Michigan & WMU suffer crushing losses to open '12 season

**Admin** Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:45 am

In the first Saturday of the 2012 college football season, the Western Michigan Broncos went on the road and took a hard fall to the Illinois Fighting Illini, 24-7 at Memorial Stadium in front of 43,441 fans.

Despite the loss, Western's defense held the Illini to 248 yards (115 rushing, 133 passing) of total offense. It's the fewest yards allowed since WMU allowed 241 to Nicholls State.

Michigan & WMU suffer crushing losses to open '12 season Bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=C4&Date=20120901&Category=SPORTS06&ArtNo=209020802&Ref=PH&Item=15&Maxw=620&Maxh=465&q=60

Michigan & WMU suffer crushing losses to open '12 season Bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=C4&Date=20120901&Category=SPORTS06&ArtNo=209020802&Ref=PH&Item=15&Maxw=620&Maxh=465&q=60

The #8 Michigan Wolverines were unable to overcome a 31-point first-half deficit, falling 41-14 to the #2 and defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2012 Cowboys Classic at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys). The announced crowd of 90,413 fans was the largest for a collegiate game in Cowboys Stadium history.

Senior co-captain and quarterback Denard Robinson completed 11-of-26 passes for 200 yards and tossed one touchdown. He added 27 rushing yards on 10 carries and scored the team's first points on a six-yard touchdown run.