IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL: Western Michigan brings solid rushing attack

Western Michigan players Zahir Abdus-Salaam, Jalen Buckley, Tre Hartwell Jaden Nixon go through warm ups during a recent practice at ASU Stadium in preparation for Saturday’s IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl. (Staff Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

Western Michigan will enter the 11th annual IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl with a rushing offense ranked 36th in the nation and a red zone offense ranked 25th nationally.

Individually, the Bronco running backs may not stand out on film, but collectively they’re pretty impressive.

Senior Zahir Abdus-Salaam, junior Jaden Nixon and sophomore Jalen Buckley have combined to rush for 2,098 yards and 23 touchdowns. Of the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, Western Michigan is one of only 21 that has had its top three rushers combine for more than 2,000 yards this season. At least one of the trio has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the Broncos’ six wins this season.

“You don’t really see three dudes (playing an equal amount of time), but we all can do the same thing, but at the same time it’s all different,” Nixon said. “Dudes can come in with speed, with power. You just feel really good knowing you have other guys that can come into the game and produce as well. It allows you to stay fresh. Compared to all the other running backs in the country, I doubt there’s anybody as fresh as us.”

Abdus-Salaam has played in 47 games with Western Michigan and is one of a handful of Broncos that can make history with a win on Saturday, becoming the first in school history to have two bowl wins on his resume. A Newark, N.J., native, he has 104 carries for 567 yards, averaging 5.45 yards per play. He also has 28 receptions for 227 yards but just laughs when asked if he is the receiving threat out of the backfield.

“We’re kind of the same, but we’re also different,” he said. “We all have that all-work mentality. We know what we can do. Each back has their own skill set. We get put in the right position to show that skill set so we just go out on the field and do what we do.”

Buckley, from Aurora, Ill., walked on at Western Michigan and was redshirted after playing four games in 2022, then rushed for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns last season to earn Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year honors and selection to the Football Writers of America Freshman All-American team. This year, he has 120 carries for 657 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.47 yards per play.

He is the likely candidate when it’s third and one or near the goal line but, like Abdus-Salaam, just laughs when asked if he is the power back.

 “It’s a special brotherhood we’ve got,” Buckley said. “Me and ‘Oldie’ (Abdus-Salaam) have always been close, being guys that understood early on in our career what to do and what it takes. We grew closer through football. Then Jaden came in, a very experienced running back at Oklahoma State behind Ollie Gordon. It was just a blessing for him to come here. And we all meshed really well.”

Nixon was recruited out of Lone Star High in Frisco, Texas, after playing in the same backfield as Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. He played three seasons at Oklahoma State, backing up Gordon, then jumped in the transfer portal in search of more playing time. 

This year, Nixon has 132 carries for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns, an average of 6.64 yards per carry.

“I was in the portal for a minute,” Nixon said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether I was going to keep playing or what I was going to do next. (Western Michigan running backs) Coach (Darren) Paige was always there, kept saying we want you, we want you, we want you.

“It’s been wonderful, more so just seeing the guys that have been here, getting a chance to win games and have that opportunity to go to a bowl game. The last three years, I’ve had a chance to go to a bowl and a lot of guys here haven’t had that opportunity. It’s just a blessing to come into a program where you have great guys, everybody works for each other, everybody loves on each other. There’s no groups, no envy, no jealousy. We all support each other and want the best for each other.”

They believe there’s strength in numbers. There are only four running backs on the Western Michigan bowl roster, but three of them, barring injury, likely will receive a similar number of carries in Saturday’s game with South Alabama.

“Everybody stays fresh and we’re able to wear teams out throughout the game so by the time the second, third, fourth quarter comes, we’re still fresh while the defense is tired,” Abdus-Salaam said. “That’s where a lot of explosive runs come.”

Buckley won’t equal last year’s statistics that earned him All-American status, but the Broncos have exceeded the wins and earned bowl eligibility this season. In other words, less is more.

“I definitely see it as an advantage,” Buckley said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the country that has as many fresh legs. Even if our fourth back, Tre’ (Hartwell), gets in there, I feel like anybody can get the ball and execute. Our offensive coordinator (Walt Bell) says the back’s rotation is not for the player, it’s for the position, so everybody comes into the day and gives it their all, knowing their chance could be next.”