Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck debuts improved Broncos program Friday at Spartan Stadium

KALAMAZOO – First-year coach P.J. Fleck kicks off his head coaching career against Michigan State on Friday at Spartan Stadium (8 p.m., Big Ten Network).

SEP 15, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Western Michigan Broncos kicker Andrew Haldeman (57) makes the extra point kick in the third quarter against the Minnesota Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Gophers defeated the Broncos 28-23. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

Fortunately for the inexperienced coach, he’ll have fourth-year senior quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen slinging the ball down the field.

“It’s a good problem to have,” said Fleck of his Holland, Mich. native quarterback. “Having Tyler who has been a veteran, he’s never necessarily been the starter. He’s started games, but he’s never been the starter.

“Tyler has done a great job of handling that pressure. We’ve learned the difference between pressure and stress. He can control all of the pressure he puts on himself. The stress is what you can’t control which others try to put on you. It’s the things you can’t control.”

As a fill-in starter for injured Alex Carder last season, the 6-foot-3 Van Tubbergen completed 149 passes for 1,825 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Fleck has been vocal about how well Van Tubbergen’s fall camp has went leading up to the season opener.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” Fleck said. “I really like having him as a quarterback. I think he’s really going to lead our football team in the right direction.”

Another thing that is leading the WMU football team in the right direction has been Fleck’s strong efforts on the recruiting trail.

The Broncos have 27 commits for the 2014 recruiting class, and the 2013 season does not start until Thursday night. That’s a huge haul for a Midwestern directional school.

Since Fleck took over last December, he’s brought in four-star quarterback Chance Stewart (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis), three-star running back Leo Ekwoge (Olney, Md./Good Counsel), and three-star offensive tackle Curtis Doyle (Alma, Mich./Alma), among others.

Fleck believes playing on the big stage on national television Friday will boost recruitment even more.

“You’re going to have a lot of national exposure, and I think that’s really key for kids to look at,” he said. “You can play on the Big Ten Network, you can play on ESPN, you can play on ESPN2, you can play on ESPN 3. It doesn’t matter where you play these days, in terms of the Big Ten or the MAC, you’re going to get a lot of publicity and you’re going to get on TV.”

Not only does the national exposure improve WMU’s likelihood of landing better recruits, it also excites the players who are already on the team.

For the freshmen and redshirts, their first snap in college football comes against a top-40 program in one of the best stadiums in the nation. Not to mention several of WMU’s players were overlooked by MSU, so there is blood in the water.

“I really think they’re extremely excited,” Fleck said. “One, just to get the first game going. I think that’s the biggest thing. You could put us in the middle of the desert in Arizona, and I think these guys would be ready to play.

“To have an instate team that we’re playing, and a lot of these guys were either not recruited or recruited by Michigan State. A lot of these guys are from the state of Michigan, so it really hits home for them.”

MSU leads the series between WMU 11-2-0 and have won the last five meetings.

Fleck wants his program to “row the boat.” Friday, we’ll find out if the Broncos’ take on water or if they captain their ship to safety.