Tag: Western Michigan Broncos

WATCH: Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith scores long touchdown

WATCH: Ohio State star, Jeremiah Smith score touchdown #GoBucks

Ohio State football is starting its second game much better than the first as it is currently taking it to the Western Michigan Broncos early. To the surprise of no one, freshman phenom, Jeremiah Smith, is already making highlight reel plays.

Not only did Smith catch the game’s first pass, but he scored an amazing touchdown. So far on the day the Buckeye receiver is leading the team with two receptions for 80 yards, with one that he took to the house for 70 yards. He has started this game out hot and I’m sure he’ll provide more memorable plays before the day is over.

We’ll continue to have highlights, reaction, and analysis during and after this one in the ‘Shoe, so continue to check back often.

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ESPN analytics has Ohio State football as landslide favorite in Week 2 battle

Ohio State is expected to roll next weekend according to ESPN metric. #GoBucks

Ohio State football took on the Akron Zips in Week 1, thrashing its opponent 52-6. However, it didn’t quite cover the lofty 48.5-point spread due to a slow start offensively.

In Week 2, the Buckeyes will host the Western Michigan Broncos. The Broncos lost their Week 1 game 28-14 to the Wisconsin at Camp Randall. The schedule for Western Michigan will ease up with Bethune in Week 3.

As for the Week 2 battle, ESPN has Ohio State as a landslide favorite. The matchup predictor, which is powered by ESPN analytics, has Ohio State as a 98.1% favorite. The game, which will be played in Columbus at Ohio Stadium, will be featured on the Big Ten Network and kicks off a 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

The Buckeyes will have an unranked opponent for the first four weeks before drawing the Iowa Hawkeyes and Oregon Ducks in back-to-backs weeks in October.

Ohio State has the talent to put it on Western Michigan in Week 2, and the analytics seen to think it will be at least a four-score game.

The Buckeyes got off to a slow start Saturday yet still scored 52 points behind QB Will Howard’s three-touchdown performance. Expect another dominant showing from Ohio State in Week 2.

A Western Michigan cornerback actually leapfrogged over an unsuspecting referee

Yes, he really leapfrogged.

I’m not sure what Western Michigan cornerback Nyquann Washington was thinking here … or, frankly, what the referee must have thought.

But now we have this amazing college football moment from Friday night that everyone’s buzzing about.

With Wisconsin scoring in the fourth quarter in the Badgers’ eventual win over the Broncos, the subsequent two-point conversion gave them a bigger lead. And as Washington watched the play end, he saw a referee crouched in front of him.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Ranking the best stadiums in the top 25

So what did Washington do? Play a game of leapfrog. I’m shocked he wasn’t whistled for a penalty.

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Marshawn Kneeland attracts a big crowd for Western Michigan’s pro day

Rising 2024 NFL draft prospect Marshawn Kneeland attracts a big crowd for Western Michigan’s pro day

One of only two pro days on the workout circuit attracted quite a crowd to Kalamazoo on Monday. Nearly everyone was there to watch one player: Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

Kneeland, from nearby Wyoming Godwin Heights High School in Grand Rapids, was one of seven WMU Broncos players participating in the pro day. Let’s just say that over 50 scouts and coaches from 23 NFL teams didn’t make the trip to watch WR Leroy Thomas or TE Austin Hence.

After opting to stand on his outstanding NFL Scouting Combine athletic testing numbers, scouts eagerly watched the 6-foot-3. 267-pound Kneeland go through positional drills.

Kneeland’s workout was run by New York Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton. At least four other NFL defensive line coaches were at the workout inside the Seelye Center on WMU’s campus.

Kneeland has definitely risen in the draft process, beginning with an excellent showing at the Senior Bowl. He’s had to answer questions about a relative lack of productivity — just 4.5 sacks and 7.5 TFLs in 10 games in 2023 — for several NFL teams already. Among them are the Chiefs, Seahawks, Bills, Eagles, Lions, Falcons and Texans.

Vikings 2024 NFL draft scouting report: Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland

Marshawn Kneeland is the seventh member of the All-Forno team. How does he project and where does he go in the NFL Draft?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2024 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and edge rusher. We will also focus on wide receiver since it’s a loaded class and an increased chance to get a Stefon Diggs-type steal in the later rounds.

The Vikings are slated to have 9 picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

Five takeaways from Ohio State basketball’s win over Western Michigan

What did you takeaway from the Buckeyes victory over Western Michigan

The Ohio State men’s basketball team protected its home court against Western Michigan, getting its third win of the year, routing the Broncos 73-56.

The Buckeyes used a balanced team scoring attack, won the turnover and rebound battles, while shooting 40% from the three-point line. Head coach Chris Holtmann must have been very happy with the Buckeyes performance, as they improved to 3-1 on the young season.

This was the final game before a visit from a ranked Alabama team, and the Buckeyes should enter that contest with plenty of confidence. Let’s take a look back at the biggest takeaways from Ohio State’s home win over Western Michigan.

Paul Skenes named National Player of the Week, SEC Pitcher of the Week

The Air Force transfer pitched six shutout innings with 12 strikeouts on Friday night.

[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] entered the season with sky-high expectations, and he’s already living up to them.

After an electric start in LSU’s season-opening 10-0 win over Western Michigan on Friday night, Skenes was named both the National Player of the Week and SEC Pitcher of the Week.

In his first start as a Tiger, he pitched six innings and gave up three hits with 12 strikeouts and only one walk. Skenes showed that he was one of the best pitchers in the country and proved why he could be a top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

He was named the Friday night starter before the season, and if he keeps pitching as he did in Game 1, he will be the ace for the rest of the year. LSU started the season off with a three-game sweep of Western Michigan.

The Tigers’ next game will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT against Southern. UCLA transfer Thatcher Hurd will get the start on the mound for that one, and Tommy White’s status is still unknown.

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LSU baseball remains on top in SEC power rankings after perfect opening weekend

The Tigers started the year with a sweep over Western Michigan at Alex Box Stadium.

We got our first look at the highly anticipated 2023 LSU baseball team over the weekend, and it was a mostly stellar debut.

Paul Skenes was fantastic in his Tigers debut on Friday as coach Jay Johnson’s team began the year with a shutout 10-0 win. Saturday’s game was a bit too close for comfort as it ended 5-3, and Sunday’s finale looked like it was shaping up to be the same way before LSU pulled away for a 9-2 win.

The unanimous preseason No. 1 team held serve in its opening series despite losing star third baseman [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] in the first inning of the first game with a shoulder injury that held him out for the rest of the series, though he should return to the lineup this weekend.

LSU looked good despite being tested a bit in Game 2, and the preseason national title favorite remained on top of the On3 SEC power rankings after the first weekend of play.

LSU is one of the favorites to win this year’s College World Series, and the Tigers looked the part on opening weekend. Facing Western Michigan, LSU kicked things off with a 10-0 victory on Friday night. The Tigers got experience in a close game on Saturday, winning just 5-3 before going on to take the season finale 9-2 to earn the season-opening series sweep.

If LSU can stay healthy, this team’s ceiling is very high. The Tigers lost pitcher Grant Taylor to a season-ending injury just before the season started, and transfer third baseman Tommy White left the season opener after dislocating his shoulder, not returning for the rest of the series. Next up for LSU is a midweek matchup against Southern before playing in the Round Rock Classic over the weekend.

It helped the Tigers that the Tennessee team that began the week No. 2 in both the SEC power rankings and the national rankings had a disappointing first weekend, starting the year 1-2.

The Tigers should have White back for this weekend in the Round Rock Classic, and they’ll look to keep up their winning ways when they face Kansas State, Iowa and Sam Houston State this weekend.

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No. 1 LSU vs. Western Michigan: How to watch, stream, preview for season-opening baseball series

The unanimous preseason No. 1 team makes its long-awaited season debut on Friday afternoon.

The unanimous preseason No. 1 LSU baseball team is set to make its long-awaited debut on Friday night against Western Michigan for a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium to kick off Year 2 under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag].

The Tigers are coming off a 40-22 (17-13 SEC) run in Johnson’s first season, which ended with a loss in the final round at the Hattiesburg Regional to top-seeded Southern Miss. But after an offseason haul that featured the top transfer and recruiting classes in the nation, this team has a title on its mind.

The Broncos are coming off an 18-36 season and are hoping for more success this campaign, but it will have to start against arguably the most formidable roster in the sport.

“We’re taking one game at a time, trying to do things in the context of winning that day,” Johnson said in a release. “To win Division I baseball games, you have to do things right. The goal is to put our players in positions to have success, and we’ll figure out what our best team looks like as we move forward.

“Two years ago, my last Arizona team – which ended up going to Omaha – opened the season by splitting four games with Ball State, which is from the same conference as Western Michigan. That Ball State team was very good with a really good pitching staff, so we’re preparing to face a strong challenge from Western Michigan.”

LSU has won 21 consecutive season-opening games dating back to 2001, and the Tigers will look to keep that streak alive when they begin the season on Friday afternoon. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the opening weekend series.

Gators offer WMU defensive line transfer to kick off portal season

The transfer portal is filling up and Florida is already identifying some of its top targets. The Gators are looking to add some defensive line depth through the portal.

It didn’t take long for Western Michigan transfer defensive lineman [autotag]Braden Fiske[/autotag] to pick up offers from the Power Five. Florida is one of a handful of teams joining the race for Fiske, according to a report from Swamp247.

The Gators offered Fiske on Thursday, but they’ll have plenty of competition for the highly-desired transfer. Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers and West Virginia have all offered, and Florida State and Miami are interested in him too.

Fiske has the size to play in the SEC. He stands at 6-foot-5-inches tall and weighs in around 300 pounds. As an interior defensive line guy that has also spent time on the edge, Fiske put together an impressive season at Western Michigan, collecting 58 total tackles (31 solo), 12 tackles for a loss and 6.0 sacks.

The early interest in Fiske isn’t entirely unexpected. Although he isn’t a graduate transfer, Fiske was able to enter the portal before the Dec. 5 date because Western Michigan let go of its head coach. Florida’s interest in him is unsurprising given his talent and size, but there’s also a need for a big man on the defensive line next season. [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] could leave the team for the NFL, and Florida lacks depth up front.

Notre Dame is another school to watch out for in this recruiting battle. The Fighting Irish will get him on campus this weekend, and Fiske is an Indiana native. Staying close to home might help determine his decision, but Fiske says playing time and NFL development also loom large.

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