The conclusion of one of the most parity-filled seasons in recent Mid-American Conference football memory will all come to a close on a chilly Saturday afternoon in the Motor City.
Western Michigan, led
by recently-named MAC Coach of the Year Lance Taylor, were the runaway winners of the conference’s regular season, finishing with an overall record of 8-4, including 7-1 in conference clashes, with key, season-defining wins over Toledo, Ohio and rival Central Michigan.
The only team they lost to? The Miami RedHawks, who will stand across from the Broncos in Detroit this weekend. Miami was the winner of a three-way mathematical tiebreaker at season’s end, but make no mistake: they earned their trip with gritty play down the stretch. Miami started off 0-3 against a tough out-of-conference slate, but finished 7-5, with a 6-2 overall record in MAC play.
As Saturday approaches, we take one last look at what to expect at Ford Field when the game kicks off Championship Weekend.
About the Western Michigan Broncos
Western was the class of the MAC in a year where nothing was guaranteed, taking only one loss and beating their in-league opponents by an average of 13.4 points per game en route to a 7-1 record once MAC play began.
Their success is rooted in sound football fundamentals, as the Broncos sit second in the MAC in time-of-possession (33:04), third in red zone defense (32-of-42) and first in penalties (37.4 yards per game on 53 calls.) WMU is also an excellent third-down defense (31 percent) and give up the second-least first downs total (16.4 per game.)
The Broncos possess one of the most explosive running offenses in the country, with dual-threat quarterback Broc Lowry at the helm. After claiming the job mid-season, Lowry dominated, accumulating a team-leading 875 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns while also tossing 1,572 yards and seven passing scores to two interceptions en route to first-team All-MAC honors.
Alongside Lowry in the backfield is a trio of capable runners, including former MAC Freshman of the Year Jalen Buckley (636 yards, six touchdowns), Devin Miles (346, two touchdowns) and Ofa Mataele (208 yards, three touchdowns.)
Western wants to pound the rock and then hit teams over the second level with deep passes. When WMU goes to the air, they’ll be looking for Tailique Williams (35 receptions, 478 yards, team-leading four touchdowns) and Baylin Brooks (23 rec., 334 yards.) True freshman Aveion Shenault (20 rec., 251 yards, two touchdowns) has also been an option in the second half of the season, primarily on intermediate routes.
Expect WMU to be aggressive on fourth downs; the Broncos went for it 27 times over 12 games, converting on 44 percent of their attempts (fourth-best in the MAC.)
The Broncos were one of the MAC’s best defenses on paper, second in the MAC in opponent scoring average (18.7), and third in the MAC in both rushing defense (126.3) and passing defense (175.9). They were also impressive in turnovers, recovering 9 of their 11 forced fumbles and plucking 10 interceptions on the season— including a pick-six against Michigan State.
Key to their dominance has been EDGE rusher Nadame Tucker, who was recently named the MAC’s Most Valuable Player— only the fifth defensive player to win the award in 44 seasons. The Houston transfer exploded onto the scene early and never let go, finishing his first campaign as a Bronco with 49 tackles, 18 tackles-for-loss, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and a pass break-up.
Tate Hallock (54 tackles, two TFLs, two interceptions, forced fumble, recovered fumble) and Joshua Franklin (41 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, sack, team-leading pass break-ups) are the spotlight players in the defensive backfield, with both named to all-MAC squads for their efforts in 2025, and will be crucial to WMU’s success in limiting an explosive Miami passing game.
WMU will want to stop the run early with their aggressive front seven (which has combined for 70 tackles-for-loss and 34 sacks) and force mistakes in the passing game in order to give the ball back to their ground control offense.
Special teams has been uneven for Western. Placekicker Palmer Domschke is 10-of-15 on field goals, missing three times from inside 40 yards. Punter Ryan Millmore averaged 41.9 net yards for Western, with nine punts of 50+ yards and 15 of 49 boots landing inside the 20-yard line.
About the Miami RedHawks
The Miami RedHawks arrive in Detroit to much controversy.
They finished the 2025 campaign at 7-5 overall, ultimately finishing fourth by overall record in the MAC. But crucially, they finished with a 6-2 record in league play, pulling them into a tie with two 8-4 teams in Toledo and Ohio. Due to the MAC’s new tiebreaker procedure with the elimination of divisions, Miami was declared the winner of the three-way tie— even with head-to-head losses to both programs in consecutive weeks.
This appearance in the MAC title game will be the third-straight for Miami, and fourth overall since Chuck Martin took over the program nearly a dozen years ago. They’re 2-1 in their previous appearances, with wins over Central Michigan (2019) and Toledo (2023), but lost last year to rival Ohio.
Much like Western, Miami has survived this far by dominating the pace of the game. The RedHawks are fifth in the MAC in time of possession (30:56) and boast one of the league’s most efficient defenses, sitting second with a 117.0 rating.
Where the two teams differ is within the margins. Miami is a middling team when it comes to offense; they’re sixth in the MAC in passing offense (195.9 yards per game), rushing offense (159.3 yards per game) and offensive efficiency. But they more than make up for it on defense, where they top the MAC in total sacks (38) and interceptions (14), and have recovered six of their 11 forced fumbles— all while having one of the country’s best special teams units.
The defensive unit has five all-MAC players through their 11 starters, with first-team all-MAC defensive lineman Adam Trick the talisman. From the EDGE spot, Trick has pulled in 55 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, an interception, four pass break-ups, 12 QB pressures and two forced fumbles.
All-MAC linebacker Corban Hondru mans the center of the defense, with a team-leading three interceptions to go along with 83 tackles (third on team), six TFLs, two sacks and a recovered fumble. Joining him will be Jackson Kuwatch, who emerged throughout the season and finished the campaign with 87 tackles, 9.5 TFLs and five sacks.
Potentially the best player on the field will be defensive back Eli Blakey, the RedHawks’ shutdown player. Blakey sits at 90 tackles (49 solo), with 3.5 TFLs, two interceptions, a team-leading eight pass break-ups and a recovered fumble. Fellow All-MAC DB Silas Walters (51 tackles, three interceptions, seven PBUs) will run alongside Blakey, giving Miami a formidable duo against WMU’s field-stretchers.
Offense has been a bit more turbulent in 2025, but has rebounded nicely over the last two weeks. After the shock departure of Dequan Finn from the program after the Toledo game, Thomas Gotkowski has taken the reins at quarterback and excelled. Through essentially 2.5 games, Gotkowski has 501 total yards and five total touchdowns (411 passing yards and four touchdowns; 90 rush yards, one touchdown) with no interceptions on 53 percent completion.
The passing game has looked improved in that time, as Gotkowski is yet to throw an interception through three contests. All-MAC selection Kam Perry will be the main target in the passing game, with a team-leading 865 yards and six touchdowns on only 35 receptions. Cole Weaver leads the team with 40 receptions for 534 yards, while Braylon Isom (10 rec., 141 yards) has had a great connection with Gotkowski in recent weeks, with the duo combining for two quick-strike touchdowns in their last game.
Jordan Brunson carries the majority load in the run game, with 141 carries for 665 yards and three touchdowns, but look out for relief back D’Shawntae Jones (52 carries, 239 yards), who averages 4.5 yards per carry and leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns on the season.
Special teams has always been a focus for the RedHawks under Chuck Martin and this year is no different. Former punter Dom Dzioban transitioned to placekicker this season and has excelled, finishing 19-of-21 on the year. 18 of Pierse Stainton’s 53 punts have landed inside the 20-yard line, with an average of 41.42 net yards. Their return game has also shined, averaging 27 yards per kickoff and scoring once. Miami also has a return touchdown in the punt game.
Final Thoughts
It’s always interesting seeing a mirror matchup with stakes attached, and this should be a pretty compelling— if at times ugly— contest.
Western will want to avenge their loss to Miami and prove they were the number one team with a bullet, while Miami hopes to prove their doubters wrong and move to 3-1 in their four MAC title appearances. Western is a favorite— but a very narrow one— and will likely have the fan advantage. That said, Miami faced a hostile crowd in 2019 and led pole-to-pole against Central, so it won’t be unfamiliar territory. They also won comfortably against Toledo in 2023 in similar conditions.
With both teams wanting to win the same way, the game will ultimately come down to the margin plays. Converting on leverage downs and finding a turnover will be crucial to success in Detroit, given both teams want to choke the clock out as much as possible and establish field position early.
One explosive play or one mistake on offense could be enough to turn the tide. Expect an intense and brutal contest.
The game is set to kick off on Saturday, Dec. 6th at noon Eastern time, with ESPN set to broadcast. A valid cable or ESPN Unlimited subscription is required for viewing.
