1982 Western Michigan Broncos football team

American college football season

1982 Western Michigan Broncos football

Conference| Mid-American Conference
Record| 7–2–2 (5–2–2 MAC)
Head coach|

* Jack Harbaugh (1st season)

Offensive coordinator| Steve Szabo (1st season)
MVP| Mark Kujacznski
Captains|

* Les Garrett
* Dave Knapp
* Duane Wilson

Home stadium| Waldo Stadium

Seasons

<- 1981

1983 ->

1982 Mid-American Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
Bowling Green $  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 5  | - | 0
Western Michigan | 5  | - | 2  | - | 2 |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 2
Miami (OH) | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Central Michigan | 5  | - | 3  | - | 1 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 1
Ohio | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Toledo | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Northern Illinois | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Ball State | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Eastern Michigan | 1  | - | 7  | - | 1 |  |  | 1  | - | 9  | - | 1
Kent State | 0  | - | 9  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 11  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* The conference was a hybrid of NCAA Division I-A and I-AA programs. Central Michigan and Toledo were I-A while the other teams were classified as I-AA for the 1982 season only.

The 1982 Western Michigan Broncos football team was an American football team that represented Western Michigan University during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Jack Harbaugh, the Broncos compiled a 7–2–2 record and finished in second place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[1]

The team's statistical leaders were Chris Conklin with 853 passing yards, Shawn Faulkner with 910 rushing yards, and Bob Phillips with 39 catches for 577 receiving yards.[2] Linebacker Les Garrett, defensive tackle/middle guard Dave Knapp, and tackle Duane Wilson were the team captains.[3] Defensive back Mark Kujacznski received the team's most outstanding player award.[4]

On December 10, 1981, Jack Harbaugh was hired as Western's head football coach. Harbaugh was 42 years old at the time and had been defensive coordinator at Stanford since 1980. He had played college football at Bowling Green and served as an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1973 to 1979.[5]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|

September 4| 1:03 p.m.| Grand Valley State*|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| W 28–3| 15,881–15,991| [6][7]
September 11| 7:00 p.m.| at Marshall*|

* Fairfield Stadium
* Huntington, WV

| W 34–0| 17,188| [8]
September 25| 1:00 p.m.| Kent State|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| W 24–14| 15,542| [9]
October 2| 1:30 p.m.| at Bowling Green|

* Doyt Perry Stadium
* Bowling Green, OH

| L 3–7| 18,407| [10]
October 9| 1:28 p.m.| at Central Michigan|

* Perry Shorts Stadium
* Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry)

| T 18–18| 28,632| [11]
October 16| 1:00 p.m.| Miami (OH)|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| W 10–0| 21,500–21,550| [12]
October 23| 1:30 p.m.| at Ball State|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| L 6–13| 15,700| [13]
October 30| 1:00 p.m.| Northern Illinois|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| W 27–3| 17,250| [14]
November 6| 1:30 p.m.| at Toledo|

* Glass Bowl
* Toledo, OH

| W 17–10| 22,423| [15]
November 13| 1:00 p.m.| Ohio|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| W 16–7| 13,270| [16]
November 20| 1:30 p.m.| Eastern Michigan|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| T 3–3| 8,702| [17]

* *Non-conference game
* All times are in Eastern time

[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1982 Western Michigan Broncos Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
2. ^ "1982 Western Michigan Broncos Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
3. ^ "Football History: All-Time Captains". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
4. ^ "Football History: Team Awards". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
5. ^ "Former U-M assistant named coach at WMU". Detroit Free Press. December 11, 1981. p. 3D.
6. ^ "Harbaugh gets first win as Broncos' reins". The Muskegon Chronicle. September 5, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Final 1982 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grand Valley State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
8. ^ "Big 2d half wins for Western". Detroit Free Press. September 12, 1982. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Western overcomes injuries to down MAC foe Kent State". The Kalamazoo Gazette. September 26, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Depleted Broncos suffer first defeat". Battle Creek Enquirer. October 3, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Wind has effect on Broncos". The Kalamazoo Gazette. October 10, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Prindle, WMU boot Miami from the list of undefeated". The Grand Rapids Press. October 17, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Ball State's flurry topples Western". The South Bend Tribune. October 24, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "Western's defense lives up to billing, 27–3". Detroit Free Press. October 31, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Caper, Conklin help WMU back in wacky MAC race". The Grand Rapids Press. November 7, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "Cardiac kids triumph". The Kalamazoo Gazette. November 14, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "Gamble fails, Western settles for 3–3 tie". The Kalamazoo Gazette. November 21, 1982. Retrieved February 21, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
18. ^ "Schedule/Results (1982 Western Michigan)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 5, 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Western Michigan Broncos football

Venues|

* Waldo Stadium (1939–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Central Michigan
* Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan: Michigan MAC Trophy

Culture & lore|

* Buster Bronco
* Bronco Marching Band

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
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* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
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* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
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* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
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* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
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* 2006
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* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

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* v
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties