Notebook: Broncos banged up, Chippewas navigating long-term injuries; linebackers, Chenault popping for WMU

Western Michigan is hoping to get a pair of key injured players on the offense back in the lineup for Saturday’s game at UMass, as tailback Jalen Buckley and starting offensive guard John Hofer are both “day-to-day,” head coach Lance Taylor said this week.

Buckley did not play in Saturday’s win over FCS Rhode Island after appearing in the first four games of the season. He missed some time during camp nursing an injury, but got ready to play by Week 1. 

Running backs Devin Miles and Lolo Mataele, plus Cole Cabana and quarterback Broc Lowry will shoulder the bulk of the rushing workload if Buckley can’t go on Saturday.

“Jalen Buckley is really day-to-day,” Taylor said. “He was questionable last week. Did not play him on game day, did not play him at all. But really proud of the backs that stepped up. It will be the same this week. He had the wrist and the ankle, but he will be day-to-day, hoping to get him back, hoping to get him back to practice. But we'll see how he feels on Tuesday.”

Hofer sustained an injury early in Saturday’s game against Rhode Island, getting spilled backward on a run block and staying down, appearing to have hurt his right knee or lower leg. He did not return, and Illinois transfer Hunter Whitenack filled in for the remainder of the game. 

If Hofer can’t play on Saturday, Whitenack will be in line to start. 

“John is tough, he's competitive, he's one of our leaders,” Taylor said. “Same thing with Buckley — both of those guys, they're tough as nails, they're going to try to play for their team, if possible. So I know Hofer will do everything that he can to get back. He'll be day-to-day, but it'll go all the way to game day whether either of those guys play.”

Both Buckley and Hofer remained the listed starters for the Broncos at running back and left guard, and their respective statuses for Saturday won’t likely be decided until hours prior to kickoff. 

Quartet of Chippewas now out for year

Headlined by quarterback Jadyn Glasser being scheduled for season-ending knee surgery this month, Central Michigan has lost four players to season-ending injuries in recent weeks.  

Along with Glasser, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since Week 3, linebacker Jason Philpot-Dixon and defensive back Bryce Rowe will be out for the year, head coach Matt Drinkall said on Tuesday. 

Philpot-Dixon injured his ACL against Eastern Michigan, and Rowe tore his pec. Both are going to undergo surgery to repair those respective injuries.

And fullback Mckeegan Ferguson is medically retiring, Drinkall said, as medical professionals, coaches and Ferguson came to the consensus that the risk of continuing to play after injuries to multiple vertebrae was too much. 

“So we're just super glad, we're fortunate that he's healthy and going to be able to do that,” Drinkall said. “And he's one of those kids that like, even though that's a career-ending injury, we had a great conversation yesterday so he's going to remain with the team as a player through the rest of the year and then probably, after this semester, transition into some kind of coaching or mentor role, which will be great.” 

The redshirt sophomore from Blanchard, Michigan, is in good spirits about the situation, Drinkall said, and plans to transition formally into coaching in some form after finishing out this season as a rostered player, albeit watching from the sidelines.

And Drinkall added that Ferguson has no regrets about his football career or how it ended. 

“He did everything perfectly,” Drinkall said. “Played as hard as you possibly could. Prepared as hard as you could. Like was the best teammate you could ever imagine and, to be totally honest with you, and I shared this with him, overachieved. He got more out of his body than he probably should have. So for him to be able to walk away from all of this completely healthy before it became a problem is a miracle and everybody is super happy and supportive of him.”

And the four new injuries for the Chippewas will join offensive lineman John Iannuzzi on the injury report. Iannuzzi tore his ACL earlier this season.

Aveion Chenault, linebackers popping for Western Michigan

A number of Broncos had arguably their best individual performances of the season on Saturday against Rhode Island, from true freshman wideout Aveion Chenault to the linebacking corps that’s getting healthier and more comfortable with each passing week.

Chenault had maybe the best single play of the day, hauling in his first career touchdown as he went to the ground in the back left corner of the east end zone at Waldo Stadium, with a defender draped all over him. 

Through five games, Chenault has six catches for 55 yards and the touchdown, and the feeling amongst the Broncos is that the sky is the limit for the young pass catcher. 

“I think the ceiling is really high on Aveion,” Taylor said. “He's got great size and speed but with his work ethic and Coach [Kyle] Perkins really helping him master the tools of his trade — route running, getting off press releases, the top of his route — I think he's going to be a really good player for us.”

As for the linebacking corps, Taylor said that Saturday might’ve been the best game that transfer James Camden played. Camden tied for a team-high five tackles and also got in on a sack.

“And I think Jame Camden and Sefa are really coming into their own,” Taylor said. “They've played well, but they've improved each and every week. This was James Camden's best week. He played really well. He was a captain for us on Saturday. He started to be a leader for us. Him and Sefa really commanding the defense, making the calls.

Further, the group is getting healthier, as Domanick Moon played some snaps, albeit with his hand still clubbed, and Dillon Moore also got some run, stepping in to give some rest to Camden and Sefa Saipaia Jr., who had played a majority of the snaps as that group was thin to begin the year. 

As a whole, Taylor is pleased with where that group is headed and what it can add to an already stingy defense.

“They played really well but didn't really have much depth behind them,” Taylor said of Saipaia and Camden. “Now we've got two guys back, Domanick Moon and D-Mo. I think both of those guys are stepping in, playing really well. Gabe Welch has also played some snaps there. So we're able to get a rotation, keep guys healthy and fresh.