KALAMAZOO, Mich. — In a dominant performance on Saturday, Western Michigan triumphed over Kent State with a score of 52-21, marking a significant win for the Broncos. Jaden Nixon was a standout, rushing for 135 yards, which included an impressive 92-yard touchdown run. Jalen Buckley contributed to the score with two rushing touchdowns as part of the team’s overall 358 rushing yards in the game.

Michigan State also enjoyed a productive first half, putting up 38 points—their best first-half performance since a 43-point game against Georgia State back in 2019. Nixon’s long touchdown was particularly notable; he dashed through the middle and skillfully maneuvered around defenders, sprinting down the right sideline for the second-longest rushing touchdown in the history of the program.

Buckley was effective, carrying the ball 11 times and accumulating 80 yards, which led to his fifth career game with multiple touchdowns. Broc Lowry added to the ground game with a touchdown on one of his three carries, racking up 57 yards. Zahir Abdus-Salaam also made a significant impact, rushing six times for 83 yards, with a notable 70-yard run that helped set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Hayden Wolff to Blake Bosma, extending the lead to 45-7.

Defensively, Western Michigan showcased a strong performance, generating four turnovers and limiting Kent State to only 250 total yards. Notably, safety Tate Hallock recorded two interceptions in a game for the second time in his career, highlighting the defense’s effectiveness.

On the other side, Kent State’s Tommy Ulatowski managed to throw for three touchdowns, but the effort wasn’t sufficient to close the gap against the Broncos, leaving Kent State still searching for their first win of the season with a current record of 0-8.