Western Michigan at Northwestern GameThread

The wait is over. Northwestern and Western Michigan face off to open the 2016 season in Evanston. The Wildcats, coming of a wildly successful 10-3 year, are looking to build off their double-digit-win campaign with a bevy of key players returning. Starting quarterback Clayton Thorson as well as his backfield mate Justin Jackson are back, as is a significant amount of starting experience on the offensive line.

Defensively, the Wildcats return preseason first-team All American middle linebacker Anthony Walker as well asseveral other stalwarts: defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster, cornerback Matthew Harris and safety Godwin Igwebuike.

Western Michigan, out of the Mid-American Conference, is no pushover, though. The Broncos feature a high-powered offense with senior quarterback Zach Terrell and outstanding wide receiver Corey Davis. P.J. Fleck has taken a once-downtrodden Western Michigan program and turned it into a serious MAC contender, dominating the recruiting trails along the way. His Broncos finished 8-5 last year.

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