Anderson continues success against Broncos

KALAMAZOO — Three plays looked too familiar in a span of four late in the first half of the football team’s 34-23 victory Saturday against Western Michigan.

Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour dropped back in the pocket and completed a pass to senior wide receiver Bryan Anderson for a first down. All three passes were hitch routes against soft coverage where Anderson turned upfield for 12-yard gains.

The two players completed numerous plays such as that almost instinctively in the past four years.

“They called my number early and often, which was nice,” Anderson said.

The drive set up a touchdown by sophomore running back Bryan Schroeder as part of a one-minute, 20-second span in which CMU scored 14 consecutive points to regain momentum heading into the half.

But in Anderson’s case, it was success he has not seen as much this season.

Anderson, who finished the game with seven catches and 133 receiving yards, came in with 23 catches for 281 yards and one touchdown in six games.

LeFevour said with the team emphasizing the bubble screens and defenses focusing on Anderson in coverage, it could be hurting his touches.

“Obviously, defenses know this guy has been a first team all-MAC guy … So they’re going to try to take some things away,” he said.

LeFevour said, however, Western’s defensive push to watch the screens and short passes opened up lanes for Anderson.

“I think they were trying to take away our slot receivers and that’s why the ball was open to Bryan so much out on the perimeter,” he said.

During the drive LeFevour and Anderson strung together three consecutive first downs, Anderson became the all-time CMU leader in receiving yards, with 3,278 yards by the end of the game. Anderson also holds the CMU record for receptions (256) and receiving touchdowns (22).

Anderson, who rooms with LeFevour, jokingly said he has been harping for more touches.

“I’ve been in his ear every day just trying to get him to throw me the ball, but he’s got to go through is progressions,” he said. “Obviously, that’s how it goes sometimes.”

Western Success

One of Anderson’s seven catches Saturday was a career long, going 65 yards and setting up the team’s first touchdown.

“Bryan made a great play on the ball and set us up to score,” LeFevour said.

Big-time catches are not uncommon for Anderson at Waldo Stadium. He also played well in Kalamazoo two years ago, catching seven passes for 120 yards, including a key 39-yard catch over the shoulder late in the fourth quarter, which set up the team’s winning touchdown in a 34-31 win.

Anderson now has caught passes in 47 consecutive games, the longest active streak in Football Bowl Subdivision football and just four short of the all-time record of 51 set by Texas Tech’s Taurean Henderson and Miami University’s Michael Larkin. If he continues his streak, he would tie the record Nov. 18 at Ball State and set a new one Nov. 27 against Northern Illinois in the season finale.