KALAMAZOO, MI -- Lance Taylor might be best known for his pedigree as an offensive coach, but with his six years of experience in the NFL, he knows the type of impact a dangerous pass rush can have on a team.
He's got one now at Western Michigan.
Through six games, no pass rush in the nation has been more disruptive -- the Broncos' whopping 23 sacks is tops in the country, with a remarkable 17 different players recording at least a half-sack. WMU has developed a major knack for getting after the quarterback.
Its secret? Hard work.
"The secret is in the dirt, it's in the work," said Taylor, WMU's third-year head coach at his weekly press conference on Monday. "That's by our players, by our coaches and it's really a group effort by all of them. We lead the nation in sacks not because of one person, but because of a lot of people and I think they've allowed us to create those havoc plays on defense."
After collecting 19 sacks in all of 2024, which was the second least in the Mid-American Conference, Western Michigan has exploded in 2025 by unleashing a bevy of edge rushers to wreak havoc and wreck offensive game plans.
The Broncos piled up seven sacks in their home win over Rhode Island two weeks ago, and five more in their road win over UMass. During its three-game winning streak, WMU has tallied 14 sacks.
It all started as a point of emphasis this offseason, Taylor said.
"There's a reason why those rush guys in the NFL are the highest paid players and their franchise players on the defensive side of the ball because they're game wreckers," Taylor said. "You have to have talent at that position and we were fortunate enough to have Marshawn Kneeland (Dallas Cowboys) here, but we really made an investment and did our due diligence in getting the right players at that position, but also the depth at that position too.
"I think you're seeing some of the fruits of our labor that a lot of people haven't seen in the offseason. The recruiting, the relationship building and some of those things that don't always show up, they're showing up on the field."
The production speaks for itself. Transfers Nadame Tucker (Houston) and Rodney McGraw (Louisville) have combined for nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss, while transfer Kershawn Fisher (Louisiana Tech) has 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss and returners Marcel Tyler and Tyson Lee have combined for three sacks.
Murray State transfer linebacker James Camden boasts a pair of sacks, too.
Western Michigan finished last season as one of the worst statistical defenses in the MAC, allowing over 31 points and over 415 yards per game.
Now, with a new defensive staff led by first-year defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, WMU is rated the second-best defense (20.7 points per game average) in the MAC behind Toledo -- including top 5 in interceptions (5), fumbles forced (6) and fumbles recovered (4).
Taylor voiced his excitement for the Broncos' defensive line in the preseason and also credited assistant coaches Seth Payne and Sean Spence for their work in recruiting and evaluating talent.
But the work is just beginning for WMU.
"We've got to continue to elevate our game, not only from a player standpoint but also from a staff standpoint," Taylor said. "How do we negate some of those things that they're going to do in taking our best players away? We have to continue to put our guys in really great positions to succeed and we know it gets harder and harder each week as that becomes the focal point for our opponents.
"So, we have to raise our standard."
Western Michigan (3-3, 2-0 MAC) will host Ball State on Saturday for its homecoming. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. from Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.