Western Michigan routs Kent State 38-7
Team pages: Kent State · Western Michigan
Western Michigan routed Kent State 38-7. Share this game
We had Western Michigan favored. It won.
Next: Kent State lost to South Florida 29-2, Sat Oct 17
Next: Western Michigan beat Central Michigan 21-14, Sat Oct 17
How it swung
Before kickoff, our ratings gave Western Michigan an 83% chance, and the closing betting line (Western Michigan was a 13.5-point favorite) put it at 86%.
Western Michigan 38-7 Kent State
Western Michigan wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.Kent State 7-38 Western MichiganKent State lostMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
How to read this chart
Starts from the pregame line (Western Michigan -13.5), at 87% for Western Michigan (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores.Every drive
Western Michigan scored on 6 of its 10 drives; Kent State on 1 of its 10.
Western Michigan’s drives are teal, Kent State’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.
What it cost
Western Michigan’s chance to win the conference rose from 32% to 35%.
Win the conference
Before the game (October 9, 2026) → after this result, in our model.
Box score
Western Michigan 38, Kent State 7
Western Michigan covered −13.5 by 17.5. The total, 45, went over 43.5.
| Team totals | Kent State | Western Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 298 | 466 |
| Passing | 19 of 35, 223 yds | 19 of 28, 262 yds |
| Rushing | 33 for 75 yds | 38 for 204 yds |
| First downs | 18 | 26 |
| Third down | 3 of 13 | 6 of 11 |
| Fourth down | 3 of 5 | 1 of 2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 11 for 100 yds | 7 for 52 yds |
| Time of possession | 30:13 | 29:47 |
Kent State leaders
- Passing Dru Deshields 19 of 35, 223 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing Mason Blakemore 13 for 36 yds; Brandon White 7 for 28 yds
- Receiving Wayne Harris 11 for 164 yds; Brendyn Smith 3 for 39 yds, 1 TD
Western Michigan leaders
- Passing Broc Lowry 18 of 26, 257 yds, 3 TD
- Rushing Jalen Buckley 16 for 105 yds; Broc Lowry 9 for 52 yds, 1 TD
- Receiving Adam Parks 3 for 55 yds, 2 TD; Baylin Brooks 2 for 43 yds, 1 TD
No rain and calm
77° at kickoff · no rain recorded · wind 7 mph from the south-southeast, gusts to 20
The usual here around this date is 57°, with about 7 in 10 games between 50° and 65°.
October game-day temperatures at Waldo Stadium
Drag along the chart, or step through the game.
Where this weather comes from
Measured at Kalamazoo airport, 4.3 miles away. Wind and rain are airport readings near the stadium, not on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.Before kickoff
Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.
Recent games
Last three games
Kent State · 2-3
Rated 122nd in our preseason ratings, 132nd now.
1-2 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.
Last three games
Western Michigan · 3-2
Rated 24th in our preseason ratings, 48th now.
2-1 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.
Week by week
Western Michigan
- Wk 1Lat Michigan12-13
- Wk 2Wvs Monmouth49-14
- Wk 3Wat Rice28-21
- Wk 4Lvs Boise State7-32
- Wk 5Wat Buffalo20-17
Kent State
- Wk 1Lat South Carolina0-57
- Wk 2Wvs Wofford36-15
- Wk 3Lat Ohio State3-59
- Wk 4Wvs Ball State26-13
- Wk 5Lvs Ohio10-13
Power rating by week
Western Michigan is rated 7.7 points ahead as of week 5. Our power rating by week; higher is better.
Matchups
Biggest mismatch: Western Michigan’s explosive plays against Kent State, 61 points
Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.
Western Michigan’s explosive plays against Kent State’s defense
Western Michigan offense, 8th percentile · Kent State defense, 69th
Kent State’s EPA/play against Western Michigan’s defense
Kent State offense, 1st percentile · Western Michigan defense, 48th
Kent State’s rushing EPA against Western Michigan’s defense
Kent State offense, 3rd percentile · Western Michigan defense, 51st
Season profile, all the rows
Season profile
The series
Western Michigan leads the series 34-12-1
47 meetings since 1962 · Western Michigan has won the last 4
- 2024Western Michigan 52-21
- 2021Western Michigan 64-31
- 2017Western Michigan 48-20
- 2016Western Michigan 37-21
- 2013Kent State 32-14
Each line is Western Michigan’s chance to win through that meeting. Older meetings have no play by play, so no line.
Line, fans and home field
The betting line, and the fans
Kent State fans are in a better mood than Western Michigan fans (95th vs 20th among FBS fanbases), even with Western Michigan favored.
Western Michigan favored by 13.5 · Total 43.5
How games like this usually go
Western Michigan by 13.5, and it went to form
Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game
The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 385 games since 2025 with a favorite of 7.5 to 14.5 points.
The market
The books’ cut: 4.2%, the margin built into the odds
Home field
Western Michigan is worth +3.8 points (±4.3) more at home than on the road since 2018 — middle of FBS, 44th percentile.
61% at home, 43% on the road against FBS opponents (23-15 home, 22-29 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +1.6 at home vs. away over 97 games — inside the ±6.3 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
The visitors travel about 235 miles to get here.
Where next
Conference standings
Place in the conference, then conference record.
- Western Michigan5th1-0
- Kent State7th1-1