Game Breakdown: Expect it to be close in Waldo Saturday

Sports Editor Andrew Stover breaks down the Central/Western rivalry game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.

Quarterbacks

The Mid-American Conference’s best two quarterbacks, seniors Dan LeFevour (CMU) and Tim Hiller (WMU), play for the final time in arguably the MAC’s best rivalry. While Hiller has 183 more passing yards than LeFevour, CMU’s dual-threat quarterback also is ninth in the conference in rushing with 319 yards.

ADVANATAGE: CMU. Both teams have explosiving passing attacks. The difference comes in LeFevour’s ability to move the ball on the ground.

Running backs

WMU’s Brandon West is second only to CMU wide receiver Antonio Brown with 184.2 all-purpose yards per game. He is third in the conference with 534 yards. Last week, West rushed 14 times for 153 yards and had four total touchdowns against Toledo.

For CMU, sophomore Bryan Schroeder received the bulk of the carries last week, and he will continue to split time with sophomore Paris Cotton.

ADVANTAGE: WMU. CMU will be able to run the ball with success, but most of that will be done by LeFevour. Brandon West will be the best running back on the field.

CMU offensive line vs. WMU front seven

WMU senior linebacker Austin Pritchard is fifth in the MAC with 9.3 tackles per game and senior defensive tackle Cody Cielenski is tied for seventh in the MAC with three sacks. He also has six tackles for loss. But CMU’s offensive line has gelled. CMU’s rushing offense is second in the MAC (165.2 yards per game). Losing junior center Colin Miller for the coming weeks will hurt, though.

ADVANTAGE: CMU. The Broncos are giving up 182 rushing yards per game, so LeFevour should be able to continue his success on the ground.

WMU offensive line vs. CMU front seven

All five WMU offensive lineman are more than 300 pounds, and the unit has four upperclassmen (four juniors, one senior). But WMU is ninth in the MAC in rushing offense, managing only 116.8 rushing yards per game. However, for as much as the Broncos pass the ball — Hiller is one of only three quarterbacks in the conference with more than 200 attempts — the offensive line has allowed just eight sacks.

CMU has been stout against the run, and it is especially strong at the linebacker position with juniors Nick Bellore and Matt Berning. The Chippewas are fourth in the conference in sacks (11).

ADVANTAGE: Even. CMU has played better so far this season, but the Broncos will try to win through the air, and the offensive line has been able to protect Hiller.

CMU wide receivers vs. WMU secondary

CMU junior Antonio Brown will make his plays, but senior Bryan Anderson has been inconsistent from game to game.

ADVANTAGE: CMU. The play of Anderson and junior Kito Poblah favors a CMU passing offense against the MAC’s eighth-best passing defense.

WMU wide receivers vs. CMU secondary

Junior wide receivers Jordan White and Juan Nunez have given Hiller a consistent one-two punch. White is averaging 5.8 catches and 77.4 yards per game. Nunez is averaging 5.4 catches and 77.6 yards per game.

ADVANTAGE: WMU. For as good as CMU’s secondary has looked on a consistent basis, WMU may represent the best passing attack the Chippewas have faced all year.

Prediction

For as good as CMU has been through six games, a WMU win evens the two schools’ records in the conference. A game at Waldo Stadium favors the Broncos heavily, and Hiller will have success through the air, but CMU finds a way to win a close game on the road.

CMU 31, WMU 24