Western Michigan·Mid-American

2014 — The Winning Chapter

Western Michigan's 2014 season (8-5) is a middle chapter: table-stakes progress, no crown in the ledger, the program still writing the book.

Record 8-5
Final result Bowl season Lost the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
AP final — post-bowls
SP+ -0.4 last-week
Era —
The shape of the season · week by week, cumulative W-L below
L @ Purdue 34-43 W @ Idaho 45-33 W vs Murr Sta 45-14 L @ Virg Tec 17-35 L vs Toledo 19-20 W @ Ball Sta 42-38 W @ Bowl Gre 26-14 W vs Ohio 42-21 W @ Miam (OH 41-10 W vs East Mic 51-7 W @ Cent Mic 32-20 L vs Nort Ill 21-31 L @ Air For 24-38 Bowl

Who carried it

Season leaders, 2014.

Defining moments
The statement

The 2014 season's largest margin: Western Michigan 51, Eastern Michigan 7. A 44-point win — the year's high-water mark.

The setback

The season's deepest loss: Western Michigan 17, Virginia Tech 35. A 18-point margin the season is remembered by.

The postseason

The season's last act: Western Michigan fell to Air Force 24-38 in the postseason.

"Row the Boat"
— Western Michigan fanbase voice · 2014· synthesized
What it meant

2014 is a middle chapter for Western Michigan — neither a crown year nor a crisis. It is the kind of season that fills the ledger between the named ones and gives the arc its shape.