Q & A: Guest Columnist Graham Couch

Graham Couch is a sports columnist for the Kalamazoo Gazette in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the home of WMU. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for me regarding the WMU football team.Thanks again to Graham for his assistance.

Q. Who are the marquee players on offense and defense for Western Michigan?

A: Offensively, sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Cubit, the head coach's son, runs the show. Many of WMU's biggest plays this season, the younger Cubit has audibled at the line of scrimmage.

Freshman Brandon West recently has taken over as the starting running back for junior Mark Bonds, who's nearing 1,000 yards. They'll both play a ton, however, and offer very different styles. West, a Georgia native, is a speedster, who's also a dangerous kick returner. He rushed for a career-high 117 yards last week. Bonds is more of a downhill runner, who can wear teams down in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore tight end Brandon Ledbetter (Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas) is emerging as a big-time threat, though a shoulder injury may keep him out this week.

At receiver, senior Joe Chapple, junior college transfer Herb Martin and sophomore Jamarko Simmons are the top targets. Chapple, a South Bay, Fla., native, is steady but not flashy. Martin is the deep threat and Simmons (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is used mostly on swing passes and slants.

Q. Do you think that Western Michigan's secondary is capable of covering FSU receivers like Greg Carr and Chris Davis?

A: WMU's secondary is the strength of its team. Sophomore free safety Louis Delmas (North Miami Beach High School) is likely the Broncos' next first-day draft pick (They had two last year, WR Greg Jennings with Green Bay and TE Tony Scheffler with Denver). Delmas was a heralded recruit who Wisconsin and Pitt backed off of because they worried he wouldn't qualify academically. He did and he rewarded WMU for sticking with him. Cornerbacks E.J. Biggers (a sophomore) and Andy Dorcely (a freshman) are also from North Miami Beach. It's a fast group with a heavy-hitter in Delmas. Whether they're good enough to contain FSU's wideouts, I'm not sure.

Q. What are the strengths of WMU?

A: Run defense and pressuring the quarterback. They've been near or at the top in the national rankings in these two categories all season. Heisman Trophy hopeful running back Garrett Wolfe began his demise from the Heisman race against the Broncos, who held him to 25 yards on 18 carries. No one, including Ohio State and Michigan, had held him under 100 yards in the 11 games prior to that.

Senior linebacker Ameer Ismail leads the nation in sacks with 15.

Q. What defensive scheme does WMU employ?

A: It's an attack 4-3, and they do attack. They'll bring the safeties up and blitz the linebackers. Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer gives foes a lot of different looks.

Q. What is your prediction for the game?

A: It looks as if FSU has already played its worst game. Then again, so has WMU (last week at CMU, 31-7). The Broncos have 12 players from Florida, many of whom play significant roles. They're going to be fired up. In the end, FSU's defense is probably a little too fast. If WMU can avoid turning the ball over, I think it'll be close. Make it: FSU 20, WMU 16.