Football

MAC Champs Western Michigan to Face Kennesaw State in Myrtle Beach Bowl Friday

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MAC Football Bowl Schedule
Friday, December 19th
Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, S.C.)
Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State, 11AM ET (ESPN | Live Stats)

Tuesday, December 23rd
Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Toledo vs. Louisville, 2PM ET(ESPN | Live Stats)

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas)
Ohio vs. UNLV, 9PM ET (ESPN | Live Stats)

Friday, December 26
GameAbove Sports Bowl (Detroit, Mich.)
Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, 1PM ET (ESPN | Live Stats)

Saturday, December 27
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Tucson, Ariz.)
Miami vs. Fresno State, 4:30PM ET (CW Network | Live Stats)
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State Preview
Western Michigan will look to cap a historic season Friday morning when it faces Conference USA champion Kennesaw State in the Myrtle Beach Bowl at Brooks Stadium in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET on ESPN. The Broncos (9-4) are making their 13th bowl appearance after capturing the 2025 Mid-American Conference title with a 23-13 victory over Miami (Ohio), while the Owls enter at 10-3 after winning the CUSA crown. It is the first meeting between the two programs and one of the few bowl matchups this season to feature two conference champions.

The Broncos have surged late behind a resurgent ground game led by redshirt junior Jalen Buckley, who rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the MAC Championship Game to earn Offensive MVP honors. Buckley has piled up 546 rushing yards and seven touchdowns over the final five games, all WMU wins. Quarterback Broc Lowry has added a dynamic rushing element, entering the bowl game with 940 yards on the ground and needing just 60 more to become the first 1,000-yard rushing quarterback in program history. Western Michigan has leaned on balance and ball control during its championship run, winning seven of its last eight games.

Defensively, the Broncos are anchored by senior defensive end Nadame Tucker, a Walter Camp second-team All-American and Associated Press third-team selection. Tucker leads the nation with 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss and was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year and championship game MVP. A victory Friday would give Western Michigan its third bowl win and make this year’s squad the first in program history to claim both a conference championship and a bowl victory in the same season, further cementing its place among the school’s most accomplished teams.