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FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Stadium (49,225) -- Bloomington, Indiana. Television: BTN. Home Record: WMU 0-0, Indiana 01-0. Away Record: WMU 0-1, Indiana 0-0. Neutral Record: WMU 0-0, Indiana 0-0. Conference Record: WMU 0-0, Indiana 0-0. Series Record: Indiana leads, 4-0.

GAME NOTES: The Western Michigan Broncos will try to rebound from a tough opening loss to Michigan when they take on another Big Ten foe in the Indiana Hoosiers this Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

The Broncos traveled to Ann Arbor to open their season, but they were greeted by a crazed crowd at the Big House and were no match for the Wolverines, falling by a score of 31-7. It was the fifth consecutive season-opening loss for WMU, which is now just 6-27 against current Big Ten schools.

As for the Hoosiers, they opened their campaign against Eastern Kentucky, but it was not an easy matchup for Indiana, as coach Bill Lynch's squad just slipped past EKU, 19-13. Although it was a tough matchup, it was good for Indiana to grab a victory at home, especially after going just 3-5 at Memorial Stadium in 2008.

Indiana and WMU have tangled four previous times and the Hoosiers have won all four matchups, including a 37-27 decision back in 2007.

The Broncos were a well-oiled machine in 2008, but that was not the case in the season-opener, as the team racked up just 301 total yards. The ground game was completely shut down by Michigan's defense, as the Broncos were limited to just 38 yards on just 1.6 ypc. Brandon West, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2008, did very little against the Wolverines, rushing for just 41 yards. The passing attack was a bit more effective, but quarterback Tim Hiller did have some trouble throughout the contest. The senior signal-caller completed 22-of-38 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown, but also tossed two interceptions and was sacked twice. It was a rough start for Hiller, who was outstanding in 2008, racking up 3,725 yards and 36 touchdowns. One of the bright spots for the offense was the play of Juan Nunez, who stepped into the number one receiver role this year. Nunez, who was the third option in '08, hauled in seven receptions for 151 yards and one score.

The defensive unit for WMU was punched right in the mouth by Michigan's rushing attack on Saturday, as the Wolverines punished the Broncos for 242 yards on 4.8 ypc. Defending the pass was not an easy task for the Broncos either, as the Wolverines threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns against Western Michigan. The Broncos did not record a sack in the loss, but the unit was able to hold Michigan to just 1-of-3 inside the red zone, which could be something for this team to build on heading into its second matchup.

The Hoosiers might have won their opener, but the team was less than impressive, scoring only 19 points against Eastern Kentucky. The ground attack was inconsistent, as the Hoosiers finished with only 73 yards on 2.4 ypc. Demetrius McCray led the way, but churned out only 49 yards on 3.8 ypc. Fortunately the passing attack was able to produce, as Ben Chappell completed 27-of-36 passes for 326 yards and one score. Tandon Doss and Demario Belcher proved to be extremely reliable targets for Chappell, as Doss hauled in eight receptions for 125 yards, while Belcher grabbed six passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Doss and Belcher saw limited time in 2008, combining for 39 receptions and three scores, but the two wideouts seem ready to lead an inexperienced receiving corps.

Another reason for the Hoosiers' victory was the play of the defense, which despite allowing 278 passing yards and one touchdown through the air, held EKU to just 13 points. Indiana also did a terrific job against the run, holding the Colonels to just 100 yards on 3.2 ypc. It was definitely an impressive showing by the Hoosiers, which allowed 432 total yards per game in 2008, including 172 rushing. Pressuring the Colonels also helped, as the defensive unit force one fumble and record four sacks in the victory. Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson collected two of the four sacks, and Ray Fisher was the player to force the fumble in the victory.

Neither team performed well offensively, but the Hoosiers' play on the defensive side of the football should be the major difference in this meeting. Expect WMU to put forth a better performance against this week, but the Broncos should ultimately fall in Bloomington.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Indiana 27, Western Michigan 21