2008 Western Michigan Broncos football team
The 2008 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the 2008 NCAA football season. Led by head coach Bill Cubit in his fourth season, the Broncos played their home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Western Michigan finished 9–4 overall and 6–2 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), with a multiple offensive scheme and a 4–3 base defense led by first-year defensive coordinator Steve Morrison.
The Broncos defeated a mix of conference and non-conference opponents, including Northern Illinois, Temple, Ohio, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Illinois, Idaho, and Tennessee Tech. They lost to Nebraska, Central Michigan, and Ball State. Western Michigan earned a berth in the Texas Bowl, where they fell to Rice 38–14 on December 30, 2008.
During the season, WMU received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls, reaching the top 30 in week 13 with a 9–2 record before dropping out after ending the year with two consecutive losses. Preseason expectations had WMU picked to finish third in the West Division of the MAC, with a couple of first-place votes and a single vote to win the MAC Championship Game; Central Michigan was favored to win the West, and Bowling Green the East. The 2008 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the MAC and No. 65 nationally by Rivals.
Key games included a tough opener against Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers took a 17–0 lead in the second quarter and WMU struggled to find footing. Tim Hiller went 30-of-49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns, Branden Ledbetter catching nine passes for 123 yards and a TD, but the Broncos were held to just eight rushing yards.
In MAC play, Western Michigan rallied to beat Northern Illinois in a tight contest after trailing 19–14 late in the fourth quarter, with Hiller throwing three touchdowns and Brandon West rushing 25 times for 175 yards. Against Idaho, WMU trailed briefly before a big second-half surge powered a 51–28 win as Hiller threw four TD passes and Jamarko Simmons had a pair of receiving TDs. Hiller finished the Tennessee Tech game with five TD passes, completing 27 of 31 attempts for 333 yards, while West gained 133 rushing yards and Simmons had 10 receptions for 115 yards.
Overall, 12 Broncos earned All-MAC honors following the season.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:12 (CET).