Kalamazoo, MI (Sports Network) - Tim Hiller threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, lifting the Western Michigan Broncos to a 29-26 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies in Mid-American Conference play at Waldo Stadium.

Hiller made good on 21-of-30 pass attempts for 186 yards, as WMU (1-1, 1-0 MAC) improved to 10-1 in home openers in the last 11 years. Jamarko Simmons was his main outlet with eight catches for 102 yards and a score, while Brandon West headed the ground attack with a career-high 175 yards on 25 totes. West also caught two passes for nine yards and a score.

For NIU (0-2, 0-1), Dan Nicholson completed 16-of-29 tosses for 239 yards with a touchdown and interception. Marcus Perez caught six passes for 77 yards in the setback and Nathan Palmer had four receptions for a team-high 78 yards.

It took NIU less than four minutes to strike, as Me'co Brown scampered 26 yards for a touchdown.

WMU responded late in the opening quarter with a 26-yard scoring strike from Hiller to Simmons.

Just over a minute into the second quarter the Broncos took the lead, as Hiller hooked up with West from seven yards out.

A 20-yard field goal by the Huskies' Mike Salerno late in the first half put the score at 14-10 at the break.

Early in the third quarter, Salerno struck again, this time from 39 yards away.

NIU moved ahead early in the final quarter when DeMarcus Grady rumbled three yards for a score. The two-point conversion attempt, though, was off the mark, leaving the score at 19-14.

Just over a four minute later, WMU regained the lead, as Hiller scurried five yards for a score. The two-point try was also successful, giving the Broncos a 22-19 edge.

The Broncos added to their lead just over three minutes later, as Hiller threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Austin Pritchard.

With 40 seconds left, Nicholson tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Greg Turner, but NIU would get no closer in the 29-26 loss.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Waldo Stadium (30,200) -- Kalamazoo, Michigan. Television: None. Home Record: NIU 0-0, WMU 0-0. Away Record: NIU 0-1, WMU 0-1. Neutral Record: NIU 0-0, WMU 0-0. Conference Record: NIU 0-0, WMU 0-0. Series Record: Western Michigan leads, 22-11.

GAME NOTES: The Western Michigan Broncos open Mid-American Conference play against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.

NIU put itself in position to beat Minnesota on the road in last week's opener, but the Huskies allowed the go-ahead touchdown with 22 seconds to play and fell, 31-27. Without question, it was a tough way to lose for a Huskies team looking to rebound from a dismal 2007 season, the program's first losing campaign since 1999. More importantly, however, will be how the team rebounds this week under new head coach Jerry Kill.

Western Michigan opened the season by falling at Nebraska, 47-24. The Broncos hope to put that tough loss behind them and rebound with their third winning season in the last four years. They play at Idaho next weekend.

WMU has a 22-11 edge over the Huskies in the all-time series, including wins in the last two meetings.

The NIU-Minnesota game certainly wasn't short on drama last weekend. After watching Minnesota surge ahead with 22 seconds to play, the Huskies quickly marched down to the Golden Gopher 30-yard line with eight seconds to play, but could not punch it in on two final heaves into the end zone. But the Huskies can walk away from that game with several positives, one being the play of redshirt freshman quarterback Chandler Harnish. Harnish showed the poise of a veteran when he guided the offense down the field in the final seconds and put a scare into the Gopher faithful. He finished 17-of-29 for 326 yards and two touchdowns against a Big Ten defense in his collegiate debut.

The Northern Illinois defense couldn't stop Minnesota from converting a fourth-and-one on its own three-yard line to keep the final drive alive. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as the Gophers scored on the very next play. Looking forward, there is room for improvement across the board. The Huskies struggled to contain Minnesota's spread offense, allowing 298 yards through the air. On the ground, NIU surrendered 127 yards, which is no doubt better than last year's average of 210 ypg allowed. David Bryant led the defense with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Tim McCarthy finished with seven tackles, including two for loss.

Nobody expected WMU to go into Nebraska and come away with a win in the season opener. So the fact that they were merely outplayed by a better team doesn't really change the team's outlook for the season. Senior quarterback Tim Hiller picked up right where he left off last year, throwing for 342 yards and two TDs. If there is one area to keep an eye on, however, it is with pass protection. The offensive line returns only two starters, and Hiller was sacked four times, albeit in a rather hefty 49 pass attempts. If given enough time, he has a dangerous weapon in wideout Branden Ledbetter, who caught nine passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. But no matter how dangerous that tandem may be, their production won't matter if the Broncos rush for eight yards again, as they did last week.

A lot of the focus for WMU this offseason was on the defense, which returns 10 starters after a dismal 2007 season. This weekend's matchup should be a better indicator of whether the Broncos defense is ready to take a big step forward in '08. Nebraska netted 138 yards on the ground (4.5 ypc), while quarterback Joe Ganz aired it out for 345 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The WMU defense must do a better job of putting pressure on the quarterback, considering Ganz was never sacked and more often than not, had ample time to operate in the pocket. You can bet coach Bill Cubit will make every effort to disrupt Chandler Harnish, who will be making his second start.

The Huskies cannot afford a letdown after last week's heartbreaking loss to Minnesota, especially not with four of their first five games on the road. Don't be surprised if Hiller and Harnish get into a shootout-type game which, if that happens, would favor the Broncos.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Western Michigan 48, Northern Illinois 38

Saturday, September 6th, 7:00 p.m. (et).