 6–23 at Michigan State-17Michigan StateLost 30–33 vs. North Texas-3North TexasLost 0–38 at No. 9 Illinois-38No. 9 IllinoisWon 14–13 vs. Toledo+1ToledoWon 47–14 vs. Rhode Island+33Rhode IslandWon 21–3 at Massachusetts+18MassachusettsWon 42–0 vs. Ball State+42Ball StateLost 17–26 at Miami (OH)-9Miami (OH)Won 24–21 vs. Central Michigan+3Central MichiganWon 17–13 vs. Ohio+4OhioWon 35–19 at Northern Illinois+16Northern Illino…Won 31–21 at Eastern Michigan+10Eastern MichiganWon 23–13 vs. Miami (OH)+10Miami (OH)Won 41–6 vs. Kennesaw State+35Kennesaw State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Aug 29atMichigan StateL 6–⁠2341%
Sep 6vsNorth TexasL 30–⁠3350%
Sep 13at9IllinoisL 0–⁠3817%
Sep 20vsToledoW 14–⁠1339%
Sep 27vsRhode IslandW 47–⁠1451%
Oct 4atMassachusettsW 21–⁠364%
Oct 11vsBall StateW 42–⁠067%
Oct 25atMiami (OH)L 17–⁠2631%
Nov 1vsCentral MichiganW 24–⁠2161%
Nov 11vsOhioW 17–⁠1339%
Nov 18atNorthern IllinoisW 35–⁠1954%
Nov 25atEastern MichiganW 31–⁠2160%
Dec 6vsMiami (OH)MAC ChampionshipW 23–⁠1347%
Dec 19Bowls & playoffvsKennesaw StateMyrtle Beach BowlW 41–⁠658%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Kennesaw State 41–⁠6 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; Mid-American Conference champions.

In program history: The 2nd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 83 on file).

Mid-American Conference champions7–⁠1 in the conference

Record
10–⁠4
Conference
7–⁠1 first in Mid-American Conference
AP final
Unranked
Points
348–⁠243
Coach
Lance Taylor
Elo
1599 +156 this season
SP+ rating
-1.4 No. 78 of 136; offense No. 105, defense No. 42, special teams No. 103
SRS
−0.1 No. 68 of 136 in FBS
Returning
32% of last season’s EPA, No. 72 of 134
Recruiting class
No. 104 roster talent No. 105 in FBS
Offensive coordinator
Walt Bell
Defensive coordinator
Chris O’Leary
Offense
Multiple
Defense
4–⁠3

How good, play by play

  • Offense90th of 136
  • Defense16th of 136
  • Offense, opponent-adjusted103rd of 136
  • Defense, opponent-adjusted26th of 136
EPA per playSuccessExplosivenessFBS rank
Offense0.0442%1.0790th of 136
Defense-0.0337%1.2416th of 136
Opponent-adjusted0.02 off
0.01 def		39% off
39% def		—103rd off
26th def

Passing and running

Pass successDepth of targetDeep throwsLine yardsStuffed
Offense40%8.9 yds15%3.3013%
Defense41%11.9 yds22%3.1014%
How these are measured

Play-weighted averages over games against FBS opponents; raw numbers, not adjusted for the strength of the opponent. EPA (expected points added) measures how much each play changed the expected score; success rate counts plays that kept the offense on schedule; explosiveness is the average EPA on successful plays. Lower is better on defense. Ranked by EPA per play among teams that were FBS that season. The opponent-adjusted row (offense / defense) is CollegeFootballData.com’s WEPA, which accounts for who each team played. Passing and running: depth of target is how far downfield passes traveled in the air; deep throws are the share thrown deep, of the passes whose depth and direction the play-by-play describes (about half); line yards are the running yards per carry credited to the blockers; stuffed is the share of carries stopped at or behind the line. The defense’s line is what its opponents did. From CollegeFootballData.com, 2025 on.

Drives and havoc

Points per trip inside the 40Average startHavoc
Offense3.4own 3212% allowed
Defense2.8own 2717% caused

CORE rating 4.1, 50th of 136 (offense -3.9, defense -7.9).

A trip inside the 40 is a drive that reaches the opponent’s 40-yard line; points per trip is how many it scored on average (allowed, on defense). Average start is where drives began (the defense’s line is where its opponents started). Havoc is the share of plays ending in a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception or a pass broken up. CORE is CollegeFootballData.com’s context- and opponent-adjusted rating (points better than an average team; lower is better on defense). From CollegeFootballData.com.

Leaders

Passing yardsBroc Lowry QB1,803 yds
Passing touchdownsBroc Lowry QB9 TD
Rushing yardsJalen Buckley RB1,003 yds
Rushing touchdownsBroc Lowry QB14 TD
Receiving yardsTailique Williams WR478 yds
Receiving touchdownsAveion Chenault WR2 TD
TacklesJames Camden LB85 tkl
SacksNadame Tucker DE14.5 sacks
InterceptionsJoey Pope S3 INT

Top recruits in the 2025 class

Aveion Chenault WR★★★No. 1254
Camden Thompson WR★★★No. 1325
John Peters CB★★★No. 1666
Liam Vaughan OL★★★No. 1929
K.J. Kotalik OT★★★No. 1971

247Sports composite rankings via CollegeFootballData.com; national rank in the class.

The 2025 class by position

SignedStarsRating
Quarterbacks13.00.826
Receivers43.00.843
Offensive line52.80.822
Defensive line13.00.836
Linebackers13.00.828
Defensive backs23.00.846
Whole class142.90.833

High-school signees by position group, with their average stars and 247Sports composite rating (out of 1), via CollegeFootballData.com. Athletes are signees with no set position.

Roster 107

The 2025 roster

107 players, with numbers, heights, hometowns and each player’s 2025 line; 63 have a stat line. See the roster

Transfers in 23

The 2025 portal
Nadame Tucker DE★★★from Houston
Cole Cabana RB★★★from Michigan
Jason Mitchell S★★★from San Diego State
Marvin Smith S★★★from Alabama A&M
Michael Brescia TE★★★from Colgate
Christian Leary WR★★★from Georgia Tech
Egypt Nelson WR★★★from VMI
Tailique Williams WR★★★from Georgia State
Baylin Brooks WR★★★from San Diego State
Cade Conley TE★★★from Marshall
Jayden Davis S★★★from Sacramento State
Raheem Anderson II OL★★★from Michigan

And 11 more, lower-rated or unrated.

Transfers out 28

Jaden Nixon RB★★★to UCF
Joseph Jefferson II S★★★to Louisville
Mason Nelson DL★★★to Vanderbilt
Isaiah Green DL★★★to Memphis
Corey Walker DE★★★to Wisconsin
Raylyn Manley CB★★★to Austin Peay
Kadinn Morris TE★★★to Southern Miss
Najiib Anderson WR★★★★to Benedict
Anterio Thompson DL★★★to Washington
Bugs Mortimer WR★★★to Stephen F. Austin
Cameron Powell CB★★★to UT Martin
Huston Eubank LB★★★no new school on file

And 16 more, lower-rated or unrated.

2025 Mid-American Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Western Michigan7–⁠110–⁠4
Ohio6–⁠29–⁠4
Toledo6–⁠28–⁠5
Miami (OH)6–⁠27–⁠7
Central Michigan5–⁠37–⁠6
Kent State4–⁠45–⁠7
Akron4–⁠45–⁠7
Buffalo4–⁠45–⁠7
Eastern Michigan3–⁠54–⁠8
Ball State3–⁠54–⁠8
Bowling Green2–⁠64–⁠8
Northern Illinois2–⁠63–⁠9
Massachusetts0–⁠80–⁠12

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.