TV/radio: 11 a.m. Saturday, ESPNU, WGN-AM 720.
Line: Northwestern by 5.
2015 records: Western Michigan 8-5; Northwestern 10-3.
Last meeting: The Wildcats rolled up 335 yards on the ground, including 106 by QB Kain Colter and 158 and two TDs from third-string RB Treyvon Green, en route to a 38-17 victory on Sept. 14, 2013, in Evanston.
Keys to the game
Can the Wildcats win even more with a passing game? They won 10 times without one last fall, and QB Clayton Thorson has every reason to improve as a sophomore. Establishing himself as a big-play threat would not only do wonders for his psyche, but also make things easier for workhorse Justin Jackson and the running game.
Will NU keep the ball away from Darius Phillips? Don’t kick it off to him, don’t punt it to him and perhaps most importantly, don’t throw it to him. The Broncos CB was at his most dangerous against Big Ten teams last season, recording two of his five interceptions against Ohio State and unleashing kickoff returns of 80 and 100 yards against Michigan State.
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Do the Wildcats respect the MAC? The conference is full of guys who were poked and prodded by Big Ten coaches before being told they were not quite good enough. It’s the anatomy of a grudge, and it’s the reason MAC players love playing the Big Ten (the schools love the money). There are four Big Ten-MAC matchups this weekend, and a MAC team has won at least one of them every year since 2006. And Western Michigan is expected to be the best team in the MAC.
Mike Helfgot’s pick: It’s hard to know what effect the arrests and dismissals of two Western Michigan freshmen will have on the Broncos. The Wildcats — at home, without distraction and 9-1 in openers under Pat Fitzgerald — have a lot going for them.
Northwestern 24, Western Michigan 17