Western Michigan at Central Michigan
The Victory Cannon, Western Michigan at Central Michigan, final: Western Michigan beat Central Michigan 21–14. The Gotta See It Meter called it worth having on: 19 of 100 (I'll Bite), mostly on rivalry: Victory Cannon and conference game.
- Date
- Saturday, Oct 17, 2026
- Final
- W. Michigan 21, C. Michigan 14
- Line score
1 2 3 4 T WMU 7 7 7 0 21 CMU 0 0 0 14 14 - TV
- ESPN+ · Streaming only · ESPN+
- Venue
- Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- City
- Mount Pleasant, MI
- Week
- Week 7
- Conference game
- Yes
- Rivalry
- Victory Cannon
- Line
- W. Michigan −6.5 · coveredO/U 43.5 · Under @ 35
I'll Bite
W. Michigan5–2
Lat Michigan12–13
Wvs Monmouth49–14
Wat Rice28–21
Lvs Boise State7–32
Wat Buffalo20–17
Wvs Kent State38–7
Wat C. Michigan21–14
Nothing since.
C. Michigan3–4
Lat New Mexico7–38
Wvs Colgate13–10
Wvs Wyoming24–10
Lat Miami (FL)3–52
Wvs Akron41–17
Lat Ohio14–31
Lvs W. Michigan14–21
Nothing since.
What was expected
Line, rankings, stats below remain as they were heading into the game.
These two combine for 42.7 points a game and W. Michigan plays fast — 61.8 snaps a game, 120th nationally. Vegas set the total at 43.5. The last 4 meetings have averaged a 4.3-point margin.
Blowout riskNahdecided by 7 HIT
PaceSnailBoth Snail
SeriesRocky IVavg margin 4.3 over 4 meetingsdecided by 7 HIT
The matchup
season averages · national rank in FBS below each · the fuller bar leads
| Western Michigan | Central Michigan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 25.791st | 17.0127th | |
| Points allowed | 17.325th | 26.395th | |
| Yards per play | 5.3101st | 4.9117th | |
| Yards allowed per play | 5.049th | 5.691st | |
| Plays per game | 61.8120th | 58.0134th | |
| Turnover margin | +423rd | +157th | |
| 3rd down conversion | 43.2%54th | 36.4%99th |
More stats +11
| Western Michigan | Central Michigan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing yards per game | 154.870th | 188.742nd | |
| Passing yards per game | 175.8121st | 96.3135th | |
| QB completion rate | 67.6%32nd | 60.4%97th | |
| QB yards per attempt | 7.188th | 5.2137th | |
| O-line rank | 66thline yards · sack rate | 112thline yards · sack rate | |
| D-line rank | 107thstuff rate · havoc | 112thstuff rate · havoc | |
| Sacks | 1345th | 1170th | |
| Interceptions | 2105th | 710th | |
| Forced fumbles | 425th | 425th | |
| Penalties per game | 5.327th | 5.841st | |
| Time of possession | 31:0151st | 29:1288th |
The series
W. Michigan leads 3–1 over the last 4
| Year | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | W. Michigan 24–21 | 3 |
| 2024 | C. Michigan 16–14 | 2 |
| 2023 | W. Michigan 38–28 | 10 |
| 2022 | W. Michigan 12–10 | 2 |
How to watch
| Network | ESPN+ |
|---|---|
| Stream | Streaming only · ESPN+ |
| Final | W. Michigan 21, C. Michigan 14 |
| Where | Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI |
What the Meter sees
| Rivalry: Victory CannonThey do not like each other, and they never have | +8.0 |
|---|---|
| Conference gameLeague standings are on the line | +5.0 |
| Vegas says it's closeClosing spread of 6.5 — the tighter the number, the bigger the bump | +2.8 |
| Program baselineA small floor for every FBS program; bigger for a power-conference team or one receiving votes | +2.0 |
| Where it's onESPN+ — a network puts its best games where everyone can find them | +1.0 |
| Gotta See It Meter™ | 19 |
Still Ball0–5Worth a Flip6–17I'll Bite18–33Ready to Rumble34–59Thunderdome60–99Maximum100
Quick answers
- What was the final score of Western Michigan vs Central Michigan?
- Western Michigan beat Central Michigan 21–14.
- What channel is Western Michigan vs Central Michigan on?
- ESPN+.
- Is Western Michigan vs Central Michigan a rivalry game?
- Yes. It's the Victory Cannon.