Western Kentucky Football gives us one final (fully public) glimpse at what they might look like in the 2026 football season Saturday. The Tops will take the field for the Red and White Spring Showcase Saturday at Houchens Industries L.T. Smith Stadium at 12 PM.

An offseason to remember, WKU keeps its young quarterback, brings in legitimate competition for him, keeps a key receiver, and as always these days brought in a ton of new players to fill back out a decimated roster from massive transfers. By our count, 63 new players have joined the Tops since the end of last season. God bless the coaches in modern college football! If the basketball coaches think they have it rough, try coming up with about six times the players with 25-30 specific roles to fill (not including special teams) while having maybe five of them locked in coming into the offseason.

On top of a crazy amount of new players and good key pieces returning, how about the Mike Sanford stuff from February? We covered that in Part 3 of our spring series, so make sure you check that out here. If you don’t recall, Mike Sanford went on a Denver radio show/podcast and made fun of his time at WKU, basically saying we ran him out of town, never welcomed him from the start, and our players were a bunch of renegade pot heads. And apparently, WKU is on the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest, which I had to look up when he made the reference to figure what he was even talking about. Apparently it’s over two hours away in Eastern Kentucky. Whatever.

But now it’s time to talk football. After this, the spring semester ends, more people come and go, they settle in for summer, and then before we know it, it will be time for fall camp and then the first game.

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The Players

QBs

Yes, WKU lost a ton of players, and basically the whole roster is new. However, when you bring back your young QB and you bring in someone who legitimately could be as good or better than him, you’re definitely already cooking with grease. Rodney Tisdale, Jr. returns, as many should know. But as a huge bonus, former four star recruit, part-time starter, and Florida State transfer Brock Glenn also comes to Bowling Green looking to steal a job. Glenn legitimately could be the favorite? He brings mobility and arm talent, so it will be really interesting to see who starts, how they compare, and how the WKU offense looks Saturday. In addition to those two, Houston transfer Caleb McMickle provides a third possible option at QB. Although McMickle didn’t play in his two years at Houston, he brings bordeline Power Five type of talent as a former three star recruit himself.

RBs

Virtually a whole new room, Tyson Helton has come up with some really nice looking players. With only Jaden McGill (63 career yards) returning to the room, the Tops have opted to get several experienced upperclassmen. Some came from JUCO and lower NCAA divisions, while two game from the Power Five. Ajay Allen and Kalib Hicks would stand to be the two guys that might lead the room, but McGill will know the offense and other guys bring significant experience, too. Although we don’t know how good they’ll be carrying the ball, it does seem this crop of guys will probably contribute in the kick return game, as several of them have college experience returning kicks. Tulsa (and other schools) transfer Ajay Allen brings the most statistical experience, having over 1,300 yards in Division I rushing yards over four seasons, including over 700 at Nebraska spread out over three seasons.

WRs

Once again, a new crop for the most part. However unlike the RBs, KD Hutchinson brings his 11 career touchdowns and 1404 total offensive yards to the table, which is great. If the WR room is stable enough without him, if the running back room needs help, at 5’8”, he could easily (and has before) play out of the backfield some. Other than him, Cam Flowers was a decent contributor last year and should be ready to take another step forward and is still only a sophomore on the field. Some guys from varying levels of college football have transferred in, as well as a nice looking crop of freshmen. Interestingly, WKU also gets two former Sam Houston State players, poaching talent from a conference mate.

TEs

Tight end is a really difficult position to evaluate, because first of all, will they ever be used? Second, there’s not as much info about them. However, WKU has a bunch of tight ends on the roster and surely a few them can separate and produce like some of the fairly recent Topper tight end legends.

OL

Although much of the offensive line is gone with multiple Power Five transfers (and legitimate football players with pro aspirations), WKU’s offensive should probably be ok. Certainly with plenty of options in terms of number, WKU has several players that should be ready to play or back up a starter. Although O-Line is also a very difficult position to evaluate, WKU has an MTSU lineman that will know his offensive coordinator’s football language. I would also imagine they have a really good relationship if they followed each other to WKU. With more than a starting front worth of players with experience at Power Five schools and the aforementioned Zach Clayton from MTSU, my immediate gut says these guys should be fine. However, it’s always difficult when you don’t have continuity. Most likely this unit will be pretty good together if I had to guess.

DL

Although WKU loses some key players, WKU does return some experience on the interior as well as several players from the G5/FCS level with playing experience. This is one group I don’t know much about and am not absolutely flabbergasted at the resumes. However, there’s no telling how good these players are until they strap up. I’ll definitely be watching the trenches Saturday to see what I can figure out. Keep in mind former WKU DL Lorenzo Hernandez came from a lower level school and has played professionally after leaving WKU. Some of these lower division guys might be able to come in with confidence and make some noise.

LBs

Replacing a 100+ tackle player in Jaylen Wester and other good non-down linemen defenders is going to be diffcult. In a nickel base defense, generally only two linebackers or maybe two linebackers and a hybrid get on the field at the same time. It is essential that you get something from this position. With several Power Five transfers and some nice looking players size-wise, I like what I see from the crop of linebackers this year. We’ll see. Big bodies mean nothing if they can’t produce, but I would WKU’s LB room could be pretty strong given they could go two deep in quality transfers for the number of LBs they play on the field.

DBs

WKU had some really quality defensive backs last year, with several of them moving up to Power Schools and getting a pay day. Nazir Ward was a legitimate pro prospect and gave everybody problems last year. I hope his career at Syracuse goes well, because he would have probably been drafted at WKU. But WKU’s challenge is to replace him and several other really good players. With six Power Five Transfers and some quality young players and some JUCO talent, this unit could once again be prolific. Dave Herard is a returner that was just acclimating to WKU last season. A Virginia transfer, he may be asked to step into a more significant role. One thing I like to see from this group is not a ton of tiny bodies. Most guys are at least 5’11” or 6’0” and some of the bodies are as tall as 6’3”. With tiny DBs come huge receivers posting up and dominating smaller defenders.

Specialist

Losing All-American Cole Maynard hurts, and losing a couple of really good, big legged kickers really bites. And shoot, don’t forget losing long-time veteran long snapper Rex Robich, as well. Long snapper really can make a gigantic difference in the kicking game. However, WKU has gotten really good at finding specialists, including a freshman Aussie Daniel Wall, who was rated as a top ten punter in his class, although he comes from Australian rules football. As the lone official punter on the roster, here’s to hoping he’s really good and we don’t have to worry about punting this season. A lot of unknowns, WKU Special Teams Coach Andy LaRussa does a really good job putting together the special teams unit for Tyson Helton. I wouldn’t panic at this point.

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What to Watch For

Honestly, this might be a boring answer, but watch for flow offensively and an ability to make plays defensively. And watch for flashes. Some of WKU’s better players showed up in spring games when they were young and ended up being good quality players later. Watch for viability at each position. Is there an obvious weakness? Can the offensive line put up a fight? Can the defensive line get home some? Is somebody a freak? Watch for that, because great players flash in the spring game, too.

Easton Messer was a good example of a kid who grinded his way up and was underestimated. But he flat made plays. Jerreth Sterns was a guy who made a bunch of plays in spring ball. Caden Veltkamp looked really good in spring ball from the very beginning.

Some of these guys will have a presence about them. When they play, you notice. Even if they screw up, the way they do things is different. When I’m watching a spring game, especially when I don’t know who any of these players are, I’m checking out these players that I think should be the starters and I’m looking at whether they show up at all.

And if they don’t, why don’t they? If there are no sacks all spring game, the defensive line could be really weak this year. If there are big plays, maybe the secondary is weak, or maybe the linebackers can’t protect the second level and it’s up to the DBs. Or maybe one running back or receive goes for 150 yards and announces themselves as an explosive player.

Also, do the known stars look like they’ve taken the next step? KD Hutchinson, the QBs, and experienced transfers: Do they look like stars?

That’s what I’m looking for.

And also, how do they interact with coaches and other players? Sometimes personality tells you a lot about a player. If a wide receiver is a crazy vibrant personality, that might be a player that has potential. Or if a linebacker is a real leader out there, that’s what you want to see. Maybe a DB is really intense and all about his business. Which quarterback carries himself better? Does a certain RB run with intensity? Do the wide receivers play hard when they block? Some of these things are indications of players that work hard and a team that is locked in and trying to be serious.

I’m really interested to see how it goes Saturday. I would highly encourage everybody to come out and then head over to baseball after the spring game. WKU Baseball plays the second game in a huge series against NMSU at 3 PM Saturday, as well.

GO TOPS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Editor’s Note: I’d like to thank Andrew Nalley for this gem. I did take the picture of Mike Sanford flicking off the camera down, because we must maintain some measure of class. However, I appreciate all of Andrew’s hard work and this was too good to not post pretty much as is, other than editing out the photo and bleeping out some cuss words. The WKU, SOKY, and frankly greater Kentucky community came together to defend our proud university and our proud state.

GO TOPS!

-Matt McCay

Note: I was going to link the post to the original podcast interview but after WKU fans and former players came together to collectively bully Sanford in the comment section on X, the account removed the original post. Luckily, our friends over at Barstool Western kept the receipts and were able to screen capture the recording. I’ll leave a link to their post below:

Sanford Interview

Sanford’s clip prompted Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) to publish an article flaming his comments as well.

Andrew’s Diary

February 12, 2026

Initial Context

On a personal level, I do my best to not say anything too overtly controversial in a public forum, considering that no matter what I say or do — I represent The Towel Rack. Because my name is published on these articles and whatever I express in a public forum could be tied back to reflect negatively on a forum that is meant to bring Hilltopper fans together, I try to practice the method of asking myself whenever I get the itch to respond or post something nowadays. “Does this need to be said?” or, “Does this merit my time?” Well, I feel that itch to be somewhat controversial relating to some statements made by former WKU football coach, Mike Sanford in February.

I have no idea if this article will see the light of day, or simply goes to die in the drafts tab. But as someone who is proud to have born and raised in the state of Kentucky, as well as a fan of all things WKU — I sit here today pissed off at the way Sanford essentially mocked the intelligence of Kentuckians and does his damnedest to deflect his shortcomings as a coach on the program he inherited. Lets get into it a little bit.

In the interview with “92.5 FM - Denver Altitude Sports Radio,” former Western Kentucky head football Mike Sanford used language and spoke in a manner that personally infuriated me. Sanford threw shade at the WKU football program, as well as the state of Kentucky as a whole. Sanford’s wife even chimed in on the original post herself, saying: “I told you that I did not want to move there [referring to Bowling Green].”

Being asked when he knew that he was in for a tough time as a head coach, Sanford highlights that at his introductory press conference he had “felt uncomfortable.” Immediately, Sanford makes it known that upon being hired as WKU’s head coach, he was the “youngest Division I head coach,” at the time — being 34 years-old. He offers this notion up as one of the many excuses he will make in the interview as to why he was ultimately not set up to succeed as coach of the Hilltoppers. While doing so, Sanford conducts this entire interview in the most condescending tone towards not just WKU, but towards Kentuckians as a whole — attempting what I am sure he thought was his best Kentucky accent when he says “Bowling Green, KY: right off the border of the Daniel Boone National Forest.”

• Note: The Daniel Boone National Forest is approximately 132 miles east (or 2 hours) away from Bowling Green, KY. Based on this evidence, I am compelled to argue that Bowling Green does NOT border the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Sanford goes on to mention that he had coached at prior at Yale, Stanford, and Notre Dame — programs he praises for being “high academic,” and using “big words.” Sanford later alludes to the notion these programs focused on building “a culture,” on character — suggesting WKU was a program built of “renegades.” Bringing up again the programs of Yale, Stanford, and Notre Dame — Sanford then suggests that were he at either of those three programs, his press conference would have been a “10 out of 10.” He then goes on to say to that because he is sitting in front of a bunch of “native Kentucky,” (again, doing his best Kentucky accent) suggesting the audience is dumbfounded and wondering “who the hell is this guy?” Sanford says it was this moment that he knew “this experience was not going to go well.” Yeah, well it was not really all that great for us — the fans — either.

Having left “the perfect Utopian culture” at Notre Dame, Sanford then goes on to denounce the team he inherited following his first team meeting — where Sanford says “the hits keep on coming.” Sanford mentions Bobby Petrino and Jeff Brohm by name, referring to their teams as “very noted renegade programs.”

Sanford goes on to elaborate on the supposed Brohm/Petrino method:

“as long as [the players] can run and play ball, who cares how they act.”

Sanford continues: “I come from the mindset of build the program, build the culture, high standards, big time academics.”

I am going to fast-forward a bit because honestly, I get annoyed by having to repeatedly rewind his interview to ensure my own journalistic integrity by making sure that I accurately quote a guy who just took a dump all over my beloved Hilltoppers.

Recounting his first team meeting, Sanford mentions that when he gathers the players together a cloud of smoke rolls and the players reek of marijuana. Being the premier face of character, Sanford tells the host he ordered an immediate drug test of his players where apparently 67 of his seventy or so players fail the tests. Sanford says from that point, he “lost the team.”

“Why is this idiot drug testing us?” Sanford remarked on his team.

Initial Reaction

My take on him “losing the team”: No s***.

The first impression that you — the first-time head coach — wants to make on his players is to drug test his team? I understand that coming in a first time head coach, there is a bit of a learning curve. I’d argue that there are a lot of nerves involved with wanting to get off on the right track. So typically, I would have offered a bit of grace for the guy. But from my perspective after viewing the clip repeatedly — Sanford was focused way more on his own world-view of culture building than ultimately winning football games. Because if you are familiar with his body of work, Mike Sanford did not win very many games at WKU.

In an ideal world, would you like to have a team of good players who carried themselves with character and shared your views of the world? Sure. But if we take what Sanford said in his interview at face value, the first thing you do as a coach is drug test your team? The idea of wanting to build a culture is all well and good, but essentially isolating yourself from your team the second you take over? No s***, you lost the team. To me it offers at least one explanation why the team essentially plummeted overnight under the leadership of Mike Sanford and ultimately, why Sanford never received another head coaching gig.

• Correction: Mike Sanford did get another opportunity as a head coach, serving briefly as the interim coach of the University of Colorado prior to the hiring of Deion Sanders. He went 1-6, nearly matching his pace at WKU.

Fans, Former Players Unite to Clown the Clown

Once the clip of Mike Sanford’s comments made its rounds on Twitter, fans would bully Sanford so hard, the initial clip postedby the podcaster would be taken down. Luckily, the fanbase kept the receipts and as I mentioned in the beginning, Barstool Western would capture the video and repost it. Then, the comments started pouring in from fans and even a couple of WKU legends:

It is truly beautiful to witness the Hilltopper community unite to mutually defend and reprimand someone who disrespects our program, players, or our state of Kentucky. Since Mike Sanford felt compelled to throw disrespect towards WKU, what better response than to let the numbers do the talking? Lets take a brief look at the less-than-stellar tenure of Mike Sanford.

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The Mike Sanford Era at WKU

Prior to the hiring Tyson Helton in 2019, WKU Football was coached by Mike Sanford for two seasons. Jeff Brohm, fresh off of two stellar season of winning back-to-back Conference USA championships in both 2015 and 2016, attracted the prying eyes of bigger programs. Brohm had been rumored the year or two prior to have been receiving interest from other programs. Following the conclusion of the 2016 regular season, it would be announced that Jeff Brohm would be leaving to take the head coaching job at Purdue. His replacement would be the then-offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, Mike Sanford. Notre Dame was a decent program, I thought initially upon the hire. At the very least, they had a reputation for being one of the blue-bloods of college football.

• Note: In 2016, Notre Dame finished the season 4-8. Mike Sanford, the ‘culture guru’ coached under renowned sleeze-ball, Brian Kelly. This 4-8 team did not have a single 1000 yard rusher nor receiver.

Mike Sanford inherited an offense at WKU that in the prior season, ranked #1 nationally in points scored per game (45.5). Western also fielded a competent defense in 2016 that ranked 41st in scoring defense. Of course, the team would lose several key players that made significant contributions in 2016. The most notable contributors lost going into 2017 were WR’s Taywan Taylor and Nick Norris, both of whom just had 1000-plus receiving yard seasons, as well as RB Anthony “Ace” Wales — who had just over 1600 yards on the ground. It would’ve been unfair to expect a first time head coach in their first season to replicate arguably the best season in Western Kentucky program history… but the falloff was drastic and immediate.

Going into 2017 WKU would at least see the return of QB Mike White. In 2016, Mike White threw for 4,363 yards and 37 touchdowns. Sanford coached the Hilltoppers to a 6-6 regular season that concluded with a sloppy bowl loss, stamping his first year with a 6-7 record in a bowl performance against Georgia State nothing short of dismal. Quite a drop off from the 10-3 prior season under Brohm but it was Sanford’s first year season, after all. Give him a break, right? Although fans were spoiled under Brohm, Hilltopper nation had to be patient. Unfortunately while 6-6 and making a bowl is still considered by some to still be a positive, looking back at the numbers from the season identify that things for WKU football were heading in a bad way.

Numbers from Sanford’s First Year

While I have to note (again) that expecting Sanford in his first year to be Jeff Brohm would have been unfair, I feel that the immediate and drastic fall off under Sanford does need to be highlighted in comparison. You could make the easy argument it pointed towards reason for concern, and that proved fully true the following year.

• In 2016 under Brohm, the WKU offense rushed for 2609 yards on the ground — which averages out to 186.4 yards per game. Anthony Wales ran for 1621 of those yards.

• In 2017, WKU only gained 791 total yards on the ground, which is an average of 60.8 yards per game.

A fair degree of slack cutting does need to be applied, as it would be difficult to replace 1600 yards of production from an out-going player, but to only produce one-third of the rushing yards (without much of a drop off in terms of attempted rushes, I might add), the coaching is arguably a factor as well.

Scoring also dipped, which was to be expected considering WKU led the entire NCAA the year prior and lost a number of contributors. But in 2017, the offense averaged 26.6 points per game — around 20 points less than in 2016. In addition, the WKU defense would also falter as WKU allowed more points by opponents per game than the Hilltopper offense would score.

The passing offense, at first glance, does not suggest that much of a drop off. Mike White was still, well… Mike White. His stats are close to the previous season, outside of throwing a few less touchdowns. Completion percentage, throwing yard totals, and yards per game — too close to use as a Sanford issue.

I looked deeper at all of the stats because having the hindsight of knowing about the travesty that would be Sanford’s second season, I knew there had to be something off. While White threw for similar percentages and yards, he had thrown the ball close to over 150 more times in 2017 than 2016, yet somehow threw for slightly fewer yards.

In 2017, White’s average yards per completion went down close to one-third of the previous season. To simplify, Sanford was running a short, ‘dunk-it-down’ offense. Deep plays were almost non-existent. Mike White ultimately saw a decrease in creative play-calling. As a fan, it was not fun to watch whatsoever.

Fast forwarding, Sanford went 3-9 in year two and would ultimately be fired. Sanford went 9-16 in a short two year stint as coach of the Hilltoppers. Following his time on the hill, Sanford would bounce around to a couple of one year stops at Utah State, Minnesota, and Colorado as the offensive coordinator/QB coach. He would even get the opportunity to be a collegiate head coach again, serving as the interim coach for Colorado — where he would go 1-6. Unable to convince any collegiate programs of his personal drive to culture build over winning football games, Sanford now coaches high school football at Valor Christian HS in Colorado.

February 15, 2026

Reaction Days Later: Moving On

It has been a couple of days since the clip went viral on Twitter and now that I have had an opportunity to join together with fellow members of Hilltopper nation in collectively condemning Mike Sanford’s comments, I’m moving forward. Ultimately, all his words did was strengthen the bond and resolve of the WKU fanbase and community. If anything, Sanford only hurt his own ‘brand.’ Prior to his comments, all I had ever heard in the rare occasion Sanford was mentioned, was that he was ‘a nice guy, just not the right fit.’ Whatever connections that Sanford might have had at WKU, or perhaps even at the college level entirely, have likely been burned. If his record as any sort of coach at the college level had not already made him an unlikely hire, his utter disrespect towards his former employer and lack of accountability surely have closed that door.

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Ode to Andrew!

That was freaking hysterical, Andrew, and I love it. I told you I would publish your article and I’m doing it. Unfortunately we got really busy at work and frankly, I haven’t had time to breathe and here we are right before the spring game publishing content from February. So I do stand here and publicly apologize to Andrew at the beginning and at the end for having this beauty send in the drafts folder for so long. But I thought we should ABSOLUTELY pull it out right before the Spring game.

Matt McCay’s Thoughts

I mean, Coach Sanford really did us dirty, and I just couldn’t believe that he of all people would have the gall to bash WKU.

As his former quarterback manager in 2010, wow, dude. And I get that he was extremely young in 2010. An impressive resume at 28, he was already a QB coach in Division I. That’s way better than I was doing finishing up my fourth year in insurance at 28.

But my goodness.

Coach Sanford was a weird dude. And as I told WKU AD Todd Stewart before, “I could have told you that one wasn’t going to work out.”

Mike Sanford put on a good face, and his interviews and press conferences were pretty A+ stuff. It’s funny that he says his opening press conference was met with silence, because frankly, I thought it went as well as it could. He got the crowd to laugh, remembered everybody’s name, and despite acting like he never knew anybody, he lauded all over Topper Nation and really acted like he was excited to be here at WKU.

And I understand that college coaches go where they have to and maybe many really don’t adore smaller towns or non-coastal cities or whatever it is that you’re used to. Maybe you’re not a Midwest/Southern guy and that’s fine, I guess.

But pardon us for having an accent and not growing up on the beach, brahhhhhhh (as you said plenty of times).

By the way, your San Francisco Bay accent literally made the equipment room think you were 1,000% a pot head. So you bash our players for smoking weed and you literally give off vibes of such an airhead surfer dude that you ABSOLUTELY in our minds probably smoked weed. How ironic is that?

And I will preface a whole lot of this by saying I’ve cooled off a lot since this happened. And I also know it is a grind to move all over the country and act like you’re comfortable and not be because you’re under a microscope 24/7. If you don’t fit, it’s really miserable.

I respect the grind of college coaching, because from 2009-14, I was right there with all of them, and a lot of the most talented head coaches never make it because they have a soul. And they value family over money and fame. And they love football, but they don’t love the pressure it puts on the path of your life.

And I will tell you this, too: I still have some respect for Mike Sanford. He was not a complete and utter idiot. He was bright and knew the offense and all of that. He’s no dummy. And he’s a Christian and has posted about loving Jesus and all of that and I applaud him for his faith and I hope it’s real and all of that.

But I will also tell you this: I lost just about all of my respect for him, too. Other than the fundamental “you’re an alright guy” and “love you as a Christian brother” kind of thing, other than that, it feels like all of that time that you acted like you were ok, it was all a lie and you borderline hated us and apparently thought we were subhuman.

That hurts, man.

Anyway, I’ll share some Mike Sanford memories, some good, some funny, some bizarre and we’ll cap this thing off.

But before I do, just know, Coach, that although I still fundamentally respect you as a man, you lost a lot of my respect, and it makes me sad, bro. “Mono Matt” (more on that later) still loves you. But yeah I’m not sure I really respect you, man.

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Sanford Stories from 2010

“Hey cuz, you doing anything for Valentine’s Day?…I’m taking my girls to Mariah’s!”

Two of the (no deep offense, fellas) most scholarly of scholar coaches in WKU history were assigned a station during “Red Dawn” (AKA winter workouts under Taggart) and I just so happened to be stationed with these yayhoos. Mike Sanford, Jr. and Raymond Woodie (Defensive Ends and OLB coach under Willie Taggart) were having a…I guess we’ll call it conversation. It was debatably not to that intelligence level…

Anyway, first of all you have to understand who these guys are. Mike Sanford is not the polished slightly West Coast accented man that was so polished measured, at least not back in 2010. Oh no. This guy had a San Francisco Bay accent and was obsessed with San Francisco Bay weather. He talked about it all the time.

*Looks up at the sky during fall practice* It’s 45 and about to rain with 15 mph winds: “Perfect Bay weather, dude.” -Mike Sanford, Jr.

Then there’s Raymond Woodie. Good GOD that man! 😂 Supposedly, he was an Academic All-American at Bethune Cookman, and I seriously have no idea how. Anyway, he’s this really dark complected black man and he has this very deep voice with a Florida accent and the tone of Yogi Bear.

So I mean this guy does not come across like a genius. But man he is lovable and an awesome guy from everything I ever saw. And a lot of times, he started a sentence like, “Hey man. Uhh…you got like a uhh, you know like a uhh you know…yeah.” “Say what, Coach?”

So what’s funny is Woodie and Sanford are like polar opposite people. Woodie is from Plantation, FL and a great recruiter to that state and the players think he’s hilarious. And he has a Florida accent that is HILARIOUS.

Raymond Woodie Translation Manual:

Back=Bike

Jack=Jike (i.e. Jack Doyle is still “Mistuh Jike” in my head to this day)

Karaoke=Karokah

Shuffle=Shuffa

You get it.

So one of the first times I had ever interacted with these two goofballs was during the course of this winter workout.

So Coach Woodie gets to explaining to the players how the drill goes, “Hey uhh you got the uhh cones and Ima blow da whistle n then you gon go, you gon grapevine, bikepedal, karokah n den go!”

Sanford, “Everybody got it?”

And everybody’s like…not really 😂

Then Sanford explains it and away we go. Well, we get into the drill and Coach Woodie is seriously blowing the whistle about five times per race. (The players were racing each other in two groups to see who was more agile around the cones.) Coach Sanford goes, “Coach Woodie, why are you blowing the whistle so much?”

Woodie gets a goofy smile on his face and goes, “I juh like tuh blow da whistle, man.”

I mean it was pure comedy.

So the players go off to the next drill and I’m cleaning up the drill, making sure cones are where they should be, cleaning up trash around the drill. Whatever. Manager stuff.

Well, here I am feet away from one of the funniest conversations I have ever heard, and I don’t really think any of it was intentional other than Sanford was kind of seeing what Woodie would say next.

But Sanford, I guess trying to relate to Woodie, goes (in his bay accent), “Hey cuz. Whatcha doin for Valentine’s day, brah?”

Coach Woodie (rightfully so) goes, “What?”

“You know Valentine’s Day!”

“Oh uhh I don’t know, man like a uhh I don’t know…”

“I’m taking my girl to Mariah’s!”

“Say what?”

“Mariah’s! You ever been to Mariah’s?”

“Nah man I ain’t know uhh you know.”

And then Sanford explains Mariah’s to him, whatever. I mean you could not script the conversation any better.

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“That’s my guy, Mono Matt!”

In 2010, I got mono and was really sick. I was told I could still be around the players and go to practice or whatever, so I just showed up to everything I could. Plus, that week was Kentucky week, and this was the year Western lost 14-3 in a snoozefest in Nissan Stadium (whatever it was called then…LP Field?). Kawaun Jakes had Jack Doyle wide open for a touchdown I think twice. I mean Jack didn’t have anybody within 20 yards of him and Kawaun through the ball (not kidding) through the uprights and it hit the backdrop behind the end zone like a BOMB.

Anyway, I was sick that week and Coach Sanford noticed I was kind of greeen and sluggish and goes, “Hey Matt you ok?” “Yes sir, I’m good.” I think one of the managers goes, “Yeah he’s got mono.” And of course, that opened up a line of questioning from several people, like, “Whooaaa wait a second!” and I explained I was told I was fine, that I wasn’t going to pass anything by being near people and that I just needed to not cough on people and wash hands and it would be fine.

I swear I was told by the doctors it was all good. Anyway, Sanford gets real proud of himself and goes, “Monoooo Matt! My guy!”

So anyway a game or two later, we played Indiana at WKU and former standout RB Bobby Rainey gets loose down the sideline. And if you know anything about me at a Western game, man I’m crazy. So Bobby gets loose on the sideline and I’m chasing after Bobby yelling, and whenever Bobby did something in a game that was great (which was often), I’d go “Attaboy, Bob!” or “Attaway, Bob” or something like that. So I’m sure I said that and thought nothing of it other than people kind of laughing at me chasing Bobby Rainey down the sidelines at the time.

Well, Willie Taggart used to, in the huddle after practice among announcements and other things he felt he needed to say…

(things like, “Maybe I should rename ‘Muscle Beach’ [where all the injured players worked out] ‘The Hood’ so maybe y’all will wanna get out. All these people got ‘concussions’. A bunch y’all ain’t got CONcussions but PUSScussions! Got a wholeee locker room full uh p*****s!” and “If one more of y’all Mother F*****rs get somebody pregnant, I swear to God! Next person gets somebody pregnant, you off the team! Use a d*** condom!”)

… would do this bit called “Wise words of the day.” And literally anyone in the entire building could be called on to bring “wise words” out of nowhere. And sometimes, players or coaches would be prepared, and others would not and it was HILARIOUS.

Well, anyway, apparently the week after the Indiana game, they were watching Bobby Rainey’s run in the film room and apparently there’s some dude in a black shirt and khaki shorts (our uniform that year) running down the sideline and Coach T stops the film session and goes, “Who the hell is that?”

And of course it was me and they start figuring out that this was a manager and all of that. So I was doing my business picking up practice and my boss, Mark Harris, goes, “Hey Matt I need you.” And of course I’m like, “Whatcha need, Mark?” I was helping put away pads or something. And he goes, “You need to go to the team circle.”

And confused, I start walking over there and I hear Willie Taggart go, “Come own, Matt let’s go!” And then Coach Walt Wells (I imagine) goes, “On the wiggle, son let’s go! *High pitched voice* What’re you waiting on? *Higher pitch* The Spring Dance?!?” So of course I run over there and Willie starts telling the story about watching film Sunday and they saw me and yada yada and this and that and Coach Sanford goes, “That’s my boy, Monoooo Matt!” and some other stuff like, “That’s my manager!” and whatever.

So then Coach T goes, “Alright Matt you gon give us the wise words *wrings hands* of the DAY!” And then Willie when he was messing with somebody (which was pretty often) gets that sly smile and you can see his teeth and then he’s got his whistle to the side of his mouth.

So of course I freeze and go “Uhh umm wow what a honor ummm uhhh” and proceeded to say absolutely nothing of import and then the team (maybe Adam Smith or somebody like that) goes, “Hey Matt what gets me fired up is when you get fired up.” So I did a “let’s go” and they all got fired up and it was a cool memory.

But Coach Sanford was a character.

“No lace shawty”

I honestly have no idea where this came from, but this was something the QBs were saying because Matt Pelesasa (former backup QB in 2010) threw the ball pretty often with no laces. So Kawaun called him “no lace shawty”. So Sanford picks up and he goes, “Say what?” and Kawaun goes, “He no lace shawty.” And then of course that was a whole thing for the whole rest of the season.

So shout out to Matt “Pile of Salsa” Pelesasa and “no lace shawty”. But of course, Sanford took that and make it a little weird and kept saying “no lace shawty” for several weeks off and on after that.

Ode to Sanford

Listen, this whole situation sparked back memories of the good and the bad back in the day. I’m proud of Hilltopper Nation for standing up for ourselves and not letting Mike Sanford run us over and insult our university and our state. And yeah we might have accents, but we’re not complete idiots and we’re certainly not backwoods bumpkins.

That was a disappointing narrative to weave about Western Kentucky. And it’s fine to laugh a little bit about how it was different, but this was an attack on us as people. And he made us out to be a bunch of idiots. And trust me, there were idiots in the WKU locker room. Trust me. I’m not saying we didn’t have some real gem human beings over the years.

But don’t come at MY university, MY town, MY place that I choose to call home. Not cool, bro.

So this has been therapy for me. I brought back some memories, and I hope y’all enjoyed them. There were so many memories I could bring up, some good, some bad, some embarrassing, some crazy. But these are my main core memories about Coach Sanford.

And listen, Mike Sanford did some good things while he was here. He brought back a lot of alumni and allowed people back in the stadium after Bobby Petrino basically destroyed it, basically restarted football alumni relations, and accomplished a few things off of the field.

But it is also laughable that this guy of all people would throw stones.

Let’s laugh over dinner sometime, Coach. Seriously. But don’t come at us personally. You were one of the idiots we laughed at! And we were all frickin idiots! And it was a good time, and anything I said and told about these stories was in good fun.

But man, this Sanford thing really threw me for a loop. I couldn’t believe it. But hey, this was now several months ago. I’m not sure anyone at WKU that was in tune with football and was paying attention in February will ever really think of Sanford again without thinking about the Daniel Boone National Forest.

As Andrew said in his follow-up, we move on. But this was major news and I’m glad we’re putting out our thoughts on it.

I’m really looking forward to seeing some Topper brothers to bring back some memories Saturday at the Alumni Meet and Greet and Spring Game breakfast with the players.

GO TOPS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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GO TOPS!!!!

(NEWS TO FOLLOW: Louisiana Tech, who is currently scheduled to leave the C-USA in 2027, is currently entangled in a lawsuit with Conference USA concerning Tech’s desire to exit prior to this upcoming football season. Therefore, the conference slate could end up being messy if a judge grants Louisiana Tech an early exit. I could not possibly begin to speculate what all could happen, or what outcome to expect from the pending lawsuit. I just wanted everyone to be aware. Go Tops).

With the conclusion of basketball season for the Hilltoppers, the athletics department was quick to attempt steering the minds of WKU fans by releasing their full football schedule the day after the men’s season ended. The conclusion to the 2025-26 WKU football season left many Hilltopper fans in a state of yearning for more from the program, having missed out on an opportunity to play for a Conference USA Championship. While the final regular season game loss to Jacksonville State on a last second field goal may still sting for many of us, it is time to move forward and focus on next season.

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The Schedule: Tested Early - an Understatement

With the release of the 2026-27 schedule, we get an initial glimpse and early insight as to what we can look forward to as football fans. One thing is for certain: The Hilltoppers start off the season going through an absolute three game gauntlet. Three straight road games to open up the season. Nevada, who the Hilltoppers defeated last season in Bowling Green, will be the first road test to gauge how the Tops are able to perform away from home. Surely they will be better than last season, when they went 3-9 in one of their worst seasons in their history. Last year, WKU was obliterated by Toledo in their first road test of the season, 45-21. So let’s hope this season, they get off to a better start. Unfortunately if the Hilltoppers falter against Nevada, it does not get any easier before WKU sees a home game.

I am not sure if any school on WKU’s level has a tougher two game road stretch than the Hilltoppers. After facing Nevada, WKU will travel across the country to take on Georgia, who played in the College Football Playoff (CFP) last year. Speaking of the CFP, WKU then travels to Bloomington in order to take on — oh — only the defending National Champion Indiana Hoosiers. Sure, the Hoosiers will no longer have Fernando Mendoza as their starting quarterback, but head coach Curt Cignetti had essentially turned IU into a national champion in a couple of seasons. So I would expect the Hoosiers to reload and regroup. A universe exists where next years’ Hilltoppers realistically start the season 0-3 before ever playing in front of a home crowd. A more realistic scenario is the Tops playing their first home game with a 1-2 record, but anything could happen. Maybe they’ll be 3-0, who knows?

A big downer is that currently, WKU has only five home games — meaning they’ll be slated to play seven games on the road. That’s not really something to be happy about as a fan, because home field advantage is a real thing with regards to sports and our Hilltoppers will have that in less than half of their games. The only non-conference home game will be against Mercyhurst. Woof.

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Coaching Staff

While there were differing levels of chatter amongst WKU fans who sought a change at head coach going into this year, Tyson Helton will indeed be returning for his 8th season as the head coach of the Hilltoppers. Rumors had circulated about there being mutual interest between Helton and schools such as UAB and Memphis, but both schools ultimately made other hires. As to how true any of the reporting on there being any interest on the side of either party, we will likely never know.

There were some pretty significant changes to the coaching staff that I believe are worth highlighting. Firstly, WKU will have a new offensive coordinator this year as former OC Rick Bowie opted to leave Western to take over the OC role at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Replacing Bowie is Bodie Reeder.

No, your eyes are not fooling you. Reeder served as offensive coordinator of Middle Tennessee State during the 2024 & 2025 seasons. The hiring of Reeder was initially surprising purely for the fact that MTSU has been terrible. To put that into perspective, WKU has beaten them seven straight times in football. Just mentioning that.

But Reeder had been fired from MTSU, so the initial news of his hiring by the Hilltoppers was kind of jarring.. but upon further research, the offense did not appear to be the issue. If you need further proof, here are some facts/stats about his body of work directly from the WKU athletics page:

“Reeder coached a Middle Tennessee offense that finished second in CUSA both years in passing offense, behind only WKU. In 2025, the Blue Raiders averaged 266.1 yards per game through the air, and quarterback Nicholas Vattiato led the conference in completions per game with 24.22, as well as passing yards per game with 238.9 under Reeder. Reeder's team averaged 261.1 passing yards per game in 2024, and he again coached Vattiato to the top of the league in completions and passing yards per game with 22.42 and 257.7, respectively. Vattiato finished his career as the second player in Middle Tennessee history to record multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.”

Several discussions with those close to the situation at MTSU suggest that Reeder’s firing was simply a result of the coaching staff having to scapegoat somebody for their poor play. Truly, who knows? I believe he deserves the benefit of the doubt, especially now that he’s working for the good guys now.

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Some Roster Talk

This section is titled “Some Roster Talk,” because I am going to do my best to highlight some key parts of the roster, most of the notable changes, and point out as much as I can sensibly do BUT I am not going to break down the entirety of the roster. With this new era of college sports where players change schools as often as a pair of socks, that would be too gigantic of an undertaking. However, one of our guys has done a tremendous effort of following the roster and keeping track of it in an article that will continue to be updated until training camp. Therefore, if you would like a more complete roster breakdown complete with the outgoing seniors, players who transferred out and transferred-in — I will leave a link to that at the end of the article.

Key Losses (Bold denotes player graduated)

• QB - Maverick McIvor

• TE - Noah Meyers (Syracuse)

• WR - Moussa Berry, Matthew Henry, Jairus Mack, Matthew Henry,

• RB - La’Vell Wright (Pitt), Marvis Parrish (Michigan State), George Hart III

• OL - Elijah Williams, Lawrence Seymour (Texas), Caleb Nitta (Oklahoma)

• DB - Nazir Ward (Syracuse), Jai Eugene Jr. (Syracuse), Dylan Flowers (Duke), Virgil Marshall (Jackson State), Kent Robinson, Demarko Williams,

• LB - Miller Malone (Houston), Koron Hayward (TCU), Jaylen Wester, Dominic Oliver

• DL - Harper Holloman (West Virginia), Mackavelli Malotumau, Jayden Gray

• Specialist - Jack Cassidy (West Virginia), Rex Robich, John Cannon, Cole Maynard,

A lot of offensive firepower from last year’s team will not be returning. Maverick McIvor and George Hart III were seniors and no longer possess any remaining eligibility. McIvor was the typical air-it-out, prototypical quarterback that Hilltopper fan have become used to, whereas Hart III was essentially the 3rd running back in the rotation.

Key Returning Players

• QB - Rodney Tisdale, Jr.

• WR - K.D Hutchinson

• WR - Cam Flowers

• DB - Dave Herard

• TE - Jackson West

• DL - Jakeem Fletcher

• DL - Venson Sneed

• OL - Karsten Upchurch

The main thing here is that WKU has good looking transfers that have come in from other schools, players that have waited their turn that have the potential to step in and be good players, and perhaps a few freshmen will be able to step right in and start or contribute.

It feels like WKU answered a lot of its questions in the portal. I see viable sized bodies and viable resumes coming in at key places like quarterback, offensive line, defensive line, defensive back, running back, wide receiver, and specialist.

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform! And by the way, send us your pics and tag us in your posts and we’ll like, share, and repost!

We are always doing our best to tell you about everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

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GO TOPS!!!!

As we head into the WKU Football annual Red and White Spring Showcase, there’s a lot to talk about with WKU Football. First of all, what happened last year? And what’s been going on this spring? How are they looking? And how do we feel heading into the 2026 (and hopefully 2027) season?

For now, let’s recap what happened in Tyson Helton’s seventh full season on The Hill?

We are several months removed from the conclusion of WKU’s football season. We also reflect on the entire season as a whole, taking a look at how the season fared. Usually, The Towel Rack would have already published an article recapping the bowl game, but we felt that many of us had our looking glasses still a little foggy following the heartbreaking loss to Jacksonville State. On a personal level, I felt the team and you — the fans — deserved a piece where we — the writers — gave ourselves the proper amount of time to let any emotional biases fade, in order to provide a more objective view of the season as a whole.

Also, life happened for a lot of us. The bowl game coinciding with Christmas and the New Year, many of us simply decided to take a break from football and focus more on some of the other WKU sports teams. But we are finally taking a look at not only the bowl game, but we’ll look at where WKU football excelled, made strides, as well as where we felt this team fell short. I’ll also attempt to make insights as to where WKU Football goes from here. We’ll begin by first recapping the New Orleans Bowl, then following up with a sort of retrospective on the overall season.

New Orleans Bowl (W): WKU 27, USM 16

Fans of efficient offensive football likely cringed watching the first half of this game, especially the Hilltopper faithful. The Hilltopper offense was essentially non-existent for the majority of the first half, with the defense — while shaky in moments — held up to keep the Hilltoppers in this game. Southern Miss put up a more statistically dominant offense than the score would show going into halftime. USM tallied 265 total yards on offense in the first half, while the Hilltoppers only managed 84. Yet somehow, Southern Mississippi went into halftime only leading 13-6.

Rodney Tisdale, Jr. looked about as bad as he ever had in Hilltopper uniform, completing 9 of 20 passes and throwing an interception before eventually exiting the game completely following a big hit. Was he really injured ongoing or was Maverick McIvor ready for his moment and he took it and everybody ran with it? The Topper offense got a much needed spark for the second half when Maverick McIvor would come off the bench to replace Tisdale following his injury, playing in his first game since October 14th against Florida International.

McIvor, who would suffer a moderately significant shoulder injury that (we presume) occurred during the game against FIU, would be replaced by Rodney Tisdale, Jr. for the rest of the regular season. Although he was available for all games after his injury, he was going to be hampered by the injury until very recently. Prior to being injured, Maverick McIvor was a typical Tyson Helton prototype quarterback. Like those who came before him, McIvor put up a lot of passing yards, often on deep throws, and threw for multiple touchdowns in most games. Whereas Rodney Tisdale Jr. was a redshirt freshman, McIvor entered the game as a fifth year senior transfer. Being a freshman in a big game, Tisdale had played like it (45% completions) prior to leaving the bowl game to injury. McIvor brought experience and as a result, provided a more composed leader to turn the game around.

With McIvor now under center, the offense as a whole looked more confident going into the second half. Down 13-6, McIvor led an eight play drive where he would show off his own legs, running in for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game. USM would kick a field goal at the conclusion of the third quarter to go into the fourth quarter up, 16-13. Southern Miss would not score again, however.

Maverick McIvor, in an effort to solidify his case for the new dual-threat QB in charge, would break off for a 23-yard run — falling just shy of the endzone at the USM 1-yard line. WKU would try to finish it off with McIvor, only to have him stopped for no gain. The Tops would then punch it in, taking a 20-16 lead on a George Hart III punch-in from the 1 two plays after Maverick’s explosive run. USM would stall on offense, giving the Tops the ball with 3 to 4 minutes left and the opportunity to run the clock out. Conservative playcalling toward the end of games while holding small leads has been an area of concern for me at multiple points this season, so I was perturbed when the Hilltopper offense found themselves with a 3rd-and-11 without having burned much of the clock. McIvor would throw for a first down, and then Marvis Parrish would put a stamp on the game as shortly after as he would take off for a 50-plus yard touchdown, sealing a New Orleans Bowl victory for the Hilltoppers, 27-16. The Hilltoppers outgained Southern Mississippi in the second half, 338-112.

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Some Twitter Warriors Hope For a Coaching Change, but is That Really the Solution?

After winning the New Orleans Bowl, the 2025-26 WKU Hilltopper football team would finish the season 9-4, going 6-2 in Conference USA. Many fans, at least the ones I have talked to or interacted with on social media, felt negatively with regard to how the season went for the Tops. Having been a contender for the Conference USA championship game for most of the year and blowing that opportunity, many felt that WKU Football had reached their peak with Tyson Helton as coach. It has been seven years, and Tyson Helton has been a contender in most years. However, he’s never put it together to be the favorite, and he’s never hosted a championship game despite half of his seasons having a roster good enough to win a championship.

Fans have been arguing for multiple seasons that Helton continually falls short in big games or moments, costing the program opportunities by poor coaching, decision making, etc. With rumors swirling that there were suitors considering pursuing Tyson Helton, many were hoping that Helton would leave and there would be new face at the helm of WKU football. As far as I can recall, the most talked about suitors for Helton were UAB and Memphis. The coaching carousel came and went, those programs hired coaches from elsewhere, and as it stands — Tyson Helton is set to serve as the Western Kentucky head coach for an 8th season.

And honestly, there’s absolutely no reason that he should absolutely be ran out of town. WKU has 12 all-time conference championships, one 1-AA (now FCS) national title, and has had gaps of up to 20 years between championships. Tyson Helton’s record is above 60 percent, and WKU’s all-time winning percentage is just under 60 at 58.9 percent. So in full perspective, Tyson Helton is a slightly above average WKU all-time, and he’s been knocking on the door of a championship for years, never missing a bowl game in his entire tenure.

Is it concerning that WKU seems to pee down their leg a little bit in some big moments? Yes, absolutely. And there have been some gaffs. No question.

But Tyson might have his best roster yet if he can keep it together through the spring and into the fall. With potential changes to the NCAA transfer structure that would likely benefit the Group of Five/Six, perhaps Tyson can finally cash in. With a returning quarterback and a non-mass exodus in the offseason, WKU should be pretty solid heading into the Fall. And other programs may be in crisis mode scrambling to put it all together after significant transfers.

The Tyson Helton Era at WKU

Tyson Helton quickly revived and helped maintain a program that was on the brink of faltering. Hired in 2019, Helton would inherit a 3-9 Mike Sanford team and in his first season, go 9-4 and receive C-USA Coach of the Year honors. Helton, who served as offensive coordinator for WKU under Jeff Brohm, brought the same offensive philosophy that yielded WKU’s best football seasons in program history. Under Helton, Western would return to being consistent bowl contenders. In Helton’s tenure at Western, he has taken the Hilltoppers to a bowl game every season (seven times), where he has a record of 5-2. Solid. In seven seasons Helton has a record of 57-36 (61.3%). Pretty solid.

While I debated including a whole story as to why Hilltopper fans who desire a change at head coach would be wise to practice caution in what they wish for, I opted just to cite that the grass is not always greener. You might run into a situation where WKU did in 2016 and hire someone like Mike Sanford. Sanford — in two seasons —took a program fresh off of back-to-back C-USA titles in 2015 and 2016 to the bottom of the college football landscape. While many fans would like to see WKU return to their former glory under Brohm, Tyson Helton at the very least has provided a solid degree of winning that is arguably more than acceptable.

One of the main strength of the Tyson Helton era has been structure. You know for sure that WKU is not going to tank into oblivion for the most part. Even in years where the roster gets decimated, somehow the “portal king” figures it out it’s just assumed that WKU is going to win at least six games. In only one season in seven, WKU has finished with less than eight wins. Although the Tops also haven’t found ten wins in any one season, to know that WKU is probably going to have a winning season at minimum is always a huge asset.

Missed Opportunities

For most of the season, fans felt this team was poised to compete for the opportunity to play for a Conference USA championship. And it wasn’t necessarily expected that way heading into the season by most. So from a general fan perspective, WKU got us excited and then fizzled when it felt like it was “go time”. For the most part, WKU did in fact remain in play for the possibility of a CUSA Championship all year. But would fall short, fading against Jacksonville State to just miss out. If they had simply won, they would have hosted the Conference USA Championship Game. That game, to me, symbolizes just how the season played out for this Hilltopper team. If I had to pick a phrase to summarize the 2025-26 campaign for the Hilltopper football team, it would be this: “Missed opportunities.”

I wasn’t like most fans. Going into the year, I was guilty of allowing myself to have what I would consider unrealistic expectations of the WKU football team. WKU, like almost every school in the transfer portal era, saw a great deal of roster turnover. The offense going into 2025 almost looked completely different. I had convinced myself that while the roster may be mostly compiled of newcomers, it was not beyond the realm of possibility to compete. Programs at similar levels — James Madison and Tulane — just played in the College Football Playoff. So I thought, “Why not WKU?” I would argue that either one of the 2015 or 2016 teams under Jeff Brohm, considering the current college football landscape, would have been in playoff talks had they existed at the time.

Initially upon first looking at the 2025 WKU football schedule, I only truly considered one game as a loss at the time: LSU. So in my hypothetical universe within my own head, WKU was going to finish the year at 12-1. That was my unrealistic expectation, but really… was it that unrealistic? I don’t know. That didn’t happen, but I will argue that it was not outside of the realm of possibility until my face turns blue. I feel like the best route to take in discussing the missed opportunities for the Hilltoppers on the season is to analyze their four losses with a little more depth than we discussed in the previous weekly recaps during the season.

Disclaimer: I am not going to recap all four games in full. Recap articles take a great deal of time to complete and on The Towel Rack substack, the articles are still posted for each of the games for the 25-26 season. Please go check those out if you want a complete breakdown of each game. I’ll (try to) focus more on analysis in this piece with a very brief context.

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Toledo — Opportunity for Statement Game On the Road Against the MAC Favorite

Going into the 2025-26 season, the Toledo Rockets were projected by many sports pundits as the favorite to win the MAC. WKU had defeated Toledo in the prior season in Bowling Green, but this time would face the Toledo Rockets in the infamous Glass Bowl — the nickname stadium where Toledo plays their home games. Going into this game, I’d argue that WKU had a golden opportunity to start the season off by defeating what many pundits were referring to as one of the top Group of Nine schools in the country.

Ultimately, WKU would not do so. The Hilltoppers were absolutely dominated from start to finish, with Toledo essentially asserting their will offensively and defensively. Losing 45-21, the final score makes it look closer than it actually was. Toledo led at one point, 45-7. WKU would score two touchdowns in what I would essentially refer to as garbage time, as Toledo had already removed their starters. Laying an egg in their first true test of the season was truly disheartening for the Hilltopper faithful, many of whom had secret whispers about a college football playoff. This game also made it difficult, at least for me, to truly feel confident in the Hilltoppers’ going into any game.

Matt’s Musing: Once again, WKU peed down down its leg in a big game. Western had no chance, committing turnovers and digging a 14-0 hole less than four minutes into the game. Toledo probably wins that game regardless. But from a “in the moment” perspective, WKU was 2-0 and had looked great against Sam Houston, who was supposed to be pretty good in 2025 and it turned out they were terrible, and WKU had drubbed North Alabama 55-6. WKU was 2-0, and WKU turns up in one of the more prominent “Group of Five playoff elimination games” with an absolutely stinker.

FIU — Beating Who They’re Supposed to Beat, Secure Lead in CUSA

Going into their game versus Florida International, WKU had the opportunity to build a lead in the Conference USA standings. While I am not 100% certain as to the point-spread, I want to believe that WKU was favored to win heavily. (Editor’s note: WKU was favored by 8.5 to 10 depending on the betting service.) That did not happen. WKU laid a giant egg offensively, which you could argue was a direct result of the shoulder injury sustained by starting quarterback, Maverick McIvor.

McIvor looked anything but like himself. He threw for only 151 yards to go along with three interceptions. After this game, it was announced that McIvor sustained a shoulder injury that would result in Rodney Tisdale, Jr. being named the starter. McIvor would not return ultimately until halfway through the bowl game. The Hilltoppers also highlighted a major weakness that would essentially plague them all season — allowing huge rushing games.

Matt’s Musings: Regardless of the fact that McIvor was injured during this game, it was starting to feel like it was time to try to find a spark long before the end of the game against FIU, when Rodney Tisdale came in and went 7-of-8 for 66 yards in garbage time.

WKU had shown signs of sputtering and stalling since the Toledo game. McIvor was ok in some games, but wasn’t explosive under McIvor after the second game of the season, and he wasn’t pulled until late in game seven. Western flirted with disaster against Nevada and needed miracles against Missouri State and Delaware.

To be fair, one can argue WKU found ways against MO State and Delaware. However, they were also gifted opportunities, and the Delaware win was an absolute robbery by the Tops. The point is WKU was already playing with fire heading into FIU. But the way in which WKU did it was just bumfuzzling. After two big road wins where you should come out alert and ready to go, WKU was atrocious. The defense did what they could to keep WKU in the game, but WKU offense was horrendous. How is it possible that you come out that horrible and sustain it all the way through and something else doesn’t happen besides benching the QB in garbage time?

It just felt like they were flat, and how do you come out flat at home against a team you should easily beat? If you’re going to get beat, fight your footballs off and let’s lick our wounds after a warrior effort. If it was poker, you folded the small blind. You didn’t even get to the flop to see how it might go. You just laid down and didn’t really see it through, it felt like.

From a locker room perspective, I’m sure this isn’t how they view it. But that was the impression from afar, and it was the impression from the stands a few rows behind them. It was not a great vibe and did not feel like a team that was locked in for whatever reason. And that happens pretty often in the Helton area. Let’s be honest…

LSU — Hanging with a Power Five Opponent

The type of game that the LSU game turned out to be is the type that you will just find yourself thinking about one random evening, thinking: “Man, we should have had them.” Going into a game like this, ultimately your primary hope as a Western fan is that you play a respectable game. Well, WKU had essentially controlled the game in what I would argue was not truly a defensive battle, but a battle of ineffective offenses.

LSU, while a historic program in terms of college football, were having a very down year for their standards. The program had just fired coach Brian Kelly midseason and were anything but a true powerhouse during the ‘25-’26 season. The LSU offense performed poorly enough all game to give many Hilltopper fans hope that they could pull off a miracle. However poorly the LSU offense had performed, they still fielded a true SEC defense — holding WKU to 3 points until a late-game turnover by the Tigers would be returned by the Hilltoppers for a touchdown. While I feel it is pertinent to credit the LSU defense, there was a lot of game-changing poor coaching decisions in this one that doomed the Hilltoppers’ chances at victory.

Helton opted twice on fourth-downs to go for a conversion over taking a field goal. Considering Western lost 13-10, you can do the math there. Then there were interesting play calls where ultimately, our players did not make plays. Again, this game just summarizes the phrase I felt defined the season: Missed opportunities.

Matt’s Musings: On top of this just being frustrating…man. This was a chance to get a real program altering win against a true SEC blue blood. A four time national championship and perennial title contender, LSU isn’t Vandy, Kentucky, or even Arkansas, who WKU has each beaten at least once since 2012. Fun fact: WKU bit the Wildcats two years in a row (2012 & 2013). Putty tats!

Anyway…

WKU had its chances early. And in a game against an opponent that in theory should be much better than you and is better than you defensively, you can’t throw away a wide open touchdown (Tisdale dropped a touchdown in the end zone) and not find a way to convert that into a field goal. And as Andrew mentioned, WKU threw away not one but two opportunities to get field goals!

Now seriously, WKU was up 3-0, and yes, a field goal probably doesn’t win the game in the second quarter. And maybe scoring twice ignites the Tigers’ fire and they go on to win in a blowout. However, it’s too bad that you dropped the surefire touchdown on the trick play. Come back and make great decisions. 4th-and-4 in a 3-0 game? Take the field goal! That’s the percentage play, and worst case scenario, you kick off and they return it for a touchdown or something. Regardless it’s at worst 7-6 and you have shown them you’re in for the fight.

By my redneck math, if WKU neglected two (albeit very long) field goal attempts and missed a sure touchdown, that’s 13 potential points left off the board. Even if we’re going to argue semantics, WKU is legitimately in the game if they just took the points they had in hand. You want to count it at nine missed points instead of 13? Fine. You want to ignore the touchdown? Fine. Six to 13 points were missed, and WKU lost by three to LSU, who by the way won multiple games in the SEC this year and went to a bowl game.

And my stance on this one is WKU probably doesn’t win this one, on way or another. But you never know how this thing plays out if you just take points that make sense. Sometimes WKU Football’s in-game decisions are questionable at best. And they’re certainly not stuck to a consistent strategy. It’s very random.

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Jacksonville State — A Chance at a CUSA Title Game

After the trials and tribulations the Hilltoppers faced and were unable to capitalize on, WKU still had one last opportunity to achieve one of their season goals: Playing for a Conference USA title game. Essentially, all the Hilltoppers had to do was win and the opportunity was theirs.

They had the game in decent hand, although the initial lead was flukish. WKU did a good job handling JSU’s vaunted running attack early on, but eventually JSU was able to cut the Tops open in the second half and JSU ultimately played their game and swung the game in their direction.

WKU fought, and they had their chances. It did feel like JSU was in control of the destiny of the game, and just like against LSU, WKU had a couple of opportunities and didn’t capitalize.

And listen, we were right there behind the defensive bench. That defense was locked in giving everything they had. The offense fought. This wasn’t an FIU thing where it felt dead and weird. No. This team was united together and battling. They just got beat. But nonetheless, once again in the big moment, Tyson Helton’s team for whatever reason doesn’t get it done.

Was it So Bad?

It may have felt like WKU underachieved, but not really. WKU was favored outright in all but three games: At Toledo (+7.5), at Delaware (+2.5), and at LSU (+24.5). However, WKU also won as an outright underdog at Delaware, as well. It all evened out to say that this WKU team probably did what it should have in a way. On paper, WKU was good but not great. Defensively, they held opponents mostly to three touchdowns or less on average (22.85 ppg), struggled to stop the run (100th), and was ok against the pass (80th). Offensively, WKU was 93rd in rushing (not hideous for an air raid) and 20th in passing (pretty standard to above average for a Helton offense).

What was most frustrating was that WKU got our hopes up and then they got dashed in a way that’s hard to swallow: Losing to FIU without scoring a touchdown.

A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

WKU saw two quarterbacks contribute meaningful snaps in the 2025 campaign, having started the season with the fifth-year transfer — Maverick McIvor. McIvor is the same mold of the typical Brohm/Helton quarterback: One that can sling the deep ball. Like many of the modern WKU quarterbacks before him, McIvor would indeed put out a lot of passing yards in his first few games. Despite a dip in production in his later games, until McIvor exited the FIU game, he had been in the top-3 in passing yards in all of college football.

The FIU game — in my opinion — was an outlier for McIvor. He had only passed for 159 yards, completed 20 of 31 passes, and threw for three interceptions. The Tops only mustered 6 points in the game, but I feel compelled to believe that McIvor played hurt against FIU, considering his injury was announced following the game.

Rodney Tisdale, Jr. would put up numbers similar to that of McIvor in terms of passing yards, but Tisdale provided more dual-threat ability that kept defenses honest. I personally quietly debated the decision by Helton to keep Tisdale as the starter when McIvor was healthy, but Tisdale had been the hot hand, winning three straight games with pretty good statistical numbers. So, the decision made sense to me.

Tisdale would perform well enough that even once McIvor would be healthy, Tisdale retained control of the starting quarterback job. At the time of McIvor’s injury, he had laid a stinker against FIU, a team in which we were highly favored to defeat. Considering McIvor was later announced to be injured following the game, I’d argue that he likely played through injury against FIU — which would support why he had played so poorly after being consistently solid for most of the season prior.

Tisdale would come in as a redshirt freshman and add a spark to the offense, in that Tisdale had to be considered as a ground threat.

Matt’s Musings: From a WKU perspective, it’s always been tough to “guard” a mobile QB. You really have to account for all eleven players when the QB can run. It’s a game changer, and Rodney was a huge piece to why WKU’s offense opened up, other than his superior arm strength.

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Group of Five vs. Power Conferences

While it may necessarily cross the minds of many sports fans when considering the notion of competing at higher levels, overachieving somewhere like WKU would present consequences. First and foremost, Western would likely lose the better coaches — as well as players — to programs that have more resources. Perhaps you are reading this and thinking, “Well, I’ll make that deal if it means (for example) making the College Football Playoff (CFP).” My response is to look at how that plays out in the modern era.

The two most recent examples to look at would be Tulane and James Madison. Both schools achieved program record seasons this past year, making the CFP. In the current landscape of college sports, the coaching carousal takes place well before the season concludes. Tulane was luckier than JMU, as Florida — who hired away their coach — allowed for Tulane coach Jon Sumrall to finish out Tulane’s season before taking over at Florida. But that is not always the standard all college programs (and coaches) abide by, nor is it truly — in my eyes — the best situation for a program. While I am sure that Sumrall had the best of intentions in attempting to make the situation better for Tulane, he had one foot out the door and HAD to have had his mind focused on moving forward at Florida.

Were WKU to rise to the levels of a James Madison or Tulane, even for just a single season, odds are more than likely that a bigger program would poach Helton (assuming he would take a 3-5x raise) in an instant. To support this claim, let us again refer to back to the success of James Madison. James Madison, for the second time in three years, went into the offseason having to make another hire at head coach.

i.e. In 2023, head coach Curt Cignetti would leave JMU to take over at Indiana. In 2025, Bob Chesney left JMU to take the reigns at UCLA.

Being a member of the “Group of 5,” WKU will almost always lose successful coaches to the allure of power conference schools for various of reasons. Money — in the forms of salary, NIL budget, resources, and facilities — is arguably the most contributing factor. Western is just simply unable to compete on a level that rivals the power conferences. Also, there’s the human factor. A lot of success-driven individuals likely want to perform their job or occupation at the highest level possible, in some regard. The allure of competing at the highest level, with regards to football, also exists. It is a hard truth to swallow that a school like WKU is generally going to be viewed as a ‘stepping stone’ school. Competing in the SEC, for example, is going to present a coach a better opportunity to coach against the best of the best than Conference USA.

Matt’s Midnight Musings

I would propose that I would be thrilled if Tyson Helton got poached because he finally won big at WKU. If Tyson Helton goes to eight straight bowl games, finally wins Conference USA, and goes on to Purdue or Houston or wherever might be a real fit for him, good for him, and good for WKU!

I personally take the current approach that it’s not time to run Tyson out of town. I mean, my goodness. Yes, it’s been frustrating to be extremely close. And yes, I have had moments where I want to pull out my hair. However, it is absolutely the wrong moment to pull the plug.

This year’s roster could be his best ever. With a returning QB, a QB that could possibly come in and legitimately steal Tisdale’s job, and key players returning at all levels on both sides of the ball (assuming no mass exodus after spring ball), WKU should be in darn good shape.

WKU returns multiple linemen, multiple options at QB, RBs, TEs, WRs, DL, LBs, DBs, and specialists. They're in about as good of a shape heading into the spring game as I could imagine a Group of Five perennial conference championship contender could be.

Although Delaware, JSU, and Kennesaw State may be reloading or improving, WKU should absolutely be in that upper echelon and be (in my opinion) a top four favorite. Then it’s up to them. Missouri State will probably suffer from losing their coach, Sam Houston went way backwards and loses its QB, Liberty lost plenty, and other conference mates for the most part may not be ready to take the jump into contention. Somebody will probably jump up, and maybe one of the early favorites will fall apart.

But in my opinion, WKU is in about as good of a shape as it possibly could be heading into Saturday Red and White Showcase.

It should be a gorgeous day Saturday. Come out and support the Tops!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Football is looking to finish off another fairly successful season. Despite the potential to be much worse with little prospects to finish near the top of Conference USA, WKU (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) was a few plays away from hosting a championship this season once again.

While frustrating, it’s also in the grand scheme of things an overall pretty decent result and a continuing of the success of the past decade and a half in WKU Football. However, things may look much differently if the Tops don’t pull out a W in the New Orleans Bowl.

Unfortunately for those expectations, a competent opponent stands in the way of those aspirations. Southern Miss (7-5, 5-3 SBC) had a massive improvement, and first year head coach Charles Huff snagged the Memphis job and he’s out of Hattiesburg like Brett Favre’s reputation at the New York Jets.

WKU looks to finish off strong, but USM certainly stands in the way.

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Andrew’s Anecdotes

WKU ending their 2025-26 season by playing Southern Mississippi in the New Orleans Bowl is almost poetic. Earlier this season, I wrote a retrospective article on the 2015 WKU football team as it was 10 years ago that team went on to win their first CUSA Conference Championship. Who did they beat? Why, none other than Southern Mississippi, 45-28. This was obviously before Southern Mississippi, along with a handful of other schools, engaged in a mass exodus from C-USA to other conferences. These two teams were together in C-USA from 2014-2021, where the Hilltoppers would go 4-0 against the Golden Eagles.

I truly wish I could give a final roster deep dive for you guys this season, but I have this gut felling that the moment I conduct research about the Southern Miss roster, whichever player I spend time learning about will inevitably enter the transfer portal, so I am not going to focus a whole lot on matchups and star players because for all we know, they may not even play in the game. That is, unfortunately the college athletics environment that we currently have to deal with. One that includes a coach hiring cycle where programs, like WKU and Southern Miss, can have their coaches poached by other schools before the season concludes, with potentially program altering games left to be played. I apologize, but I feel compelled at this point to spend a brief amount of time expressing my displeasure at the current landscape of college sports, as it pertains to WKU and schools like WKU.

Soap Box

Schools like James Madison and Tulane, who are the Group of Five schools who made it into the College Football Playoff, have both had their coaches hired by other schools. I believe in both instances the hiring schools are allowing the coaches to finish their seasons at both Tulane and James Madison, which is cool of them.. I guess, but I personally believe that coaching a program with one foot already out the door doesn’t really do much good for that program. Imagine should WKU ever be fortunate enough to make the CFP, we would likely have our coach hired elsewhere and have go into a playoff, which while stating that, it would be monumental for a program and fanbase like ours is an understatement. But to potentially lose the coach who got us there before the Hilltoppers ever played in it…

The transfer portal, in my opinion, has also contributed to creating an un-ideal (sure, that’s a word) college athletics landscape. Teams will spend an entire season fighting for bowls, playoff sports, etc., yet players will enter the transfer portal prior to the postseason taking place, foregoing the bowl games that their coaches and teammates spent the entire season playing for. To me, the current setup makes little sense. I am going to opt not to get into a whole debate about what could be done to remedy the situation, as this is supposed to be an article previewing a matchup between WKU and Southern Mississippi, but these two factors affect both schools.

The Game…Sort of

WKU has already had multiple players declare for the portal, one being Nazir Ward — a decent player in the Western secondary that now, in theory they will not have fully engaged for the bowl game. The WKU defense which has already shown major weaknesses and areas to be exploited could now be worse off. Southern Miss just had the head coach who led the team all season be hired away by Memphis. Things like this, to me, make it a little difficult to be overly thrilled about a bowl that does not truly reflect the teams that played throughout the year. Most players do play in bowl games, like the CFP because they mean more for the program and provide the ultimate showcase for talented players to get noticed. But since the inception of the 12-team playoff, the transfer portal, and however this coach carousel developed — it seems that if regular bowl games do not carry the same weight that they used to during the BCS era.

Ok Now Let’s Talk Football?

Now that I have wasted enough of your time preaching over a subject that does not necessarily match the title of “New Orleans Bowl Preview,” lets talk some football. In the 2025-26 season, the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles finished with a 7-5 record, finishing in a three-way tie for third place in the Sun Belt West Division. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Memphis would hire away Southern Mississippi’s head coach — Charles Huff — as their new coach. Memphis was mentioned various times by sources close to the situation as having been a potential landing spot for WKU head coach, Tyson Helton. But the Tigers ended up with Huff.

Taking up the mantle for the Golden Eagles will be their offensive coordinator, Blake Anderson. Anderson, who was initially appointed as coach on an interim basis, was announced to be named their permanent head coach moving forward.. Were it not for the “scandal” developing over the Michigan football team and their head coaching situation, I’m compelled to believe that the hire of Blake Anderson as the head coach of Southern Miss would be getting more coverage. While Anderson’s credentials for his teams’ on the field performance would merit consideration for the job, he has some nasty stuff attached to his name following his exit from his former head coaching job at Utah State.

It was reported by a few news outlets that Anderson had contacted the victim in a domestic abuse case concerning one of his players at Utah State, as well as one of the witnesses. His response when asked about this at the time was that he was doing his own form of “fact-finding,” but evidently there was more to it considering Utah State opted to fire him, citing cause. Specifically mentioned according to a few sources are that Anderson was in violation of Title IX rules, but again — I am led to believe that is more to the story considering Utah State opted to fire a moderately successful coach over it.

Judging Anderson purely from the standpoint of his coaching record, it is unfortunate that WKU will be facing off against someone who does have decent track-record of winning football games. He has been a head coach for 11 seasons, compiling a record of 74-54. He has made a bowl game in every season that he has been a head coach except for one season. In his first season as coach of Utah State, he led the Aggies to an 11-3 record, finishing the season ranked #24 in the country. If there is any solace Hilltopper fans can find in going up against a Blake Anderson coached team, it is that he is 3-6 in bowl games. He also coached at Arkansas State for seven years prior to joining Utah State in 2021.

The Hilltoppers are led by Tyson Helton, who was the subject of quite a bit of chatter as being a candidate for other coaching positions, notably at Memphis. Helton in his seven seasons as the head coach of the Hilltoppers has gone 56-36, leading WKU to bowl appearances in every single one of his seasons. Helton has also won at least eight games in all but one season as the coach of WKU. Should WKU defeat Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl, Helton would secure his fourth season having won nine games since taking over as the WKU head coach.

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The Helton Debate

Tyson Helton is a head coach who I truly find it difficult to discuss at length. If you haven’t noticed yet from reading anything I have put together concerning WKU athletics, I have a tendency to let my opinionated nature take over sometimes in my writing, sometimes maybe along the same lines as where Hilltopper fans’ head may also be at mentally. But with Helton, while many were ultimately praying for him to go elsewhere — I am way more cautious in allowing myself to wrap my brain around that concept just yet.

On the one hand, WKU has not a truly terrible season since Tyson Helton became our coach. Sure, the 5-7 season in his second year can be argued as being terrible, but that was during the COVID year, which there were a lot of sporting world anomalies that occurred that year. And it was a blip on the radar compared to the rest of his tenure. I am also reluctant to force out a coach who — at the very least — wins ‘enough.’ Helton’s predecessor, Mike Sanford, was an unmitigated disaster. In a few short seasons, Sanford almost single-handedly undid the work of prior coaches, like Willie Taggart and Jeff Brohm, who combined to essentially build the WKU football program from the ground up to where we, as a fanbase, are fortunate to have such high expectations for our program.

On the other hand, Helton has lost quite a few crucial games in his tenure that have cost the Hilltoppers opportunities to make potentially program altering wins in big games. Whether it be a simply bad coaching decision, or series of them — many of the Helton detractors argue that while he hasn’t performed badly as a coach, he has arguably cost the program opportunities at playing for bigger games due to his decison making, or even laying an egg completely in games the Hilltoppers should’ve dominated.

Plenty of moments come to mind, like getting blown out of the stadium early in both conference championship appearances, not taking field goals at Boston College, throwing away a multiple possession lead at Indiana, and going for it at midfield when you don’t have to. Another thing that frustrates WKU fans is time management near the end of halves and burning early timeouts. Those things come back to bite you at some point if you’re not successful when you make those crazy decisions.

Simply put, fans are growing frustrated that the WKU football program has not progressed further beyond 8-win seasons and middle-tier bowl appearances each year. Is the reason WKU doesn’t lose more than six games per year but never wins ten the exact same? Tyson Helton?

I for one can understand the desire for WKU to take that next step as a program in EVERY sport. For example, the WKU baseball won the Conference USA Championship last season and made the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Hilltoppers were great all season long and it was a story that had many people, myself included, wanting to go to baseball games for the first time or first time in forever. Because you want to watch the school I attended succeed, right? How did the Hilltopper baseball season end? Swept in the regional series with a single win in the tournament.

But it was awesome and it was a moment that really put the program back on the map for the first time in a decade.

Setting the Stage

WKU has an opportunity here to shut us all up. It’s simple: You can’t fix the LSU frustration. You can’t fix the JSU devastation. But you can go out and beat a program on the rise and get a nice bowl win and feel really good heading into next season. And WKU fans can “move on to basketball”. But they’re also watching and paying attention to what the Tops do. They’ll whine if they lose, and celebrate “salvaging” the season if the Tops win. So just win.

In theory, if WKU can just get this one, Rodney Tisdale should be back for his sophomore season, and WKU should be loaded if they can avoid portal disaster. And given the history of Tyson Helton, I’d say it’s unlikely that WKU just melts down the roster in the portal and doesn’t come out feeling pretty decent despite players shifting in and out in this new era.

So let’s get this one done, catch our breath, and move forward into 2026 when the time comes. And keep an eye on this WKU program, because it’s in a sneaky good position to be really, really good next season.

GO TOPS! BEAT SOUTHERN MISS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

The Western Kentucky and Southern Miss Football teams both had a nice year. At 8-4 and 7-5 respectively, no one could look at either programs’ record and consider them undeserving of an opportunity to play in the postseason.

However, as we all may know, sometimes bowl games are a time for funny business. Whether it’s a third string long snapper sitting out for the NFL draft, coaching upheaval, or general lack of motivation for what many fans and programs consider a “meaningless” bowl game, sometimes weird things happen in these games.

WKU (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) had a really good year when it could’ve been much different after losing a bunch of players, including a homegrown budding talent at quarterback. Instead, the “portal king” himself, Tyson Helton, and his staff, ended up cobbling together another really good roster. WKU pulled in another FCS Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback combo in OC Rick Bowie and QB Maverick McIvor, and things looked pretty solid for a couple of games. Then it kind of fizzled, and then it became obvious something had changed in the quality of play, and it turned out Maverick McIvor had an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. In came redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale, Jr., and the WKU offense surged. Instead of a paltry six points against FIU, the Tops scored at least 28 points against every Group of Five opponent, and the lone Power Four opponent, LSU was a low scoring three point loss (13-10).

Southern Miss (7-5, 5-3 SBC) had a nice year but also dealt with quarterback issues and a coaching change. One year removed from 1-11, Southern Miss’ coach Charles Huff came in for nearly one season, went 7-5, and has bolted for Memphis. In addition, USM’s QB Braylon Braxton has been hampered with a knee issue the past several games, missing one start in a 41-14 loss at home against Texas State. He seems to be in better shape now that he’s had time to nurse his knee for over three weeks and should be more of a “full go”. The difference in his mobility has been remarkable, getting at least 20 net yards rushing in his first five games and no more than 20 in his final six. Per Southern Miss interim HC Blake Anderson, his QB should be more of a “full go” and they “had to go vanilla” the last few games to protect Braxton’s knee.

Both teams seem fully engaged in this one. Despite a coaching departure and another disappointing “close call” into the championship game respectively, USM and WKU seem actively interested in this football game. USM went 1-11 last year and appreciates the opportunity before them, and WKU’s Tyson Helton always seems to keep his team together and projects an uncompromising outward desire to appreciate a bowl game opportunity. This should be an interesting matchup assuming both teams are at full cry.

So who do we think wins, by how much, and why?

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Predictions

Matt McCay (7-5)

This has been a tough year to predict WKU Football games. There have been a lot of variables to account for and it’s just been tough. I’ve been honest and picked WKU’s opponent and been wrong, and I’ve also been a “homer” and picked the Tops when maybe I shouldn’t have. Here’s another one that is a coin flip (WKU between -2.5 and -4 by most betting sites), and WKU has an opponent that has played “possum” the last month and a half but should be at full strength heading into this one. Never underestimate the power of emotion and health, and it seems like Southern Miss is fired up for this one. Interestingly, both defenses are nearly identical in terms of yards allowed, with each giving up about 180 on the ground and 220 through the air. Both offenses score nearly 30 per game, rush for 130+ per game, and pass for about 270.

Southern Miss’ defense gets more pressure on the quarterback, getting over two per game, while WKU doesn’t quite get to two per game themselves. Southern Miss is more feast or famine, either making big plays or giving up points. WKU is more possession by possession, keeping teams out of the end zone and keeping things in front of them. WKU ultimately gives up less per game, but neither defense is elite is anything, other than the fact that Southern Miss leads the country in interceptions at 21. And honestly, that feels like the tiebreaker for me. Southern Miss is explosive defensively and it concerns me against a young quarterback that is still figuring it out. WKU’s one big advantage may be its special teams, featuring consensus All-American punter Cole Maynard and a kicking game that makes 80 percent of its field goal attempts vs. USM’s 11-for-17 mark.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I do see this as a problem matchup for WKU. With regret, I say WKU struggles against USM’s explosiveness and rejuvenated QB versatility and the Tops fizzle to end 2025. I also think an underrated part of this is the crowd (and noise) Southern Miss should bring compared to WKU. Southern Miss 28-Western Kentucky 24.

Alex Sherfield (7-4)

The Golden Eagles had a bounce back year although it resulted in seeing head coach Charles Huff transitioning to Memphis. Even though they’re preparing for the 2026 season with new head coach Blake Anderson (formerly of Arkansas State & Utah State), the Golden Eagles are still wanting to end 2025 on a high note by getting a bowl win not far from Hattiesburg.

Southern Miss’ offense poses a strong threat to the Tops defense and how they often struggle against true dual threat quarterbacks and the schemes that accompany their styles of play.

Braylon Braxton is a quarterback that fits that exact mold and his production has been pretty consistent. Starting most of the season, he’s posted 23 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 65% completion percentage rate. Jeffery Pittman will be a bigger threat to watch out for as he has 640 rushing yards with 8 touchdowns to his credit.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles have proven themselves as a turnover forcing unit and has won seven of their last twelve games whenever they get at least two takeaways.

With how turnover prone the Tops offense has been at times, it’s worth noting that mistakes will have to be at a minimum to be effective against a strong defense.

Prediction: Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 24

David McCay (8-4, Perfect Predictions: 1)

I believe that Coach Helton will find a way to ultimately win the bowl game against Southern Miss as he does most of the time. But if anyone is expecting a clean or error free game from the Hilltoppers this year, you will be sadly mistaken. I know I sound like a broken record, but when WKU score 30+ they win a large percentage of those games. When coaches do not value field position or field goals, those games often go awry. Western has bunches of these games over the past several years.

Western should remember and exploit the middle of the field more. No matter what defenses WKU has played against this season, there have been holes in the middle of the field. I know they will be there again in this game. I think the quarterback should have ability to determine man to man or zone defense and change the play or routes to accommodate the best gain. The receivers need to find a hole and fill it. The quarterback needs to find the open man and put the ball in their hands. The defense needs to figure out tendencies and go see the ball, hit the ball, tackle the ball, and steal the ball.

WKU 35 So Miss 31

Bret Combest (8-2)

I think WKU is going to win this game. We had a strong 8 and 4 season and we have a good coaching staff who is very experienced and good at making it a strategic adjustments

Here are a few reasons we will win:

First, WKU has a strong passing game led by a stellar young quarterback Rodney Tisdale who’s shown impressive stats and has emerged as an effective leader. Second, our defensive line is effective at pressuring opponents and disrupting plays. Third, the WKU special teams, particularly punter Cole Maynard, have been excellent at pinning opponents deep.

Let's go Tops 35 to 21. Tops take it and bring it home to Bowling Green.

Andrew Nalley (5-6)

Bowl games are tough to predict anymore, given the current landscape of college athletics. Both coaches and players are up for grabs during this period, evidently. WKU has seen its fair share of players already declare for the portal prior to their bowl game. However, Southern Mississippi has been more critically impacted as their head coach, Charles Huff, will be leaving to become the head coach of Memphis. The defensive coordinator for Southern Miss is also rumored to be leaving to join Huff on the Memphis coaching staff. So, that leaves Southern Miss without the coach who guided them through out the entire season and a group of players without a sense of direction.

While WKU is likely still reeling from the loss to Jacksonville State that cost them an opportunity to play for the Conference USA Championship, the Hilltoppers will (as far as we know at this point) be retaining a majority of their coaching staff going into next season. While we have already seen a couple of WKU players enter the portal prior to the New Orleans Bowl, we still have our coaching staff intact to guide the Hilltoppers through to the bowl, while Southern Mississippi will look to new leadership in a couple of weeks time to guide their players and somehow motivate them for what many might consider to be a meaningless bowl effort. Plus, with Charles Huff leaving, it would not be surprising to see a mass exodus of Southern Mississippi players to enter the portal prior to the game. Until certain rules are changed to protect the integrity of bowl games such as moving back the coaching carousel and transfer portal window until after the previous season has concluded, this will unfortunately be the new norm for college sports.

Based on the circumstances, I believe WKU will have the advantage of coaching stability and likely see more players who opt to play in the bowl game. Therefore, I have WKU winning. By how much, how knows? Players could at any point decide to enter the portal.

Prediction: WKU 24, Southern Mississippi 14

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Conclusion

It should be interesting in New Orleans at 4:30 Tuesday on ESPN. WKU looks to right its wrong of the past few games’ missed opportunities and send the program into the offseason with momentum, while Southern Miss looks to enjoy its successful season with a nice bowl win.

Despite what many would assume would be WKU the more motivated team, Southern Miss is saying all of the right things and has officially hired the coach for their future, who happened to already be on staff. A coach with nearly ten years’ head coaching experience and a winning record, Blake Anderson will have his team ready to go. This will be a matter of which team is more ready and who goes out and plays big-time football.

And maybe there’s a distraction element, but that’s always difficult to measure before you see the teams play. Obviously, we hope the Tops come out and pound Southern Miss. Let it be so, Tops!

GO TOPS! BEAT SOUTHERN MISS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

While we here at The Towel Rack, along with most of Hilltopper nation, do our best to shake off the fact that the WKU football team missed a golden opportunity to play for a conference championship this weekend, I decided to take a look at what possible bowls could be in line for the Hilltoppers to play their next and ultimately, final game of the 2025-26 season.

DISCLAIMER: Prior to WKU’s bowl game officially being announced, I will do my best to update this when certain bowls get leaked so, in my own way, I am not creating any sort of hype for a game that is no longer possible to happen. I’ll post those below as I learn about them.

UPDATED: Announced Bowl Pairings

Posted below is the running list of announced and confirmed bowl pairings. Will continue to update as best as I can prior to WKU’s bowl being announced:

• 68 Ventures Bowl — Louisiana vs. Delaware

• StaffDNA Cure Bowl — USF vs. Old Dominion

• LA Bowl — Boise State vs. Washington

• Xbox Bowl — Missouri State vs. Arkansas State

• Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl — California vs. Hawaii

• Las Vegas Bowl — Nebraska vs. Utah
  

ESPN

(To view the complete article full of projections for all of the bowl games, please click the following link: <https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47150538/college-football-playoff-bowl-projections-following-week-14>)

Kyle Bonagura:

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl — Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

• I will admit, this is not a bowl that I am overly familiar with but the opponent, I am. When WKU won the C-USA title back in 2015, it was against Southern Mississippi — when they were also a member of the conference. They have since joined the Sun Belt conference where they finished with a 7-5 record this past season, going 5-3 in conference play. They placed 2nd in the Sun Belt - West, which meant they also fell about a game short of playing in a conference championship game. So, what kind of teams would show up in this hypothetical match-up? Two dejected teams who have essentially thrown in the towel on their seasons after falling short of a conference title game, or ones eager to go out with a win?

Mark Schlaback:

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Louisiana vs. Western Kentucky (It was announced Louisiana will play Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl)

• Formally referred to as UL-Lafayette, ULL is another opponent that would be somewhat familiar to the Hilltoppers. Before leaving the Sun Belt and joining Conference USA, WKU and ULL were both members of the Sun Belt Conference. ULL joined the Sun Belt in 2001 and during the whole conference shake up that saw many teams leave for the C-USA when the Hilltoppers did, the Ragin’ Cajuns opted to stay put. ULL finished the season 6-6 and were essentially tied with Southern Miss. in conference record at 5-3, with Southern Miss owning the tiebreaker. It would be interesting matchup playing a former foe, but in Louisiana? I would be a huge fan of playing a Louisiana team in their own state, as it would essentially give them a home game.

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CBS Sports

The New Orleans Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion

(ODU has since been paired against USF in the Cure Bowl)

• This matchup would be a very interesting one. The trend continues with WKU being projected to play a Sun Belt conference team, this time from the East division side. ODU finished the season at an impressive 9-3 (6-2 in Sun Belt) and were it not for the amazing that James Madison has had (11-1, 8-0 SBC), ODU might’ve been playing for a conference title. The last time the Hilltoppers played against Old Dominion was during bowl season in 23-24, where ODU held a 28 point lead that the Hilltoppers would come back from and win the game. Could this be another exciting matchup, or would ODU be too much for the Tops to handle?

Athlon Sports

New Orleans Bowl - Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.

Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

• Second match-up projected against Southern Miss., however this time in a different bowl and location.

The Athletic

XBox Bowl - Frisco, TX (UPDATE: It was announced Thursday that Missouri State and Arkansas State will play in this bowl game.)

Western Kentucky vs. Miami (OH)

• This projection features a change up, as this is the first projection that has the Hilltoppers playing someone outside of the Sun Belt. Miami (OH) is an interesting opponent. They finished in three-way tie for second in the MAC Conference and I assume won the tie-breaker, as they will play this weekend against Western Michigan for the MAC Conference Championship. at 7-5 overall, and 6-2 in conference play — they’ve had a very similar season to the Hilltoppers. So were this scenario to play out, WKU could possibly be facing off against either a conference champion, or a team who just a conference title game. I’m going to go on a limb and predict that were Miami (OH) to win their conference title, they would not be playing against us. I believe if they were to beat W. Michigan, they might get a bowl upgrade.

The Sporting News

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

• 3rd media outlet to project the Hilltoppers playing against Southern Miss., as well as the third different location. I could go for a trip to Myrtle Beach.

Sports Illustrated

Independence Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. Cincinnati

• I am not sure how much merit this projection has, but this would arguably place WKU against their most difficult opponent that I have yet to see in any of the bowl projections. While the Cincinnati Bearcats finished the season at 7-5 (5-4 in conference play), they did play in the Big-12. While I wouldn’t personally compare the Big-12 to the Big Ten or the SEC, it is still considered to be a power conference with two teams (BYU, Texas Tech) currently vying for slots in the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati finished the season on a four-game losing steak, so playing a team like Western could be a breath of fresh air for a battle-tested Bearcat team. Were WKU to pull off an upset in this game, it would be good win for the program as a whole.

College Football News

StaffDNA Cure Bowl - Emploria Stadium; Orlando, Florida

Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion

UPDATE 12/6/2025: It has been announced that Old Dominion will be playing this game against South Florida

• I will probably opt to end listing the projections here, as I am starting to get into media sites that I am not too familiar with in terms of their prowess. But here, we have another projection of the Hilltoppers facing off against the Monarchs of Old Dominion, however this time in Disney’s city (Orlando).

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Conclusion

So according to the combination of projections provided here today, it would appear as if Western is most likely to face off against an opponent from the Sun Belt Conference. This makes sense to a degree, as the Sun Belt probably closest aligns out of the other conferences as close in talent and level of competition as Conference USA. So therefore, playing against teams who finish either right at where we did in conference, or maybe a spot or two higher/lower would pit two teams together who would create for a solid game.

Keep in mind, these are merely projections by analysts who have truly no idea how things will ultimately play out. So take them with a grain of salt. I just wanted to compile this list as way to possibly generate excitement for the Hilltoppers’ final game of the year following the disappointment of not having the opportunity to play for the conference title. I would imagine the bowl selections will be released toward the end of this week, following all of the conference championship games. So, stay tuned!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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GO TOPS!!!!

I must admit that it had taken me the last two days to garner up the willpower to sit down and write a recap for this game. I was only able to catch the first three quarters on television before I had to leave, but believe me — I had the Gamecast on ESPN pulled up on my phone through the game’s conclusion. Sometimes whenever games make me super anxious, I will do that — turn the game off completely and somehow find checking the score every couple of seconds as a more relaxing method of following games. It may not make sense, but it is my method. When the game ended, initially my app showed the score showing “End of 4th” with the score tied for a brief second, where I thought perhaps Jacksonville State missed the kick. Then, my heart would sink when the score updated to show the Hilltoppers had lost, 37-34 — by way of a last second field goal.

I am not going to sugarcoat this in any way: This one hurt. I have followed WKU Sports ever since I first started at Western as a student in 2011 — so that is going on 15 years. Between graduating and present day, this year I was probably more emotionally attached to this team than I had been years. I contribute that mostly to the fact that I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to write and contribute material related to WKU sports here on this forum, The Towel Rack.

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Moving away from Bowling Green, there are not a whole lot of die-hard WKU fans that I had opportunities to share my thoughts with about the Hilltoppers. So, when I joined the team here with The Towel Rack, I essentially joined a community of die-hard Hilltopper fans, and I mean DIE-HARD. It has been a reinvigorating experience for me. So for the first time in years, I became a more involved fan and felt the losses much more closely to heart. All season, we as a group maintained a steady amount of optimism that WKU was headed toward playing for a Conference USA Championship. Through every little bump in the road, that is where our collective focus was — the CUSA Title. So to have that hope we held all season long be dashed, it really sucks.

It also really sucks, as does any loss when it concerns your favorite team, when you sit back and have the opportunity to reflect on the missed plays, blown opportunities, and just simply how your team should have won. That is certainly the case as it pertains to WKU. Let’s go over a few of those from Saturday’s loss will we do a little bit of a recap, shall we?

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Finally, Talking WKU vs. JSU

Jacksonville State would strike first in this game, before WKU would go on to score three straight touchdowns to go up 21-7 at the beginning of the second quarter. What was initially a feeling of excitement quickly turned to ashes in my mouth, as Jax State would score ten unanswered, cutting the lead to 21-17 with 6:18 left until halftime. Western would get the ball and put together a long, methodical drive with a mixture of short, quick passes and running the ball often in order to milk the clock. That would be the smart move right?

Unfortunately because La’Vell Wright is just an unstoppable force when running the football, he would break off a 30-plus yard touchdown run to increase the lead, 28-17 with 1:52 until halftime. Still having all of their timeouts, Jacksonville State would have time to put together another drive if they wanted to. And yeah, evidently the Gamecocks wanted to do exactly that.

WKU had JSU stopped to a 3rd-and-long, which the Tops would do many times in this game. They would almost always be unable to stop the Gamecocks from converting them, especially in key moments of the game where they truly need them — this one in particular was frustrating. I will say one thing about this game in defense of, well, WKU’s defense — the officiating was objectively terrible. I am sure that you’re thinking, “Yeah okay, any fan on the losing side of a football game, the first go to for making excuses is to blame the refs.” But I am quite serious with this take. The JSU offense almost committed holding penalties on every snap it felt like and were almost always uncalled. On this drive, a very questionable pass-interference call bailed out JSU, where on the very next play — Creel would throw a 22 yard TD pass to close the gap to 28-24 right before halftime. Certainly helpful to JSU to get the benefit of the doubt there, wouldn’t you say?

I am going to preface this by saying the Hilltopper defense was abused the entire game. Always susceptible for allowing big plays, especially in the run game, the defense were handing out yards as if there was an early Black Friday deal on them, particularly on the ground. Not only did Jacksonville State QB Caden Creel carry the ball 20 times for 143 yards (mostly in the second half), RB Cam Cook contributed 137 more yards on his 25 carries. WKU allowed Jax. State to rush for 293 on the ground. That is, by any measure, absolutely abhorrent. Perhaps JSU wasn’t able to get Cam Cook going above his average, but WKU focused so much on Cook and still, JSU nearly broke loose for 300 rushing yards.

Credit to WKU’s own ground game does need to be handed out, though. I try to do my due diligence to give praise where it is due rather just focusing on everything negative that WKU does in every game. WKU’s backfield combined to rush for 204 yards, led by La’Vell Wright who carried the ball 14 times for 116 yards. Flowers to the rushing attack.

The passing offense also did not do this team any favors. Tisdale didn’t have his best game, only throwing for 180 yards and an interception. While the Hilltoppers still had their solid grip on the game at 21-10, Tisdale, Jr. would throw a costly interception that would be returned to Western’s own 10 yard line. Jacksonville State would have no issue scoring, given the amazing field position handed to them following the turnover. That was essentially a free seven points, and JSU now had every bit of the momentum.

I mean truly, WKU had so many opportunities where just if one play gone differently, the outcome could have been different. But unfortunately, any of these arguments are moot. Jacksonville State won the game and will face off at their home stadium against the Kennesaw State Owls to see who will be crowned the winner of Conference USA. Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State did already play this season, where Kennesaw State would win a semi-close one, 35-26.

As for the Hilltoppers, who now sit at 8-4 and sit at 3rd in C-USA, they now wait and see what bowl wants them. Some of you may cite this as just simply being negative, but I am personally at the moment kind of checked-out on the prospective bowl game already. (Editor’s note: Completely fair thought. Many will be vaguely interested in the bowl game.) Even though there is still the conference championship and post season portions of the season yet to be played, players are already declaring for the portal and coaches of teams are actively being recruited for other jobs… while their teams are still competing for things like the College Football Playoff.

I have watched too many instances where a team who has played hard all season to achieve bowl eligibility, or as with Ole Miss and the whole Lane Kiffin ordeal — a playoff spot —be coached by an interim coach. I have also observed many teams go into their bowl games with depleted rosters, with players sitting out either to maintain their health prior to the NFL Draft, or because they’re entering the transfer portal. I firmly believe that a College Football Playoff was a necessary addition to college football, but it has completely removed any sort of regard for the lesser bowl games. In the not so distant past, I recall WKU’s own QB (Austin Reed) sitting out of our bowl game due to the NFL Draft. Players sitting out of meaningless bowl games and coaches just moving on with the season still ongoing has dampened any excitement I personally have for bowl season.

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Wrapping a Bow(l) on it

I hope that whatever bowl Western gets, the team is able to get almost all of the players who contributed this season to play. I would like to see this particular team give fans one more opportunity to see this team off the right way: With a bowl victory.

This year, barring Rodney Tisdale, Jr. having an unforeseen intense market for his services or inexplicably wanting to go down a division (unlikely), WKU’s young quarterback should be staying heading into 2026. For that reason alone, perhaps more of the team will play, more will stay, and perhaps we should pay more attention.

This is a crucial moment for WKU Football. The Tops keep knocking on the door, and if they could just somewhat keep a roster together and plug some holes, perhaps they have a wonderful opportunity in 2026 to make one last really strong run at a conference championship.

If WKU can keep Rodney Tisdale, make sure he has competition, and fill in some gaps from departing players, WKU could have an absolutely loaded roster next year. Judging from the departures per the WKU Roster Tracker and knowing the basics of the WKU roster in general, WKU will need to find at least one QB to push Rodney Tisdale, if not two. They will need multiple running backs (4 of the top 5 are 2025 seniors), a few receivers, a tight end, always need offensive linemen, the D-Line is losing contributors, LB has some graduates, DBs as well, and finally, WKU loses two starting specialists. In hindsight, I just named everyone, but that’s the nature of the portal world. WKU could possibly keep most of its depth chart decently intact and add some key pieces and move into 2026 with significant optimism.

Without question, if you keep your QB and avoid a mass exodus, the Tops will be in pretty good shape. They already have 23 signees and two more guys committed. They will be able to add more transfers, but as it stands right now, WKU is near the top in CUSA without adding transfers. One would think given WKU’s history and an eight year head coach, WKU should be able to only improve its status nationally once the transfer portal gets serious.

We will see how the Tops do on and off the field in the next few months, but if I was a Topper fan, other than the “Will Tyson Helton ever win a championship?” feeling that seems to be an ever increasing frustration, WKU should be in really good shape next season in terms of its floor and its potential to show up with a good to really good roster once again.

Therefore, Topper fans should keep an eye on how this goes heading into the offseason. Last season, it felt like a dumpster fire with 10,000 people leaving, including a young quarterback that ended up being near the top of the country in passing yards. Yet it actually ended up being a better season than it seemed like it would be. But this year, it feels like WKU’s roster should not be in complete disaster mode heading into the spring.

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

Give a gift subscription

Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

The 2025 regular season ended in heartbreaking fashion as Tyson Helton’s Hilltoppers came up short in their quest for their first conference title since 2016. With the bowl game the only thing left for the 2025 season, we start looking ahead to the 2026 Hilltoppers. WKU announced several signings December 4th, but we should note that these are only binding if Tyson Helton returns for his 8th season. With him being rumored to several jobs (Memphis, Tulane, UAB), any of these players (or any player on the roster) can reopen their recruitment should he leave. While it may not be incredibly likely he leaves this season, be aware of the possibilities.

The transfer portal is also set to officially open up after conference championship games are completed, so we should expect a significant amount of announcements over the next month or so as the Hilltopper program could be in flux. Considering that WKU Football takes a very open approach to the transfer portal, don’t be shocked if half the roster goes shopping in the portal. With that in mind, here is a comprehensive list of where WKU’s roster currently stands heading into the 2026 season.

3/9/26 Update: WKU Football has released their 2026 Spring roster on WKUSports.com. We have updated our returning players at the bottom of the piece. We will continue to monitor after the portal window reopens in April and will update again after summer roster is posted in June.

2/13/26 Update: WKU Football has announced their February signees. The bulk of the new players have now been added to the roster. We will update the returnees when the spring roster is updated and continue to monitor the roster until fall camp.

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Signees (63)

*denotes they’re listed on spring roster

• K- Karl Campbell (Derry, Ireland)*

• RB- Ajay Allen (Tulsa transfer)*

• TE- Coleson Arends (Arizona State transfer)*

• P- Daniel Wall (Australia)*

• RB- Kalib Hicks (Oklahoma State transfer)*

• OL- Zach Clayton (Middle Tennessee transfer)*

• DT- Zeiqui Lawton (Sam Houston transfer)*

• C- Alec Johnson (Georgia State transfer)*

• LB- Geajorm Akpaloo (Coastal Carolina transfer)*

• LB- Garrison Madden (USC transfer)*

• DB- D’Cambren Verrett (Texas A&M-Kingsville transfer)*

• OL- Nonso Omezi (Houston Christian transfer)*

• DE- Latrevion Thompson (Southeast Missouri State transfer)*

• DB- Tony Newsome (West Florida transfer)*

• DB- Canyon Moses (Northern Arizona transfer)*

• DB- BJ Carey (Weber State transfer)*

• DT- Kiawan Murphy (Akron transfer)*

• WR- Zion Taylor (Georgia Tech transfer)*

• QB- Brock Glenn (Florida State transfer)*

• WR- Jay Rockwell (Prairie View A&M transfer)*

• RB- Sincere Baines (Maine transfer)*

• WR- Nigel Johnson (South Carolina State transfer)*

• OT- Alex Lopez (Mississippi State transfer)*

• TE- Griffin Reimer (NC State transfer)*

• RB- Le’Kamren Meadows (Moody HS, Moody, AL)

• DB- Christian White (Florida State transfer)*

• OL- Tyreek Major (South Florida transfer)*

• DL- Darius Hampton (Central Oklahoma transfer)*

• OL- Roq Montgomery (Alabama transfer)*

• OL- Rhett Larson (Sam Houston transfer)*

• DE- Nathan Gonzalez (Indiana State transfer)*

• OL- Tai Ray (Pittsburgh transfer)*

• DL- Javin Griffin (Gardner-Webb transfer)*

• LS- Carson Perusse ( UNC-Pembroke transfer)*

• TE- CC Ezirim (Toledo transfer)*

• DB- Walter Manning (Riverside City College transfer)*

• WR- Qua’Vez Humphreys (Sam Houston transfer)*

• DB- Jacob Cosby-Mosley (Wake Forest transfer)*

• OL- Brody Riffe (Eastern Kentucky transfer)*

• DL- Victory Vaka (Texas Southern transfer)*

• DL- Elijah Peake (Carver HS, Montgomery, AL)*

• CB- Pedro Souffrant (Palm Beach Central HS, Palm Beach, FL)*

• DE- Bryce Fulda (Cardinal Mooney HS, Sarasota, FL)*

• WR- Jonathan Stafford Jr (Grayson HS, Loganville, GA)*

• OT- Asa Holbert (Cherokee County HS, Centre, AL)

• OL- Jordan Curll (Page HS, Franklin, TN)

• S- Jaylen Pollard (Ravenwood HS, Brentwood, TN)

• ATH- Arlando Crafton (Carver HS, Atlanta, GA)

• TE- Eli Wilt (Ensworth HS, Nashville, TN)

• LB- Makhi Brazier (Grayson HS, Loganville, GA)*

• DE- Isaac Tanis (American Heritage HS, Plantation, FL)

• LB- Westen Ard (Houston County HS, Warner Robins, GA)*

• WR- Tre’von McGory (Germantown HS, Germantown, TN)*

• CB- Leonzay Merzlus (Chaminade-Madonna HS, Hollywood, FL)

• S- Taron Essex (Southwest Dekalb HS, Decatur, GA)*

• CB- Damyon Pearson (Brookwood HS, Snellville, GA)

• QB- Cam O’Hara (Cooper HS, Union, KY)*

• OL- Jamier Smith (Georgia Military College transfer)*

• WR- Devin Hamilton (Mill Creek HS, Dacula, GA)*

• WR- Jeremiah Carroll (Carson-Newman transfer)*

• OL- Tyrell Scott (Elder HS, Cincinnati, OH)

• DE- Henry Smith (Moody HS, Moody, AL)*

• DT- Ceejay Embry (Pahokee HS, Pahokee, FL)

• DL- Zayden Walters (Brookwood HS, Snellville, GA)*

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Commitments (0)

Former Commitments (1)

• WR- Mark Hanniford (West Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton, FL) (Signed with Ball State)

Entered the Transfer Portal (33)

OL- Elijah Williams

LB- Eli Jones (transferring to Austin Peay)

DB- Javaan Mack

OL- Laurence Seymour (transferring to Texas)

DB- Jalen Emery

DT- Chukwunedu Okeke (transferring to James Madison)

K- Jack Cassidy (transferring to West Virginia)

DB- Jai Eugene Jr. (transferring to Syracuse)

LB- Miller Malone (transferring to Houston)

DT- Robby Harrison (transferring to Colorado State)

DB- Korbyn Green (transferring to Tulsa)

OL- Branden Hollis (transferring to East Texas A&M)

WR-Isaiah Myers (transferring to Missouri State)

WR- Moussa Barry

OL- Melvin Collins Jr. (transferring to Jackson State)

RB- Marvis Parrish (transferring to Michigan State)

LB- Koron Hayward (transferring to TCU)

RB- Donovan Jones

TE-Noah Meyers (transferring to Syracuse)

RB-Javan McMahon

LB- Kennon Loftin

RB- La’Vell Wright (transferring to Pittsburgh)

RB- Corey Landers

K- Konnor Olson (transferring to New Mexico)

WR- Marvin Sims(transferring to Austin Peay)

DB- Dylan Flowers (transferring to Duke)

QB- Tucker Parks (transferring to Abilene Christian)

WR- Damari Jefferson

OL- Caleb Nitta (transferring to Oklahoma)

CB- Nazir Ward (transferring to Syracuse)

DE- Harper Holloman (transferring to West Virginia)

S-Virgil Marshall (transferring to Jackson State)

Departing Seniors (27)

Note: Most of these players were honored on Senior Day against Middle Tennessee. Some may have eligibility left and we’ll move to transfer portal upon more information.

DB- Kent Robinson

DB- Demarko Williams

S- Al-Ma’hiAli

LS- Rex Robich

K- John Cannon

LB- Anthony Brackenridge

DT- Mackavelli Malotumau

OL- Jemeil Jackson

DL- Jaden Hardy

TE- Justin Wolf

RB- George Hart III

QB- Maverick McIvor

WR- Jairus Mack

DL- Jayden Gray

OL- Quincy Jenkins

WR- Matthew Henry

DB- Avarion Cole

P- Cole Maynard

RB- Jalen Hampton

LB- Jaylen Wester

WR- Kelby Williams

OL- Marshall Jackson

DL- Rylen Su’a-Filo

WR- Jaleel Walker

OL- Devon Smith

LB- Dominic Oliver

TE- Jackson West

Projected to Return (42)

Note: This is as of the publication of the spring roster. This includes Walk-ons (not denoted)

Senior (10)

K.D. Hutchinson (WR), Jaylen Lewis (DB), Quincy Burroughs (WR), Dave Herard (DB), Lataj Wright (DB), Jaden McGill (RB), Joshua Mensah (LB), Elin Jones (DL), Jakeem Fletcher (DL), Karsten Upchurch (OL)

Junior (6)

Braxton Myers (DB), Lofton Howard (TE), Khrystian Washington (DB), Jackson Smith (K), Aiden Miller (TE), Adrion Boyd (RB)

Sophomore (13)

Cameron Flowers (WR), Caleb McMickle (QB), Rodney Tisdale (QB), Zach Smith (LB), Jordan Donald (LB), Tutu Griffin (DB), Justin Brown (S), Zsacari Minnis (LB), Gabe Claybrook (OL), Max Thurston (OL), Brandon Tobias (DL), Eric Etienne (DL), Josaiah Knight (LB)

Freshman (13)

Fonzy Smith (WR), Jordan Bergeron (DB), Elijah Rumph (LB), Brandon Thomas (LB), Kai Micatrotto (DL), Bailey Sanders (LS), Isiah Stoudemire (OL), Sekou Peters (DL), Venson Sneed (DL), Michael Buck (K), Zaqq Strange (DL), Jackson Dialls (OL), Cross Nimmo (TE)

Note: This is a living document that will be constantly updated between now (March 9th) & the start of fall camp. We’ll update with returning players as we did with previous roster trackers. Stay Tuned!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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GO TOPS!!!!

As you carve your turkeys and gravy your taters and dressin’, enjoy this Topper snack brought to you by the Towel Rack!

Western Kentucky Football is 8-3 and is coming off of an impressive defensive performance (go figure) at LSU. Holding the Tigers to 13 and getting a late fumble return for a touchdown, WKU fought valiantly, falling at LSU 13-10. Surely with tons of confidence, WKU has probably played its best football the last four games of the season. With redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale, Jr., at the helm of the offense, the Tops have looked like a completely different level team offensively. Defensively, WKU has had some nice moments, and certainly its best performance of the year came against its most talented opponent, LSU.

Much like WKU, Jacksonville State (7-4, 6-1 CUSA) has played a lot of close games and ground it out to a good record and would have come into this weekend with an unblemished conference record if it weren’t for some late heroics by FIU in Miami last week. JSU is 6-3 in games decided by two scores or less on the season, meaning they are battle tested and generally come out on top in a 50/50 type of game.

This game certainly projects to be extremely close. Both teams are desperate and will know nothing but its own result by game’s end, meaning who they play in their next game won’t even be known until the final whistle blows on this one. Both teams have explosive offenses that score in completely different ways. Both teams have interesting contrasts between obvious strengths and weaknesses. Can JSU pass? Can WKU run? Can WKU stop the run? Can JSU minimize WKU’s advantage on special teams?

At Towel Rack, we leave it up to our staff to decide our answer as a group.

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Predictions

Matt McCay (7-4)

I totally had a misread on last week’s matchup, so don’t mind me. I picked WKU to lose in a blowout, and I genuinely think if WKU’s defense hadn’t shown up trying to prove something, it probably would’ve gone like that. But WKU’s defense was physical and flew around and made plays. Credit to them for sure! I did not expect that outcome in any way. And I also didn’t expect FIU to beat JSU, although the odds were heavily stacked against JSU to go the full conference slate undefeated. They were too close in quality to the opponents, and eventually, they met a team that wanted it really bad and found a way at home to beat the Gamecocks. So a big question from me is where each team is trending. Even if FIU was a blip on the radar and JSU is locked in, which team has played better football in the last month or so? I think the clear answer is WKU.

So unless WKU shows up and craps the bed (very possible), I think WKU should feel like the team with the upper hand. Now, does JSU run all over them? That is entirely possible. But I also think WKU’s offense is playing well enough that they can give up a bunch of yards and still win by outscoring the Gamecocks. I always look at the paths to victory for each team. Which team needs more to go right to win? Well, JSU almost definitely has to run the ball. WKU doesn’t necessarily need to be able to run the ball, although that would help. JSU probably needs to pass for more yardage than they normally do because of WKU’s ability to pass. It’s just going to be really hard to nickel and dime WKU down the field in the run game all night, but it’s doable. If it’s a field position/field goal battle, WKU probably has the upper hand there because of an excellent punter and kickers with more range than JSU. JSU can definitely win, but I think they need more things to go right than wrong, and WKU can make more mistakes and still win more often than not.

Therefore, give me WKU 43-JSU 34.

Alex Sherfield (7-3)

Saturday will be more competitive for the Hilltoppers as they’re finally getting another chance at this budding rivalry between Jacksonville State. It’s worth noting that it’s also a grudge match of avenging a 52-12 loss to the Gamecocks from the CUSA title game one year ago. However, this time it’s a “win & in” scenario that could bring WKU back into their second straight championship game appearance next week. WKU is an outright road favorite to win this game, but it’s worth noting that Jax State is undefeated at home this season & has quickly become one of the toughest places to play at if you’re a Group of Five/Six team.

Obviously, the main thing of Saturday’s contest to look out for is how to neutralize & contain a CUSA Offensive Player of the Year (OPOTY) favorite in halfback Cam Cook. While it’s a simple task of stopping him to control the game, JSU has other playmakers that can carry the load and have done so in their most difficult of games this season.

Their other notable players on offense are quarterback Caden Creel & wide receivers Deondre Johnson & Brock Rechsteiner. Creel has replaced Owensboro native Gavin Wimsatt as their starting quarterback & has proven to play an integral role for their current conference leading status. As a dual threat QB, he’s approaching 2,000 all purpose (passing & rushing) yards and is the second highest rushing back in total yards behind…. Cam Cook. The WKU defense has had their struggles with dual threat guys all year (looking at Tucker Gleason, Key’one Jenkins & Roman Gagliano) & it’s worth nothing that the battle of the trenches will determine the outcome. Most importantly, PLEASE stop the run.

The points will be hard to come by as both defenses are going to have to be crafty in stopping all facets of the respective offenses. The LSU game was a strong indicator of how the Tops are able to handle adversity on the road, so going to Jacksonville shouldn’t be too hard on them. I’m calling on the Tops with this one to finally get back to the CUSA title game.

Western Kentucky 29, Jacksonville State 26

David McCay (7-4, Perfect Predictions: 1)

Western heads to Jacksonville State on Saturday to face a team that couldn’t be more different and the same as each other. Western passes 2/3 of the time and JaxState runs 2/3 of the time. Both teams average 29.5 points per game. Both teams are averaging six or more penalties per game. Both teams average around 30 minutes in time of possession. The big difference will be decided on the defensive side of the ball. Will Jax State turn WKU over and be able to capitalize on those opportunities? Will Western’s defense play two good defensive games in a row or will they struggle stopping the potent (and mostly rushing) offense of the Gamecocks?

I am pretty consistent in my belief that WKU needs to score anyway possible in this game and get into the 30s. Western must win the turnover battle on the road and limit penalties. Do not let the nation’s leading rusher and combined yardage player, Cam Cook, beat you. Keep Cam and quarterback Caden Creel contained or this will not be fun for the Hilltoppers or their fans.

This game will be won at the line of scrimmage through focus and good tackling. Jax State has huge offensive and defensive talented lines, but do give up points defensively. I want WKU to dominate in this game, but I do not trust our defense against the rush, our offense against a good defensive team, or our coaches to make good decisions. I hope they all prove me wrong. But I see Western bypassing multiple makeable field goals again in the first half and losing.

JaxSt 31 - WKU 28

Andrew Nalley (5-5)

Well thanks to our good friends at FIU for defeating Jacksonville State this past weekend, the Hilltoppers actually have a lot to fight for in the upcoming game against the JSU Gamecocks. After reviewing the JSU schedule, it seems as though the Gamecocks and Hilltoppers share a common trait — the inability to soundly defeat and put away opponents. While the Gamecocks suffered only their first conference lost this past Saturday to FIU, more closely linking JSU and WKU for sharing that in common as well (a loss at the hands of FIU), JSU has won or lost most of their games by a little less than one score. JSU beat UTEP and MTSU by 3 points each, who are on the bottom-side of Conference USA. So therefore, I have no reason to feel that the Hilltoppers will be playing someone who is ‘out of their league.’

Part of me wants to believe that the LSU game will determine how the Tops will play this Saturday, either for good or bad. Either after being shown they compete on a high stage against a formidable football program, they’ll play an inspired game. Or, after getting so close to an upset and failing short, they’ll show up mentally dejected and lay an egg. I’m leaning toward believing the Tops will show up in this game, as it truly means more for the trajectory of the program.

Prediction: WKU 31, JSU 21 — WKU goes on to play for the C-USA Championship

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Bret Combest (No prediction submitted) 8-2

Conclusion

Looks like we’ve got a little dissention in the ranks with David picking JSU to beat WKU. Honestly, somebody needed to pick Jacksonville State, so good for David. And he might be right. But we all see this one as being a high scoring game and a close one. We’ll see if either of those ends up being true. Perhaps one team matches up really well with the other, or perhaps major momentum is created and there’s a tidal wave. Or maybe this is a 10-9 slugfest with a last second field goal attempt.

These teams are difficult to pin in terms of what either one will do in a given game. Your guess is as good as ours.

But one thing is for certain:

The picture couldn’t be more clear for the Tops, simply needing to win and they’re in. JSU could lose and still appear at WKU if Kennesaw State loses to Liberty. However, the Tops don’t have that luxury. They just need to win and see if Kennesaw State wins to determine who they play. But if they win, not only do they make it, they host, and in that situation, they certainly would be favored to win a conference championship at home in what looks like might be a really nice December day in Bowling Green (projected high for Friday, December 5 is 76 degrees and sunny!).

So let’s set it up with a dub, Tops. Enjoy your turkey, shop Friday, and let’s go get a win Saturday.

GO TOPS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

Give a gift subscription

Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

In 2025, both teams are much more evenly matched, and both have tons on the line when they strap up at 1:00 Saturday on ESPN+ in Jacksonville, Alabama. For WKU (8-3, 6-1 CUSA), it is extremely simple. Win and you host the Conference USA Championship game in Bowling Green next Friday, December 5. Lose, and you’re out and you don’t even make an appearance in the championship game. A huge opportunity, WKU has made appearances in the CUSA Championship, but they have not hosted since 2016 when they won their second championship in a row in their third season in Conference USA. Here we are nine years later, and WKU just needs to win at JSU to host once again, and depending on whether KSU wins, the Tops would either play KSU or JSU at home for a championship.

Jacksonville State (7-4, 6-1 CUSA) is in an unenviable position, although surely WKU would take JSU’s options over theirs. In a bizarre scheduling coincidence, WKU’s random loss to FIU is set to cost them if they don’t win, while JSU could lose two in a row to end the year and end up heading to WKU for a revenge match at The Houch. If Kennesaw State (also 6-1 in CUSA) loses, then JSU is in regardless of whether they beat WKU or not. However, Jacksonville State will certainly be intending on controlling their own destiny, and since this game is up before Kennesaw State at Liberty, neither team has the opportunity to play with its food. And both have significant incentive and will be incredibly likely to win a championship at home.

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Matt’s Stats

This Matchup is Fascinating

Two contrasting styles of play, Western Kentucky boasts an explosive offense through the air, averaging nearly 300 yards per game through the air, and they will sprinkle in a run when they have to. This season, they do have three capable running backs who can run and catch. Although the Toppers do not run for a ton of yardage (126.4 ypg), their backs contribute nearly 100 yards per game on the ground and add another 25 or so through the air.

Jacksonville State is unlike any other offense WKU will see. A prolific offense that scores about as much as WKU at over 30 points per game, JSU does it with an All-American at running back and a quarterback that is dynamic on the ground and good enough through the air to cause some problems. The key against Jacksonville State is matching up and figuring out who and how to tackle. Jacksonville State’s running back, Cam Cook, is a force of nature, already sitting with 1,444 net yards rushing and 14 touchdowns.

Second on the team in rushing in quarterback Caden Creel, who has not started every game but has played in every game and still averages 75 yards per game rushing despite having been sacked several times. He and Gaving Wimsatt have split duties in 10 of 11 games, so it’s hard to say what either would do if they have been given free reign to start and finish games for JSU. However, combined, they average 161 yards per game, a respectable enough number considering how good they are on the ground. Think service academy level running game with an ability to air it out better than most service academy passing attacks.

In other areas, both teams match up interestingly enough. WKU has one clear advantage, and that is on special teams. Although JSU has a very good kicker with a lot of moxey and a hero of sorts to the JSU faithful in Garrison Rippa, WKU has the clear edge in many areas on special teams, as WKU has one of the elite special teams units in all of college football. JSU has a young punter that averages less than 40 yards per punt. JSU has a bit of an edge in the return game, but both teams have struggled to cover returns on special teams throughout the year.

Defensively, perhaps WKU’s single biggest concern in this game is whether they can stop the run at all. They’ve been improving against the run of late, but they still give up 170 per game on the ground, and Jacksonville State averages 259 yards on the ground. If it’s really bad, that alone could sink the Tops. But if WKU can at least be respectable at stopping the run, then it gets much more difficult for JSU to win if WKU can score. WKU’s scoring defense is more impressive at less than 22 points allowed per game, but JSU and WKU both allow about 400 yards per game defensively. JSU’s defense is more prolific at sacking the quarterback, but WKU’s offensive line may be the better pass blocking unit.

We’ll Be in Jacksonville!

My daughter and I are going down the day of, and we’ll be down behind the visitor’s bench cheering on the Tops. Come say “hey”! But we’re excited. My daughter heard me talking about going to the JSU game and she immediately was over the moon excited, so hopefully she’ll cooperate and take some Topper naps (we don’t do cat naps) on the way down and back and we’ll be ok.

Excited to take in a WKU road game in any sport! I think the last road game I went to was WKU Football at Liberty last year, but before that, maybe it was a game at Middle? It’s been a rare opportunity post-kids to get out and see the Tops away from home, other than going to Conference Tournament in men’s and women’s basketball.

I think the plan is to meet at Cooter’s after the game, so win or lose, come say “hey” and let’s talk Toppers! (See the link above for information on Cooter’s!)

Andrew Nalley’

Jacksonville State University —or JSU for short — to the casual viewer’s surprise, is located in Jacksonville, ALABAMA… not Florida. Upon clicking onto the Jacksonville, AL website for the first time, I am horror stricken to learn that — featured in the websites’ header photo is an artist’s rendering of a… roundabout (*screams in horror and runs away from computer*).

Okay, got that out of my system. Anyways further reading on the site reveals that Jacksonville is nestled closely to the Appalachian mountains, close enough to give way to rolling foothills that create a certain lush beauty of the region. The website also claims that due to the town of Jacksonville being so dominated by these rolling foothills, the city has “earned the nickname of ‘The Gem of the Hills’.” Well with all due respect to JSU and Jacksonville as a whole, I’d argue the WKU Hilltoppers are the ‘gem’ of the hills, as we top hills. ‘Hill-toppers,’ if you would. Sorry, I had to make some kind of reference centered around that. I’m sure the more savage and effective WKU Sports social admin team will come up with something better should we leave JSU with a victory this Saturday.

This matchup means everything for both the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks — a trip to the Conference USA Championship. Ever since both teams joined Conference USA, Jacksonville State has become a thorn in the side for the Hilltoppers. This is demonstrated looking back to last season, where it is evident that these two teams are not strangers to a late season matchup filled with drama, as well as holding major conference championship implications. Last season, WKU narrowly defeated JSU 19-17 in the regular season finale to earn the opportunity to… “play” JSU again the following week, this time for the Conference USA Championship. WKU decided to take that following week off, as JSU throttled the Hilltoppers 52-12 to take the 2024 C-USA Title.

WKU, thanks to our good buddies at FIU, does control their own destiny in this match-up against Jacksonville State. Since FIU defeated JSU last Saturday, there currently exists a three-way tie between WKU, JSU, and Kennesaw State. Had JSU defeated FIU, WKU could’ve won this matchup and still somehow not advanced to play for the C-USA championship (unless KSU lost to Liberty). But luckily, we do not have to dive too deep into that. Ultimately, WKU just has to win and they’re in.

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If Kennesaw State were to lose this weekend along with the Toppers winning, WKU would then be in line to host Jacksonville State in Bowling Green for the conference title, as JSU beat KSU in the regular and would hold the tie-breaker. If WKU loses to JSU, they do not possess the tiebreaker due to the losses to JSU and FIU. Since Kennesaw and WKU would have both lost to JSU, Kennesaw State would own a tiebreaker via win against WKU’s next highest ranked common opponent, FIU. KSU beat FIU and the Tops lost. So, my analysis: the Tops need to win this game.

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Matt’s Keys to Victory

The Will to Win

A gigantic crux of the game will be who imposes their will. If this game is a back-and-forth style and up and down the field and Jacksonville State is forced to keep up after WKU makes their defense want to hurl, that’s more in WKU’s favor. If it’s a game where JSU controls the clock and wears WKU’s defense down with excruciatingly long drives and dominate with the ground game, that’s way more in JSU’s favor.

Whichever Teams Starts Stronger Probably Wins

Unlike some matchups, where certain teams might be ok being down, it is most likely conducive to both teams to get ahead and force the other team to be uncomfortable and press and make mistakes. WKU would put pressure on JSU to pass if they get up by multiple scores. JSU would be exsanguinating itself by running the clock down. If the drives where they focus on the run just don’t work, they will bleed clock and not make progress on the scoreboard. Same thing for JSU if they get ahead, though.

Although WKU will be comfortable passing anyway, the Tops can really zap a defense’s legs if they can get moving quickly early, but if they get behind, JSU’s running game becomes all the more featured, and Cam Cook can…well, cook. Obviously if WKU is down two scores and JSU can shove it down WKU’s throat, that is not good for WKU and they may not be able to do a thing to stop the rolling train that could be JSU’s offense when ahead.

Good Trenches Make for Happy Benches

When the offensive line comes back from their most recent drive, are they touching on a couple things and telling each other, “This team is SOFT! LET’S KEEP GOING!” Or is the coach ripping into them about something they just screwed up? Which offensive line can do what it wants to do? Can JSU protect when they want to pass? Can WKU run the ball when they would like to? Can the two teams’ strongsuits be their strongsuits, or will the other team disrupt the plan and force the offense into something it’s not as comfortable with? Watch the line play in this one, because that will either allow the offenses to flow, or the quarterbacks and skill players will have to overcome less time available to run whatever they want.

Who’s Bread and Butter Melts, and Whose is Crusty?

JSU’s ground game against WKU’s passing attack…which one is better Saturday? Both teams average between 250 and 280 yards per game with their various better sides of the offense. So which one ends up being better? If WKU can pass for 300-400 yards, obviously that bodes well for them. However, if they are held under 200, that’s almost certainly disaster for Western unless the Topper defense is just lights out incredible. Conversely, if JSU runs for 300 yards, I doubt WKU wins this one. And if they barely muster 100 to 150 on the ground, that means Caden Creel and whoever else is going to need the game of his life through the air to keep it close.

End the Drive When it Should End

Listen, it’s hard to be perfect in a game, but it’s also ridiculous to look at a Middle Tennessee game where the Blue Raiders had over 500 yards of offense and nearly half of it was after WKU defenders contacted the Blue Raider ball carrier. That’s ridiculous! And WKU was pretty darn good against LSU, which was wonderful to see. WKU would probably be an elite defense without the missed tackles and sacks this season.

In this one, with a running back that is otherworldly, you can’t expect perfection, but when it’s 3rd-and-16, don’t give up the first down. When you’re at 3rd-and-8, don’t commit an offsides and then allow Cam Cook to rush for 3.5. Don’t miss a tackle and not clean it up with someone flying to the ball to finish off a capable runner. Hats to the ball, people. WRAP UP!

And for the love of all things holy, please don’t get penalties that hand the other team first downs! Especially against a JSU passer that is not the most accurate. If I’m Tyson Helton and staff, I’m telling my players to keep it as clean as possible and not panic into a penalty. Most likely, that pass is going to be a little more errant than normal and there’s less reason to be aggressive in just dragging down a receiver when you don’t know that the ball is a good ball half the time.

Essentially, take the opportunities that are there. And when they’re not, maybe you’ll get lucky occasionally. Grind it out, be solid, and wait for your opportunity.

Assignment Football: Call it Out!

I usually only do five keys or so, but this time, I’m feeling a little extra. It is absolutely essential for WKU to man up and allow its DBs to shut down the pass game while having its front seven or eight set up to slow down the run game. I would guess WKU would go “bear” front a lot, meaning five down linemen (or at least five people on the line of scrimmage within the tackle box).

However it exactly plays out, guys need to just do their job and focus on their guy and use their eyes. If your eyes don’t know, assume your guy has the ball and continue playing your man. Potentially, if JSU sends two to four guys out on a route, runs a read option or speed option or whatever, WKU will be very isolated up front and one or two guys out of place could result in a huge run. One thing I noticed when breaking down WKU pretty deeply against FIU was that WKU’s defense really attacked eye candy. Whenever they saw something, they overpursued to it, so either it was a huge play for a loss, or the offense had something up their sleeve and WKU allowed a big play. WKU cannot fall for whatever JSU is trying to sell, and really the main thing is the main thing: Get your man, see ball, hit ball. That’s it. Do your job, and JSU will have a hard time busting big runs.

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Final Thoughts: Setting the Table

This one’s a barn burner. Spurned by the Gamecocks last year, WKU put all of its eggs into a narrow victory at home and were absolutely shellacked on the road in the championship game last season. This year, it’s all or nothing for the Tops. WKU controls its own destiny completely and will host someone (depends on if Kennesaw State beats Liberty) if they simply win this game. The resulting championship game may be a revenge game where JSU is looking to get back at WKU again, or it could be KSU. That part we don’t know, but what we do know is this is a mammoth opportunity for both teams, and WKU needs to “Burn the Boats” and realize this is the state semifinals and they just need to win to get to the state championship. And on top of just making the championship, if they win, they’re at home!

That’s all it is, boys. It’s just football. But it’s a high level football situation between two serious college football teams that know what they’re doing. Unlike last year, when WKU was clearly and unquestionably outmatched in the first matchup with JSU resting players for the championship and barely won anyway, this year, WKU is actually a road favorite. We can debate whether that is merited or not, but this is much more of a “coin flip” scenario than a game where JSU needs to falter so that WKU can take advantage. WKU can win this one straight up if they play better than JSU, period.

However, same to JSU. Although they are not clearly better, they are probably better, especially at home. In my opinion, JSU should be the slight favorite, and WKU needs to play its best to win and take it from the Gamecocks. Something has to give. Jacksonville State is very good at home, hardly losing within the last several years. However, WKU seems to be quite good on the road this season, with several above average non-home game performances to get them to this point.

They also seem to be trending upward, and perhaps Jacksonville State has stagnated a little bit. Having played with fire for several weeks in a row, they finally fell at FIU in a close game. All of that momentum stuff means absolutely nothing, though. Whether we as fans like it or not, it comes down to a bunch of 20-year-olds having the maturity to put together a focused week, take care of their other tasks in life, and show up and be steady and effective for 60 minutes of brutality in a row. Whoever does that better usually wins.

So let’s see how things come together Saturday. Perhaps the Tops will do exactly what they should, carry their momentum, and ride back to The Houch with one more home game for a championship. Or perhaps they will not.

Time will tell, but one thing is for sure:

It’s crunch time. Crunch or be crunched.

GO TOPS! BEAT JSU!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Football really showed anyone with an eye on the Tops and Tigers that they are a legitimate football team Saturday night. Although LSU is having one of its most down years in recent memory, the Tigers are still headed for a bowl game and could end up ranked with a couple more wins by season’s end. Considering WKU was an onside kick away from possibly tying the game, Topper fans should be thrilled. And yes, LSU fans were probably appalled.

But from a WKU perspective, the Tops are coming together as a team, and the WKU defense…wow! Where did that come from? WKU (8-3, 6-1 CUSA) has not shown a defense that could stop the run, be physical, and rush the passer, but this Topper team showed every bit of that Saturday. WKU barely allowed 300 yards of offense (328), holding the Tigers (7-4, 3-4 SEC) right at 200 yards (202) passing and a little over 100 (126) rushing yards. Against an SEC opponent that probably should always wipe the floor with them no matter their quality, it was a Herculean effort defensively to give the offense a chance.

Speaking of the offense, welll listen. I mean they started out well, beginning their first drive with some moving of the ball and medium length field goal. Then it got pretty frustrating. WKU once again moved the ball down the field, getting to the four yard line. Reaching fourth down from the four, WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton decided to go for it on 4th-and-goal, and WKU allowed some pressure and Rodney Tisdale rushed an inaccurate throw down the middle. LSU stood tall and kept the Topper from making it 10-0.

Frustratingly, before that fourth down, WKU had not one but two huge receptions dropped. One was to wide receiver KD Hutchinson, who was open on a beautiful ball right in the hands streaking down the sideline, very possibly scoring if he were to catch it. Then WKU quarterback Rodney Tisdale, Jr. was part of a trick play, received a pass from freshman running back Marvis Parrish, the ball wasn’t absolutely perfect, and he dropped the football for what was absolutely a touchdown. AHHH!!! Frustrating.

What could have been if WKU went up 10-0 on LSU? It either would have been a more wide open game, or WKU perhaps could have held off a poor LSU offense and played to allow field goals instead of touchdowns, perhaps forcing the Tigers into a mistake under pressure from an ever increasingly frustrated crowd.

Nonetheless, WKU showed it’s no joke and it can hang with the big boys. And everyone who ever looks at that score will say, “Wow, Western Kentucky! I see you!”

Andrew’s Anecdote

WKU did not go into Death Valley and pull off an upset of the LSU Tigers. If you (the person reading this) consider yourself a die-hard follower of all things Hilltopper.. I’m assuming that at some point throughout the game, a degree of hope crossed your mind that perhaps WKU could possibly pull off the upset. Is that at all correct? If so, welcome to heartbreak.

Tangent warning incoming. When I first came to Western way back in the year of our Lord, 2011, I must admit that I grew up a University of Kentucky fan. (Editor’s note: You’re fired!) Through at least my first semester on The Hill, I could be regularly found on campus rocking UK apparel. Once I got to know different athletes from my classes and learned that it was kind of offensive to players to wear Kentucky clothes on WKU’s campus, over time — the fandom I had held most of my life started to fade and I became truly invested in the university I would attend for five years.

Ever since, I’ve been a WKU fan. It can be a very humbling fandom to be apart of sometimes. Having grown up a fan of Kentucky, I had expectations of teams competing for national championships, and achievement on a national stage.

When deciding that you’re going to follow a school like WKU, you’re left having to — for lack of better words — tamper your expectations a bit. WKU does not play in a major conference, does not bring in “big conference'“ dollars, and ultimately is not going to bring in “big time” talent year in and year out. But from my perspective, the drive for your school to compete in big time games does not leave you.

So whenever WKU gets an opportunity to play against the upper echelon of the sport you’re playing in, you cannot help but have every fiber of your being be invested in seeing the Tops pull off the unthinkable on a national stage. Typically, your expectations will be humbled once the game begins and the disparity in talent is made abundantly clear when the opposing program cements an insurmountable lead. But there exists those rare instances where WKU competes, or even dominates, their foe to still fall short. WKU vs. LSU was one of those instances.

From the opening drive, WKU had me convinced they were ‘different’ on that night. WKU started with the ball and immediately drove into LSU territory, seemingly looking unstoppable. Then, the offense stalled out and settled for a field goal. Against a foe like LSU, my mind immediately transitioned into already expecting the outcome for this game. “You can’t settle for a field goal against this team,” I thought. As did apparently the WKU coaching staff, because on the next possession — when settling for a field goal seemed all but apparent, WKU opted to get cute and go for it on 4th and what I would consider long. They didn’t get it. WKU lost 13-10. I don’t dislike the call going for it, but my hindsight tells me they should’ve settled given the final score. But who is to say the Toppers would’ve done anything in OT?

The WKU offense looked explicitly lost all game. To be fair, they were playing an SEC defense and a decent one at that. Many LSU fans and followers credited the defense for why their record was as good as it was. However, the WKU defense — an area I have complained about all season — looked poised for most of the game. Whenever the Hilltopper offense would give the Tigers good field position, the defense bailed the Tops out. Losing 13-10 to the LSU Tigers on the surface is not something to be ashamed of. I believe what I am most ashamed of is myself for thinking things were going to end any differently. But on to JSU, a more realistic expectation for the Hilltoppers’ season to see celebration of a CUSA championship more obtainable.

David’s Noted Issues in this Game

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. There were several things that cost WKU a chance to win in this game.

1. Underappreciation of a Good Kicker. The Western Kentucky coaches do not appreciate anything but touchdowns and have never seen the importance of a field goal, especially early in a game. “Field goals are not important” is a systemic lie. Unfortunately, this is also the opinion of many of my colleagues, until Western loses by less than a TD to a team, which happens much too often. I was not surprised when WKU coaches disregarded the field goal in the first quarter and went for the TD on the four yard line against a very good, well trained defense to make the score 6-0. Instead, Western decided to run a pass play into a packed zone defense. At least run a player across the field to see if zone or man to man and then change the play. After the scoring failure, I commented to The WKU Towel Rack team, “Those missed points will cost us this game.” I was unfortunately proved right.

   
   I believe in the philosophy, “All points are important.” Especially early in a game against a good defense. This issue is not only a part of the WKU culture, but to some extent to college football as a whole and the NFL as well. I do not need to go back very far in WKU history to see WKU passing up a makeable field goal that ended up costing Western a win against a Power Four opponent. Against Boston College last season, Western had the ball at the BC 18 yard line on 4th-and-1 on the first drive and didn’t take the three points. BC comes back from a 20-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 21-20. It would have been much harder to come back from a 23-7 deficit in the same amount of time. BC would have had to “go for dos” twice at the end to tie.

2. Bad Timing - I was upset and screaming at the TV, as my dog Bucko will attest, when we went for a first down on 4th-and-3 at the 50 (Editor’s note: It was at the LSU 38) with three minutes left at the end of the first half. In my opinion, we should have punted and made LSU drive 80+ yards. Until the previous drive of 54 yards and turnover on downs, LSU had only 57 total yards. I wish that Rodney Tisdale had noticed that Moussa Barry #3 was wide open just a few yards up the field, but the screen pass was stuffed just short. LSU took over possession and scored the go ahead TD a few seconds later and never really looked back.

3. Play Calling - Multiple times over the season, Western coaches have outthought themselves and called backward moving plays on third and short, trying to trick an opponent. Almost none of these has worked. Were the plays inventive? Yes. Could they have worked? Against certain teams and schemes, yes. But against a solid LSU defense, NO.

4. Inability to Change Plays by a QB - It seems to me watching the game that WKU quarterback Rodney Tisdale does not have the go-ahead or confidence to change or modify a play at the line of scrimmage. This is probably not just him, but too many plays just fail, when if proper diagnosis was done prior to snap, the play could be flipped or changed to get a better result.

David’s Noted Positives Against LSU

1. The Western defense played one of the best games of the season against a Power Four opponent. LSU only had 328 total yards and scored only 13 points. Western had two sacks and multiple pressures on LSU quarterback Michael Van Buren. The 13 points were given up off of short fields, 62 yards and a TD after a turnover on downs, a forced field goal after an interception, and a forced field goal after a nice punt return. The LSU offense did just enough to win this game. Western’s defense did everything they could to hold on and hope the offense could score. When that did not happen in the second half, Western’s defense stripped the ball late in the 4th quarter and returned the fumble for Western’s second defensive score of the season.

2. Limit Penalties- Western was only called for 4 penalties for 46 yards. That is the lowest number on the season.

3. Jaylen Wester and Jalen Lewis were everywhere on defense with 32 tackles between them and 1.5 tackles for loss.

David’s Conclusion

If WKU can play well defensively in the next game against Jax State and can find ways to score without turning the ball over, Western will play in the CUSA Finals. If they regress or struggle stopping the rushing attack of the Gamecocks, it will be a long wait until the bowl game.

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Matt’s Musings

It looks like we have some differences in opinion for how to feel about this game, so I’ll pop in some thoughts here for a quick end not after two opinions that feel frustrated. Personally, I’m thrilled about how this went. I thought this was going to be a blowout and we hope to have some nice signs of something at some point and move on. But no. This game was AWESOME from a WKU perspective.

Although the Topper offense was clearly anemic at best, the Tops got out and dominated LSU for a quarter and a half. Unfortunately, the scoreboard showed 3-0 after the domination stopped. And in my opinion, that’s where the frustration pretty much stops.

Yes, did Rodney Tisdale look like a freshman? Yes. Did WKU have several drops that make you want to shoot them like a Thanksgiving turkey and tell God you though they had a gizzard and went “gobble gobble”? Yes.

But if I was to sum up that game in a couple of words or phrases, it would be “I can’t believe we almost beat LSU,” or, “This team is playing good football!” or, “I didn’t know the WKU defense was capable of being that physical.”

So I heard some negative stuff during the game and I certainly agree with the absolute frustration of knowing WKU threw away between seven and fourteen more points in the first half. It’s also frustrating to think about just not turning it over four times (including turnovers on downs). But the fact that WKU lost by three to an SEC power with a winning record tells me all I need to know:

This team wanted and came out and played competitive football another good football team, and sometimes, that’s all you can ask.

WKU is ready to assume the burden trying to win a championship. I feel much better than the last three times WKU has been on the edge of the CUSA championship game. (WKU also had a dud in the middle of a championship push with a 40-13 loss vs. North Texas at home.) Those three teams had serious issues, and this team has some issues, too. But this team has grit, they have three functional phases of the game that can all go win it if they need to, and the teams in the conference this year are definitely no better than even with the Tops.

I’m fired up, and my daughter and I are going down to Jacksonville Saturday to go get us a win and play whoever the hell wants us in BG next Friday.

BRING IT ON!

GO TOPS!!!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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GO TOPS!!!!

This is one of those weird moments where a game means almost nothing, but it means absolutely everything, too. And this year, in theory, if WKU were to actually defeat LSU, it might vault them into the College Football Playoff conversation, assuming the Tops win the rest of their games and win Conference USA.

But then again, even if all goes well, WKU probably has no real shot at the College Football Playoff because someone from the Mountain West, AAC, or Sun Belt is almost certainly going to finish above them in the rankings.

With that being said, how exciting is it for the Tops to play a blue blood that is down that looks vulnerable? It’s one thing if LSU was #1 in the nation with an amazing offense, but it’s quite another to say that LSU’s offense is below average and the Tigers haven’t run the ball consistently all year. They fired their coach and they owe him over $50 million for Mike’s (The Tiger) sake!

When you start running some numbers, WKU’s offense has really looked sharp of late. WKU can hold its own in some areas (like special teams), can run and pass, and provides very interesting challenges for LSU. Perhaps the question is, “Can WKU’s very porous run defense can hold LSU off enough to allow the offense to score more points than the Tigers?” And can WKU come up with some turnovers or drive stoppers (i.e. sacks, missed FG, fourth down stops, lucky breaks)?

If they can do any of that prolifically, they really could make a game of this thing. LSU has only scored above 25 once in 2025, but the defense has only allowed 30 or more twice. If WKU can be one of the teams that gets into the mid 20s, that puts a lot of strain on a very average offense to be above average. Louisiana Tech, a common opponent and WKU’s conference mate, held LSU to 23 points, although the Bulldogs only put up seven points offensively. WKU has the better offense, so one would presume WKU will probably put up more than seven, but can the defense keep the Tigers from busting through for touchdowns?

Andrew’s Anecdotes

The Tigers came into the season ranked as the #3 team in the country, started off the year right with a win against then #4 Clemson, and were at one point 4-0 to begin their 2025-26 campaign. They’d lose their next game — a close one to #13 Ole Miss, 24-19. After losing close games in 2 of their next 3 against #13 Ole Miss (24-19) and #17 Vanderbilt (31-24), they’d fall to 5-2 prior to a game against #3 Texas A&M, where the season for the Tigers entered into complete free-fall.

Texas A&M would thrash LSU, 49-24. Following the game, LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly — ultimately throwing in the towel on the rest of the year. Then, the Louisiana governor came out and said some weird stuff about how then athletic director, Scott Woodward, was not going to hire the next coach or whatever. Then Woodward and LSU split up. Very messy stuff.

LSU has lost to four ranked teams but has only one ranked win (#4 Clemson), which now looks like a very average non-conference victory after the other Tigers from the other Death Valley have disappointed as well.

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David’s Deep Dives

The Tigers (a.k.a. Bayou Bengals) of Louisiana State University 6-4 (3-4 SEC) will host the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers 8-2 (6-1 CUSA) at Tiger Stadium this Saturday night at 6:45 PM on the SEC Network. LSU has struggled offensively in SEC play averaging about 18.5 points per conference game. The only common opponent this season is Louisiana Tech. LSU won at home 23-7 and WKU won 28-27 on the road. Can the Hilltoppers score in the 30s again and hold this SEC offense in check enough to win? Will LSU’s gigantic offensive line open running holes and the defensive line get quick penetration in the backfield? Can WKU get a BIG4 marquee win and elevate themselves into the Group of 5 conversation?

LSU Information

The LSU offense has been led by Garrett Nussmeier most of the season with 1,927 yards passing, 12 TDs and 5 INTs. Michael Van Buren, Jr., started at quarterback against Arkansas (last game) and for the season has 445 yards, three TDs, and 0 INTs. Caden Durham leads the Tigers in rushing with 94 attempts with 447 yards and three TDs. Harlem Berry adds 343 yards and two TDs on 69 carries. LSU has seven receivers with more than 100 yards, led by Barion Brown with 44 catches for 449 yards and one TD. The Tiger defense is very large, very fast, and very good. They have 22 sacks on the season so far, 12 INTs, and four fumble recoveries.

WKU Information

Western’s passing leader is still Maverick McIvor with 1,863 yards passing, 12 TDs and 5 INTs. Rodney Tisdale, Jr has been the WKU starting quarterback since the game against LaTech. Rodney has thrown for 1,059 yards, 9 TDs, and three INTs. Marvis Parrish, La’Vell Wright and George Hart III are sharing the backfield with 1,306 total yards on 248 touches and 15 TDs. WKU has nine players with 11 or more receptions and 165 or more yards, led by Matthew Henry with 42 receptions for 703 yards and eight TDs and K.D. Hutchinson with 48 receptions for 542 yards and three TDs. Tight end Noah Meyers has 25 catches for 262 yards and three TDs. I think that is the most yards and catches by a tight end in several years. Honestly, Western should target players across the middle of the field more, because there are consistently open receivers there. The Hilltopper defense is up to 12 recorded sacks and 10 takeaways. (This is a low number compared to the rest of the country.)

Dave’s Declaration

For the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers to upset the LSU Tigers, WKU must play a near perfect game. Limited penalties, sound tackling, managed lines, be painfully physical, win the turnover battle, and play hard as hell until your last snap or breath. Western is outsized and out manned against one of the most disappointing teams money can buy. Heart and focus can win out in the face of a superior foe.

I think points will be at a premium in this game, and Western should take field goals early in the game if they must. Hopefully, the WKU defense can keep things close and have a chance in the end. I am just not sure that will be possible, but I hope they prove me wrong. I have LSU winning over the Toppers 23-14. My family and I will be cheering from our living rooms. GEAUX TOPS!!!

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Matt’s Stats

Keys to Victory

We Didn’t Come Here Just to Eat Gumbo

I love gumbo, but that got nothin’ to do with nothin’. I want to see a Topper team that’s come to compete, and that might be enough to put the Tops in the game. Most often, if you play solid football, unless you are decidedly and dastardly outmatched, you’ve got a shot. This LSU team is not elite as a team. Their talent is elite. They have a ton of pros on the roster if they’d show it at all. They can hang with anybody in the country. But WKU needs to get out there and play hard and do a good job and they might be in this one.

*Bleep* that Topper *Bleep*, *Bleep*!

It’s time to shove it down their throat. WKU has a good offensive line that could make a world of difference if it can be effective. LSU’s defense is good, but they are not elite at stopping the run (130 ypg allowed, 44th NCAA). And they may be pretty good against the pass (42nd NCAA) and run, but WKU can do both and may seriously challenge LSU’s passing defense. If WKU can impose its will up front offensively, it would make a world of difference in this one.

Who Ends up With the Better Running Game?

Here’s an interesting one…LSU’s running game barely gets 100 yards per game (122nd NCAA), but WKU’s isn’t much better (91st NCAA). Somebody’s going to have the upper hand. Can WKU run the ball at all or do they get absolutely stuffed? Can LSU move the ball on the ground, or can WKU stand its ground? Whoever can open up some lanes with the run might be the one who gets the W.

Keep it Clean, Bowling Green!

The more solid WKU is, the better. LSU is probably going to make plays, but if WKU can weather storms and have the more solid performance, it would go a long way. If Rodney Tisdale, Jr., can stay off his tookhus, that would be great. If WKU can avoid boneheaded penalties, that would be swell. If WKU doesn’t hand LSU points and makes them earn it straight up, the Tops might find themselves in it late in the second half and then it’s up to guts and execution. Odds even out a lot more when you play cleaner football than your opponent.

Junk it Up Defensively, Asphyxiate Them Offensively

I carefully say this, because I don’t mean take outrageous risks with 15 fourth down attempts. What I would like to see is WKU take some risks that increase the likelihood for points overall. Make this is a pretty open game with lots of lanes offensively. Make it where LSU has to keep scoring. I doubt WKU can hold LSU to 17 points all night, but I think they could score enough to beat LSU offensively and maybe win a 33-30 type of game. So in my opinion, play fast offensively, blitz and stunt and do crazy stuff defensively, and let’s speed up the pace and make LSU run with you. If you do that, the defense could get tired and make mistakes.

Defensively, if you play this way, your defense is not being asked to be down-to-down equal with an SEC team. They’re being asked to go get a few stops sometime, which is something they’re very good at. Keep LSU out of the end zone when it’s time to keep them out of the end zone, but I would rather have them score a quick touchown and get the LSU defense right out on the field than methodically kill our own defense by being conservative and watching them dink and dunk for 4-6 yards at a time and hoping they screw up in the red zone. In a game where you probably won’t win the trenches, don’t make it about the trenches. Make it about the skill positions, which you have a distinct advantage in!

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Bonus Time

Although exciting, this game has almost no bearing on WKU’s season, so let this thing fly and go have fun and let’s see what happens. Hopefully, WKU plays well and really gives itself a chance, and if it doesn’t, pack it up and get back to work Saturday, because you will be live for a championship.

Meanwhile, what a gigantic opportunity to be legends. Imagine if WKU beat an LSU. This wouldn’t be a Vandy or UK, which of course are SEC programs. And it would be above the level of a win against Arkansas, more of a middling Southeastern Conference foe. But LSU is a different animal with different stripes. LSU is one of the best programs in the country. Perhaps not top ten, LSU is without question a top 20 program on anyone’s list, and they are probably top 15 on everyone’s list, too. To win against LSU at night in November is about as special of a regular season moment there possibly could be.

So for the WKU players and coaches, surely they’ll be up for this one, excited, and amped up and ready to go. And all they have to do is go play good, gritty football.

Let’s GO TOPS! Bring it on, Bayou. We’re here to win.

BEAT LSU!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

Well, here’s a big one for the Tops. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are having a really nice season, and it could get nicer. In what is basically a bonus opportunity for the Tops, WKU faces a decent but not great LSU team this season.

Predicted to be one of the nation’s best teams, LSU (6-4, 3-4 SEC) has completely fallen out of the College Football Playoff race and fired Head Coach Brian Kelly (who they owe $54 million to). Still a team that could finish ranked if they won their final games and a bowl game this season, LSU is nothing to sneeze at. 127th in rushing, 96th in scoring, and 59th in passing, the Tigers have been pedestrian offensively. However, the talent is there. Defensively, LSU is the typical LSU, barely allowing 300 yards per game with 12 turnovers and five players with at least two interceptions. Harold Perkins is a do-it-all linebacker with 48 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 INT, and a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

WKU (8-2, 6-1 CUSA) has meandered through a season, had injury to the quarterback position with a redshirt freshman ultimately winning the job, and has never looked like an elite team. Yet somehow, the Tops are sitting here with an outside prayer (1% per ESPN FPI) at the College Football Playoff and are fairly likely to win Conference USA. WKU is offensively talented, and they have finally clicked into place and scored 35 points per game since Maverick McIvor was transitioned out of the starting quarterback position in exchange for Rodney Tisdale, Jr. Defensively, WKU is not elite, allowing a shade under 400 yards per game and allowing 176 yards per game on the ground. They do not typically get after the quarterback, only able to boast of 12 sacks in ten games and have only forced a measly ten turnovers defensively.

The Matchup

So here’s the interesting and obvious question:

Can WKU give LSU a game? Let’s be clear, here…LSU should win. If they show up, they’re good enough defensively and have enough talent on offense going up against a defense that isn’t that great. They should win by several touchdowns. However, this may be a rare to unique opportunity for WKU to have a shot at a blue blood in a legendary stadium in a legendary time slot. Night games in Death Valley shouldn’t be approachable for a G5 opponent, yet WKU is an interesting matchup. The Tops score over 31 points per game, while LSU boasts a top 25 scoring defense. Offensively, LSU barely scraped out 100 yards per game on the ground, while the passing offense is decent but not great at 240 yards per game. If we want to go into special teams, both teams have very good special teams units with WKU edging out LSU with the specialists while both teams are fairly pedestrian at producing and covering returns.

What makes this interesting is WKU potentially could matchup decently against LSU’s strengths. WKU has an offense that could possibly outscore LSU. LSU has scored more than 25 points one time against Southeastern Louisiana. WKU’s rush defense is susceptible, but LSU’s rush offense rarely shows the typical LSU prowess on the ground. LSU’s passing offense is pretty good, but WKU’s secondary is its defensive strength. LSU may have good special teams, but WKU can neutralize that, too.

So again, can WKU hang with LSU? Or will it be your typical athleticism mismatch between two schools that shouldn’t really compare and LSU wins going away?

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Predictions

Matt McCay (6-4)

This matchup is interesting, because LSU is down, likely way less interested than if they weren’t already bowl eligible but out of the playoff picture and fired their head coach. They’re either pissed looking to exact revenge on an inferior opponent, or they’re completely disinterested and think they’ll cruise through this one regardless, which they might. LSU is (duh) the more talented team and should win and never ever lose to a Group of Five team at home. However, this isn’t your typical cupcake G5. This is a team on the fringes of playoff consideration and a team that could host a conference championship game in a few weeks. And even more interestingly, WKU could match up decently to some of LSU’s strengths and weaknesses.

But I just think it’s a pipe dream to expect anything but a double digit loss. And I also think Tyson Helton overthinks big games instead of making sure his team is solid and gives itself a chance. He think of these games as having to “steal” possessions, and he’s done crazy things like going for it on 4th-and-medium from midfield, fakes, and various tricks to try to get a leg up. Whether WKU comes out and makes sense, or whether Tyson tries something harebrained, I think this is a loss by three or four touchdowns. I think LSU is looking to right some wrongs and will find WKU’s defense a sweet relief from the SEC gauntlet.

LSU 41-Western Kentucky 14

Alex Sherfield (6-3)

As wrong as it sounds, I fully believe we have somewhat of a chance. While said chance of a potential upset over LSU seems like the most impossible scenario ever, given the current situation of how the 2025 College Football season has been over the last few weeks, I wouldn’t rule out a fighting chance.

The Hilltoppers are in an interesting dilemma ahead of their battle against a Power 4 opponent. LSU has fired Brian Kelly in October and since then, the program has tried to salvage their season by promoting running backs coach Frank Wilson as their interim coach. Most Hilltopper fans are familiar with him and his previously eventful tenure at UTSA (2016-2019) before the CUSA realignment and a two year stint at McNeese State. While the Tigers have gotten the usual high number of SEC wins, their offense has not shown any signs of being taken serious among the national ranks. Even with it being on prime time Saturday night, the pundits are considering WKU to be an underdog or at least, not make this out to be a blowout win for LSU.

However, the Tigers have been trending down to a current 6-4 record. While most argue that it’s still a successful standing, to their standards and given the current situation of coaching, it’s not a good look with a final home game & unenthusiastic outlook of facing potential CFP contender Oklahoma next week. If anything, this will be an obvious “get back right” game for LSU. The challenge that remains is this, even if they don’t win, can WKU at least be competitive?

The Tops offense is still amongst one of the most efficient in the country and the Tigers defense (while battling injuries) still has some open holes in the front seven. If Rodney Tisdale, Jr. can exploit a few matchups, then I could see this being a high octane game for him as well. I could see Matthew Henry and KD Hutchinson being relied on with heavy targets but with Moussa Barry, Noah Meyers, and Jarius Mack in the rotation, everyone is going to get a chance to make some much needed plays.

Whether the Tops leave Baton Rouge on the side of a complete blowout or with scaring the Death Valley crowd a few times, I would look for this to be a confidence builder going into next week’s finale at conference favorite Jacksonville State.

Prediction: LSU 30, Western Kentucky 24

David McCay (6-4, Perfect Predictions: 1)

For the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers to upset the LSU Tigers, WKU must play a near perfect game. Limited penalties, sound tackling, managed lines, be painfully physical, win the turnover battle, and play hard as hell until your last snap or breath. Western is outsized and out manned against one of the most disappointing teams money can buy. Heart and focus can win out in the face of a superior foe.

I think points will be at a premium in this game, and Western should take field goals early in the game if they must. Hopefully, the WKU defense can keep things close and have a chance in the end. I am just not sure that will be possible, but I hope they prove me wrong. I have LSU winning over the Toppers 23-14. My family and I will be cheering from our living rooms. GEAUX TOPS!!!

Bret Combest (7-2)

This Saturday, the LSU Tigers (6-4) host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-2) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge — a matchup that on paper looks like one-sided but has some interesting wrinkles.

LSU is navigating a transitional phase: their usual starting quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, is sidelined with an abdominal injury and Michael Van Buren, Jr. stepped in last week in a 23-22 win over Arkansas.

Western Kentucky isn’t just showing up—it’s coming in hot at 8-2, and though they are the underdog, they have real momentum and an offense that can move the ball.

The Tigers’ defense remains a strength: They’re giving up about 19.3 points per game, which ranks well nationally. On the flip, Western Kentucky’s defense has been more vulnerable, allowing nearly 400 yards per game.

For Western Kentucky, this is more than a road game—it’s a chance to make a statement on a national stage in a premier venue.

LSU’s offense: With Van Buren in at QB, there will be questions about consistency and rhythm. The offense averages ~240 passing yards but is near the bottom of major teams in rushing at ~106 yards/game.

WKU’s offense: They have a prolific passing attack (~296 yards/game) and are converting well on third downs (~47%) which keeps drives alive.

Turnover margin & discipline: LSU has a +6 turnover margin (22nd in FBS), whereas WKU is −4 in that category and is giving up more penalties and yards on miscues.

Intangibles: LSU has home-field advantage in a big atmosphere; WKU gets motivated for this kind of game. But the Tigers also have some internal turbulence (new interim coach, personnel shifts).

Given all this, I expect LSU to win this game, but perhaps without dominating as much as the spread suggests. The Tigers’ defense should hold up and make enough plays to keep WKU under control, but the Hilltoppers will move the ball and score enough to keep it interesting.

Score Prediction: LSU 31, Western Kentucky 20.

Andrew Nalley (4-5)

Sorry to all of those who waited to see who I was going to pick in the WKU/MTSU game to learn that the opposite team would inevitably win. But I am back again for this week and ready to make my bold prediction for this week. LSU has had a tumultuous season, to say the least. The Tigers came into the season ranked as the #3 team in the country, started off the year right with a win against then #4 Clemson, and were at one point 4-0 to begin their 2025-26 campaign. However, unfortunately for the LSU Tigers, they play in arguably the toughest conference in sports — the SEC. The SEC currently has 8 of their 16 teams ranked in the Top 25. LSU would drop close games to #13 Ole Miss and #17 Vanderbilt, but an absolutely thrashing at the hands of #3 Texas A&M would lead to head coach Brian Kelly getting fired.

Anyways, LSU is 6-4 on the year and is currently tied with your Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at having a 0.1% chance of making the College Football Playoff. So, you’re saying there’s a chance? In all of their four losses, LSU has only lost to teams who are currently ranked in the Top 25. Texas A&M is the only one team who has defeated the Tigers handily on the season. While I would absolutely love to go into this game thinking that WKU could put a dejected and unfocused LSU team off-balance and pull off the unimaginable, going into Death Valley and leaving with a victory — I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Any time that WKU — in any sport — has played a historic college program, I would go into the game with this blind optimism that the Tops would pull out a win and either one of two things happen: 1.) WKU gets blown out or 2.) WKU plays well enough to deserve the win, yet loses in heartbreaking fashion. The talent differential alone between the athletes in the SEC versus Conference USA is unfathomable. I’m not saying it is impossible, but I just don’t see it happening. LSU has played in mostly close games against some of the best schools in the nation, whereas WKU just let MTSU, who is 1-9 on the year, hang close for most of the game.

I have LSU winning decisively.

LSU 38, WKU 21

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Conclusion

Well, most of us think WKU will compete more than the experts think, and it’s a legitimate possibility. Matt is on the other end of the spectrum, picking an absolute drubbing over three touchdowns. Everyone else has WKU finishing with a respectable performance but ultimately losing in the end.

Who knows? Maybe we’ll all be wrong again and the Tops will have a win for the ages against a true college football blue blood. However, it just doesn’t seem likely that WKU actually pulls of the shock of the century.

First of all, it’s the talent disparity. Even if LSU isn’t that good of a team, they’re still an average SEC team with tons of talent all over the field. Then you add in that this is on the road at night in Death Valley. Ever been to a night game at LSU? I’ve been to two, one on the sideline and one in the stands, and it’s just special. There’s no way to describe it.

And I’ll tell you this: The loudest single moment I ever heard in any stadium in my life was at LSU when WKU was trying to get back in the game in 2011 down 21-7 on the goal line. WKU had a 4th-and-goal at the 1, and for some reason we ran Kadeem Jones and got stuffed. And that crowd on 4th down…it was ear splitting.

Tiger Stadium is something to behold. And even if the fans aren’t that into it and the season is lost in their eyes, they’ll get loud if they need to.

But what an opportunity for WKU to catch the attention of the football world. If WKU beat LSU, of course, the narrative would be the sky falling for LSU, but the other part of it would be, “Who is Western Kentucky?” It would be epic to go down there and get a win. Those guys would be a part of one of the most legendary wins in WKU sports history.

So let’s see how it goes Saturday for sure. It should be an awesome chance to see how locked in this team is. Do they come in and give it some fight? Or do they just completely bomb out and get blown out by 50?

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky did its 2025 thing once again. A team of grit, the Tops looked vulnerable but productive offensively throughout most of the game, clamping down in crunch time and winning by multiple possessions. The Tops prevailed against the Middle Tennesse Blue Raiders, 42-26 in a highly productive offensive game.

A huge day on The Hill, Saturday was WKU’s Senior Day, along with the WKU Alumni Band in the house, and the second largest crowd of the season at 16,547. Considering attendance tends to plummet as we get later into November and December, it was nice to see the stands have people in them late in the year, and this crowd (shoutout to the crowd) was electric, active, and didn’t just sit on their hands.

Western Kentucky (8-2, 6-1 CUSA) established itself early, going up 14-0. Then MTSU (1-9, 0-6 CUSA) responded with a 10-0 spurt of its own. The Tops then would respond before halftime, adding another touchdown to go up a solid 21-10 at the break. MTSU came out and grabbed a touchdown in 51 seconds, and then strangely went for two and didn’t convert, landing the score at 21-16. WKU would again respond, not allowing MTSU to have too many shots at a lead early in the second half. WKU led 28-16, and again, MTSU responded with another score.

Then it got a little dicey. WKU would doink a long John Cannon field goal attempt off of the upright, and then the teams exchanged scoreless possessions, including WKU throwing a red zone interception and MTSU returning the ball 62 yards into immediate field goal range. MTSU would then drive down to the 2 yard line before sputtering. With help from the WKU crowd, MTSU committed a false start, MTSU’s QB Roman Gagliano got stuffed on a designed run, and the Blue Raiders gained a few yards but had to settle for a crucial field goal (instead of a touchdown to take the lead) and WKU escaped largely unscathed after the long interception return.

From there, WKU would finally seize full control, grabbing a couple of late touchdowns to extend to the final margin, 42-26.

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Matt’s Stats

Explaining the CUSA Championship Situation

WKU has set up a (likely) chance to play for its CUSA championship life at Jacksonville State. There are some caveats, like JSU or Kennesaw State needing to be upset (JSU at FIU, KSU vs. MSU, KSU at LU) and WKU pretty much needing to win at JSU. WKU could actually sneak in with a loss at JSU if KSU loses both of its remaining games, as well.

Since WKU has not played Kennesaw State, if WKU beats Jacksonville State (or doesn’t) and the three eligible teams (WKU, JSU, KSU) are all tied, head to head will not matter and they will look at common opponents. Long story short, if WKU is tied with Kennesaw State, they will not finish in the spot above them. If WKU has beaten JSU and KSU has more losses than the other two, WKU would actually host the CUSA Championship.

To simplify yet complicate, WKU basically needs to win next Saturday and they will probably make the CUSA Championship. If they don’t, they need Kennesaw State to lose two games. If WKU does not get some help, the Tops will not appear in the Conference USA Championship.

Grading the Keys to Victory

Bring the Hate: A+

One thing I love to hear and see is some fire. WKU may not have played its best game, but the Tops repeatedly responded. The WKU defense got stops to prevent MTSU from ever leading when they were in the midst of giving up a ton of yardage. But WKU’s sideline was wild and getting the fans up, players were juicing up and playing to the crowd, and it just felt like WKU was very focused and on a mission. And they needed it against an MTSU team that played out of its mind offensively.

Vattiato Mustn’t Be Elite: N/A but Noteworthy…

Obviously this didn’t exactly apply, but the quarterback position looked elite against WKU with Roman Gagliano coming in for the Blue Raiders. With Vattiato injured, the Blue Raiders produced over 500 yards of offense and found 383 yards passing. If I was to grade how WKU did against a freshman backup QB, you have to go with an F.

Contain the Running Game: F

Well, I didn’t expect Gagliano to be so productive, so there was MTSU’s ace in the hole. But here’s the bottom line: WKU sucked at tackling. I mean absolutely awful. They had MTSU several times for a sack or a TFL, and some of those plays ended up in the end zone for a touchdown. I kid you not, missed tackles had to cost WKU a good 150 to 200 yards. Come on, guys. The tackling was absolutely horrible, and consequently, MTSU was able to wiggle out of some bad situations, make big plays, and stick around.

Get Some Pressure: B

This would be a higher grade if the Tops had actually finished some of the plays where they had MTSU dead to rights. But honestly, WKU was able to get some pressure at times, producing two sacks and five TFL. For a team that rarely upsets the pocket, it was nice to see MTSU struggling to stabilize the area around the quarterback at times.

Minimize the Dumb Stuff: A+

I can’t think of a single moment where I just wanted to shoot somebody, and that’s sadly news if I don’t. Just kidding. But if nothing else, WKU was united and fought and didn’t screw itself over and over again. And when there were penalties (4 for 32 yards), they made sense and they weren’t idiotic personal fouls that made zero sense to commit. WKU playing hard and had a few penalties. Contrastingly, MTSU has 75 yards in penalties with a bunch of offensive flags that hampered an otherwise productive night for them offensively.

Do it for the Seniors: A+

Not only did WKU win, but they won displaying some grit, and they definitely were locked in for their brothers. It wasn’t just a walk in the park blowout against a team that had given up. WKU had to earn it, and they did so. It wasn’t beautiful, although 650 yards is really nice. But there was a turnover, there were plays that never should have happened defensively, there were huge holes. But at the end of the day, they buckled down and won against a game opponent. They looked like they wanted it, and I think it directly correlated to the victory.

WKU Alumni Band a Huge Success

Man, that was a blast from the past! It was awesome to be in the WKU Alumni Band. With 370 people that showed up, WKU’s Alumni Band was actually bigger than the Big Red Marching Band Saturday. With nearly 400 alumni juiced up, the sounds were overwhelming and the noise (from the cheering) was deafening. Towel Rack had comments coming in during the game about the crowd, and let’s just be clear: It was the alumni band. We were raucous, so you’re welcome! Seriously, it was a lot of fun, and WKU’s crowd was effective in crucial moments and without a single doubt helped win the game. The players played, but the crowd (and the bands) did their part.

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Andrew’s Anecdotes

Although MTSU’s 1-8 record going into this game likely made some fans overlook the Blue Raiders, I did not. I have PTSD from expecting the Hilltoppers to handily defeat Florida International, only to have them be on the receiving end of a 25-6 loss in that game. So I proceeded through the day cautiously optimistic leading up to when the Tops faced off against MTSU. While the Hilltoppers ended the night with a victory against their… rival (not much of one considering we’ve beaten them seven times in a row), they demonstrated the same areas of concerns that I’ve had for the team much of the season. Some of you may be thinking, ‘It’s the end of the year, why are you still harping about this?’ True enough — and for the most part, WKU has been able to finish games.

I am going to sound like a broken record in every single piece that I contribute to, whenever it comes to discussing WKU football, so if you’ve heard the following before, feel free to skip ahead. The defense still remains susceptible to allowing big plays to go for scores, especially when it comes to rushing yards. MTSU Quarterback Roman Gagliano took off at one point for a 64 yard run. Subtract that one big play, he had 13 carries for 18 yards. The Tops also allowed RB DJ Taylor to house a run to the endzone for 34 yards. Subtract that run from Taylor’s workload, he would have had 5 rushing attempts for 21 yards. So from one point of view, the defense is tightening for most of the game, at least with respect to the ground game, but their ‘big play’ vulnerability still remains.

The pass defense allowed MTSU to pass for 389 yards on 25 completions. 120 of those yards occured on two plays: A 68 yard completion to WR Cam’ron Lacy (2 receptions for 76 yards) and the other a 52 yard catch by WR Myles Butler (7 receptions for 105 yards). A majority of MTSU’s receiving core obtained most of their yards on individual plays, meaning — like the run defense — the passing numbers for MTSU is inflated mostly by 30-plus yard plays.

The offense has almost completely evolved ever since Rodney Tisdale, Jr. has taken the reins over as the starting quarterback. While Tisdale has not accumulated ground-breaking numbers on the ground, his athleticism and ability to run (in combination with a strong, accurate arm) has opened up the offense. Whereas McIvor was a pure pocket passer, Tisdale has to be considered a running threat, keeping opposing defenses honest. Against MTSU, the Hilltoppers put up 642 yards from scrimmage. Rodney Tisdale Jr. threw for 371 yards through the air, throwing for 3 touchdowns and an interception. The three-headed monster led WKU backfield combined for 271 yards on the ground. Marvis Parrish, La’Vell Wright, and George Hart III all contributed to the effort. Parrish led the day with 12 carries for 102 yards, with his longest run of the day going for 66 yards. La’Vell Wright, who put away MTSU at the end with a dagger 37-yard touchdown, carried the ball 11 times for 84 yards. Hart III had 5 carries for 46 yards.

Looking Ahead

The Tops would not be 8-2 on the season if they were unable to finish games. But my dear Topper fan, I’d argue the most important games of the season still remain. Next on deck, we go to Death Valley to take on Louisiana State University — or LSU. LSU obviously plays in the SEC and is a program rich with football tradition, where competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff is the expectation each year. They started the season ranked #3 in the country, but have had anything but a good season considering the expectations they likely had heading into the season. The LSU Tigers are 6-4 and are still just a few weeks removed from having fired head coach Brian Kelly.

There was also some senator who came out and said a bunch of stuff that led to the university parting ways with the athletic director, so that’s kind of nuts. If there was ever an opportunity to score a victory against an arguably distracted opponent with a big name, it would be against LSU. Being able to defeat a historic program like LSU would just be cool, for lack of better words. As a Hilltopper fan, I often find myself irked hearing UK or UofL fans all excited about beating the nations’ top teams, or where they’re ranked, or whatever. I cannot put into words the amount of pride I would have if we were able to leave Louisiana with a win. That’s all I’ll say.

The game following LSU, I would argue, is the most important game of the year for the WKU Hilltoppers in terms of Conference USA championship aspirations. Following LSU, WKU goes on the road to play Jacksonville State, (or JSU or Jax State or whatever flavor of the month). JSU is currently 6-0 in C-USA play, meaning they’re in first place for the conference. They’re in line for an opportunity to play in and host the conference championship game. The Hilltoppers, who are 5-1 in conference play, almost certainly need to secure a win versus JSU for an opportunity to play for the Conference USA Championship.

We are currently tied with Kennesaw State for 2nd place, meaning in most scenarios, we need to beat JSU to clinch a spot outright and not have to have another team win/lose to help propel us there. However, as Matt stated above, WKU needs a little bit of help, needing a win at JSU and an extra loss from JSU or KSU, or they need Kennesaw State to finish below them in the standings because of tiebreakers.

Looking at the standings, one may wonder why Missouri State isn’t part of the discussion. Missouri State is also 5-1 in conference play, but is ineligible due to FBS transition rules. The LSU game has absolutely no bearing on what happens to our chances in playing for the CUSA title. Jax State and Kennesaw Sate both have two conference games remaining, while we only have the one against Jax State. So while the season is close to concluding in the next month or so, there is still much left to play for and a lot of reasons.

Conclusion

WKU has a lot to play for over (hopefully) the next three weeks. WKU could have its first Power Four/Five/Six win against a bowl eligible team, would have its first true “blue blood” victory in program history, and would vault itself back into the College Football Playoff conversation with a win at LSU.

Against JSU, the game will be live for both teams and possibly “winner take all”. For WKU, it’s almost certainly do or die. The Tops cannot rely on anything else, and they will not know if they are in because of Kennesaw State until Kennesaw State finishes its game an hour or two after WKU finishes.

Then after that, hopefully WKU plays for a conference championship, and if they beat JSU and they’re in the championship, they will likely be hosting. Regardless of whether WKU once again backs into a CUSA Championship appearance or earns it with victory, it’s a huge opportunity to finally capitalize and right some of its wrongs in recent memory.

For this week, it’s time to focus on LSU and get a DUB, TOPS!

It’s November college football, y’all. Get fired up, and send us your pics if you make it to LSU, JSU, or the conference championship game.

GO TOPS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Here we go, Tops!

If they can’t get fired about Middle Tennessee and a chance to set up a battle for a spot in the championship, they need resuscitation. It’s mid-November and it’s go time for the Tops.

Western Kentucky (7-2, 5-1 CUSA) is looking to keep on pushing forward. Despite some gaffs and blunders, somehow WKU sits just fine and completely in control. A team with underrated grit, is this the team that just keeps on finding a way and breaks through the nine year drought?

We’ll see, but another step in the journey is walloping MTSU by 100 miles (of hate) and points, if you please, dear Toppers. Western Kentucky is the clear favorite, favored by 13.5 and rested after a bye week.

Meanwhile, MTSU (1-8, 0-5 CUSA) just got slaughtered after four straight close losses, so do they respond with some juice, or are they just going to go through the motions? From their perspective, they have two ways to play it. My guess is they come out ready to go, but surely a huge key is whether WKU takes control or allows the Blue Raiders to hang around and feel some hope.

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David’s Deep Dives

Throw out the current season records. Anyone can win this game, no matter how they have played thus far this season. This is a true rivalry game. The 100 Miles of Hate rivalry dates back to 1914 and WKU now leads the series 38-35-1 after WKU has won nine of the last ten games. Going into this game, The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 7-2 (5-1 CUSA) are the clear favorite over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 1-8 (0-5 CUSA). Can the Hilltoppers prove to the fans, media and others that they are better than 70th in the country? Can the Blue Raiders play spoiler for WKU’s Conference USA hampionship hopes? This is why they play the games.

Middle Tennessee comes into this game with only one win this season at Nevada 14-13, and that was early on in the season. Western played Nevada at home and won 31-16 the week after. In their first four games of CUSA play, MTSU has played well, but lost all four by an average of four points per contest. Then Middle played FIU last week and were blown out at home 56-30. Will they be able to overcome their poor season and beat the Toppers on the road? They put up 30 points against a team that WKU could only score 6 against, but hopefully that trend doesn’t translate. In recent years, WKU has struggled at the end of the season. And this is a rivalry game, so anything is possible.

MTSU scores only 18.9 points a game with a high of 30 against FIU. Middle is led on the field by senior quarterback Nicholas Vattiato who has thrown for 1,908 yards, 15 total TDs, 6 INTs, but has been sacked 17 times. If you do not get pressure on him, Nick is not very mobile, but has the skills to pick apart a defense and put up points. Jekail Middlebrook is Blue Raider feature running back with 97 carries for 521 yards and four TDs. Jekail also has 32 receptions for 305 yards and a TD. You must spy this guy. Nahze Cox is the leading receiver with 35 receptions for 424 yards and five TDs. Jacob Hathaway is the kicker with 6-of-8 made field goals and 15 made extra points.

Middle’s defense has 16 sacks, but only eight total turnovers forced. The statistic leaders on defense are Safety Juwon Gaston with two interceptions, Linebacker Parker Hughes with 64 tackles, and Linebacker Reggie Johnson with 3.5 sacks.

Western comes into this game with a few questions of their own. Who will be the starting quarterback? Can WKU score in the 30s again this week and limit turnovers? Can the Hilltopper defense hold another team under their scoring average or will penalties be their undoing? Western averages 30.3 points per game, 287.8 yards passing per game, and 121.9 yards rushing per game. The turnover ratio has fallen to -3 and WKU has given up 13 quarterback sacks. Maverick McIvor leads the team in passing with 1,853 yards, 13 total TDs, and five INTs. Over the past few weeks Rodney Tisdale, Jr., has been the starting quarterback and has 688 yards passing, 113 yards rushing, 6 TDs, and 3 INTs. Who will we see on this night? Marvis Parrish, La’Vell Wright, and George Hart III have 780 yards combined rushing, 283 yards receiving and 12 total TDs as the three-headed rushing monster. They all can handle any task about equally. Western has eight receivers with 10 or more receptions and more than 100 yards. Matthew Henry has 35 receptions for 568 yards and 5 TDs. K.D. Hutchinson has 43 receptions for 490 yards and 3 TDs.

The WKU defensive leaders are Jaylen Wester with 58 tackles, Dominic Oliver with three sacks, and Jaylen Lewis with two INTs. Western only has 10 sacks and 10 forced turnovers on the season. Can the WKU defense get pressure on the MTSU quarterback, stop the run, and get turnovers? If so, Western should win going away. If not, MTSU will keep the game close.

David’s Prediction

I believe that Western will win get pressure on the quarterback, win the turnover battle, stop the run, score more than 30 points and give up less that 21 points. I believe that if Western runs more tempo they can win this game and put up 50 points or more. Unfortunately, our coaches will not do this, so I see WKU winning 38-20.

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Matt’s Stats

WKU Alumni Band: UNITE!

First things first, I’m super excited to be a part of the WKU Alumni Band, which apparently is going to be about 250 people. Imagine 550-600 people on the field at the same time at halftime! And by the way, imagine the noise if that amount of people get together and decide to make some noise for the Tops, be it with their instruments or their mouths. That could be fun, too!

I’m looking to show up, wear red, and be rowdy for the Tops! Anyone in the band area, get ready, ‘cause it’s about to get ROWDY! GO TOPS! BEAT MIDDLE!

Time to SHOW UP!

I’m fired up for this one. There should be minimal excuses. Yes, basketball season has started. Other than that, WKU Football needs a dad gum win. It’s going to be warm and beautiful for a late fall day. Game time temperature is going to be pushing 70, and the temperature won’t drop below 60. Given the last week, that’s a win. With a 2:30 kickoff, you can sleep in and come in after lunch, and you can eat dinner after. Come on, Topper fans. Let’s have a good showing and show our seniors we appreciate them.

Keys to Victory: Ain’t Nothing Like the Opportunity…to BEAT MIDDLE!

Bring the Hate

I always start a middle “Keys” with something like this. If you can’t get up for your school’s rival, honestly, you suck. Like seriously. If you don’t personally feel it, take on the cloak for your fans and get fired up on a different level than normal. And seriously, is now not the time? It’s crunch time, and by crunch, I mean the opponent. It’s time to crunch Middle Tennessee into blue powder and send them back in a shoe box. Nighty night.

Vattiato Mustn’t Be Elite

Nick Vattiato is a seasoned college football player, and he is one of the lone reasons MTSU could truly beat WKU. Capable of helping his team score and coming off of a game where his offense produced, the MTSU quarterback is capable of forcing WKU’s offense to score some points. If WKU can keep him from throwing for 300, given the fact that MTSU struggles to run the ball, the path to MUTS victory has to run through Vattiato in a major way.

Contain the RB

Jekail Middlebrooke is a solid producer, with over 800 total yards as David mentioned above. He is one of the other main weapons for MTSU that could certainly make this a game. He generally has absolutely no help. He averages 61 per game, which is completely respectable. However, his entire rest of his team average 18, an abysmal, horrifyingly terrible number. For WKU, the run defense is suspect. So I’m not asking for perfection, but a team that has rushed for more than 105 yards exactly once all season should not do that against one of the better teams they’ll face all season. Let’s set the goal at 125, and in my opinion, anything other than that makes it really hard for MTSU to win.

Get Some Pressure

Again, another weakness for WKU here. I honestly don’t even know if it’s required to have a single sack, although it’s sad that it’s possible that an MTSU team that’s on pace to easily give up 30+ sacks might keep WKU from getting to Vattiato at all. However, I just want to see the pocket disturbed some. Whether that’s manufacturing pressure and risking it, or whether it’s winning with three or four rushers, do something besides allowing Vattiato make S’mores back there.

Minimize the Dumb Stuff

WKU has had some boneheaded moments. Whether it’s a bizarre interception or a fumble returned for a touchdown, or it’s a completely unreasonable amount of penalties resulting in ruined drives and opponent first downs, I would love to see WKU play a clean game and see what that would do for the offense and defense. WKU’s defense has given up 29 first downs to penalties, while they have only drawn 12. MTSU, a team that often shoots itself in the foot, has handed its opponents 19 first downs by penalty. Imagine what WKU’s statistics and scoring margin would look like with a normal amount of penalties and erasing a couple of defensive touchdowns for the opponent. If WKU plays mistake free, the underdog probably doesn’t stick around and give you a hard time.

Do it for the Seniors

Seriously, football is a brotherhood. Even if you’ve got one foot out the door and thinking of transferring, you have a job to do. And to the players that are considering leaving WKU, your market goes way up when your teams wins a championship. So lock in and do this thing for the guys that have put in the blood, sweat, and tears for four to seven years. This will be the last time a bunch of people ever play football. For those that have been through a transition like that in life where you change your identity from an athlete to a regular person in the real world, it’s hard. But it’s a lot easier to go out with a win at home in front of the fans and in front of your family.

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In Conclusion…

Beat the Crap out of Middle Tennessee

Seriously, Tops. It’s time to get dead serious, turn on the kill switch, and go hunting.

BANG BANG! Time to hunt *Chris Berman voice* the Raidas!

100 Miles of Hate means a lot to a lot, so don’t bring a little when it’s time…

…to BEAT MIDDLE!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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GO TOPS!!!!

WKU Football has somehow meandered its way to the precipice of yet another Conference USA title opportunity. Despite some doldrums, despite an offense and defense with less firepower, and despite some gaffs, here we are sitting with a 7-2 overall record with only one loss in Conference USA and able to claim one of the two spots in the championship game by simply winning two games.

First up is MTSU (1-8, 0-5 CUSA). MTSU has struggled this year, to say the least. Inexplicably, with an experienced quarterback and several other players that can play, the second year under MTSU Head Coach Derek Mason has not gone swimmingly. I would say it’s more like they’re drowning. For some reason, it just hasn’t clicked for the Blue Raiders. However, to say they are a pushover is false. MTSU has been in with a shot in four of its five conference games, losing by no a combined total of 16 points. They also had another game against a decent Marshall team that was fairly close. So MTSU may have one win, but this is not a lifeless team, and if they haven’t just checked out for the year, they very well might give WKU a serious test.

WKU (7-2, 5-1 CUSA) has turned out to have a very good year despite quarterback injury, a defensive line that doesn’t produce much against the run or the pass, and a rush defense that isn’t in the top 100 in America. The Tops boast strength and depth at quarterback, with two viable (and CUSA Player of the Year quality) options in Rodney Tisdale, Jr., and Maverick McIvor. WKU’s running back room is deep, with three players that can all catch, run, and pass protect. The offensive line is solid, doing an above average job keeping the quarterback’s shirt clean. WKU has weapons and depth at the various receiver positions, including the tight end position, which has made a comeback appearance on the stat sheet this seasona despite injury. Defensively, WKU’s linebackers and DB’s are solid, and there’s potential for chaos up front but it hasn’t proven consistent. WKU’s special teams are really good, with three or four quality legs that provide one of the nation’s best special teams units.

In one of America’s older rivalries, MTSU and WKU have clashed in various sports off and on for over a century now. Unofficially termed as “100 Miles of Hate”, these teams have played nearly 75 times (this is the 75th matchup in football) and neither team has cracked 40 wins yet. At 38-35-1, WKU has taken the lead with a streak dating back to 2019. Winners of 9 of 10 in the rivalry, WKU is looking to establish a lead that one (recruiting) generation of Blue Raiders can’t erase.

A day that should be nice weather despite some unseasonably frigid temperatures within the last week, WKU plays at 2:30 Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. You can scrap the expectation for a blowout, because since this game renewed in 2007, this game has finished within a single possession nine times. With teams’ propensity to play imperfect football, anything can happen if it’s close.

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Predictions

Matt McCay (5-4)

Well, last time out, I was on the right track and picked a blowout (and nearly picked the final score) for NMSU. Finally, WKU showed us that they’re really serious. Despite another slow start on the scoreboard (NMSU started out 6-0 through most of the first half), WKU finished with a flourish, scoring 14 (and nearly 17) to end the half. That kind of evened out, because WKU was moving the ball and doing some good things despite not scoring. Sometimes circumstance makes you look a certain way, and it sure did feel for a little bit that WKU was going to throw opportunity after opportunity away. But they didn’t! And I couldn’t have been more proud to be a Topper Football alum. We showed Conference USA that we mean business, and we finally put out a comprehensive performance that announced to the conference that WKU is coming strong and you better keep up…if you can.

Speaking of alumni, this is going to be a special one for me, because including having been an equipment manager for the football team, at my time at Western, I was also a member of the Big Red Marching Band for a year and the WKU pep band every year from 2008-14. This Saturday, I’ll be performing in the 250+ strong WKU Alumni Band, so tune in for that, as well.

As far as the game, this is absolutely a game WKU should win, and I hope they come out ready to slaughter MTSU. MTSU was WKU’s biggest rival without question in and around 2010, so I come in with some genuine dislike for this particular rival. This one means the most to me. So I pray we bring paddle to butt and don’t look back. This WKU team is rested (rare for November) and I think ready. This team has found ways to win this year, which a sign of a good “team” and locker room. So I believe in them and I believe they freakin get it done Saturday. Blowout city, Tops by 90. Give me Western Kentucky 48-MTSU 19.

Alex Sherfield (5-3)

The 100 Miles of Hate rivalry will always have a storyline, even if the opponent is desperately wanting a victory for savoring their pride. The MTSU Blue Raiders are having an abysmal season at 1-8 (winless in CUSA play, currently tied to Sam Houston for the worst record) with their only victory being against (a really bad) Nevada. Without a doubt, Derek Mason & Co. have nothing to lose (except his job) coming to The Houch on Saturday looking to spoil the Hilltoppers’ conference championship hopes and get an emotional upset over their hated rivals.

Freshman Rodney Tisdale, Jr., is getting his third straight start at quarterback and the Blue Raiders are acknowledging that in order to have any chance against the Tops, they’re going to have to make him create mistakes to even keep themselves in the game.

On offense, the Blue Raiders are looking to outdo themselves on the stat sheet after only running the ball 24 times just to get 33 total yards during their 56-30 drubbing from Florida International last week. It shouldn’t be too difficult for the Tops to not allow *much* running yards as other teams have found a way to pound the rock efficiently on the interior defense.

It’s definitely going to shape up to be a game where both the offensive and defensive lines are the anchors to carry the Tops to victory.

Prediction: Western Kentucky 31, Middle Tennessee 20

David McCay (5-4, Perfect Predictions: 1)

I believe that Western will win get pressure on the quarterback, win the turnover battle, stop the run, score more than 30 points, and give up less that 21 points. I know if Western runs more tempo, they can win this game and put up 50 points or more. Unfortunately, our coaches will not do this, so I see WKU winning 38-20.

Bret Combest (6-2)

Western Kentucky’s Offense vs. Middle Tennessee’s Defense

Western Kentucky enters this game with a strong passing attack, averaging roughly 287.8 yards through the air per game — placing them among the better units nationally. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee’s defense has struggled significantly; they allow around 234.6 passing yards per game and surrender an alarming 96.7% red-zone scoring rate. With that gap, expect WKU to lean into their aerial game and convert often once inside the 20-yard line. Their run game is less dynamic (it ranks lower among their offensive metrics) but they don’t need to be one-dimensional given the matchup advantage. I predict WKU’s offense will dominate time of possession and scoring opportunities.

Middle Tennessee’s Offense vs. Western Kentucky’s Defense
On the flip side, Middle Tennessee’s offense has struggled mightily this season, averaging around 20.1 points per game. They’ll be facing a Western Kentucky defense that gives up only about 22.8 points per game and has performed respectably in halting opposing offenses. The Blue Raiders’ issues: a weak rushing attack (under 80 yards per game) and an inability to consistently convert third downs (their third-down conversion rate is near the bottom of the FBS). This suggests MTSU will struggle to sustain drives, and WKU’s defense will force short fields or stops. I foresee the Blue Raiders managing a few scoring drives but ultimately being stifled.

Overall Prediction

Given the mismatch in both offense vs. defense phases, I expect Western Kentucky to win convincingly — something in the ballpark of WKU 32-MTSU 18. WKU should cover the spread and keep the total points under the posted over/under (which sits around the mid-50s).

Andrew Nalley (4-5, No Prediction Submitted)

Conclusion

Tops by 90.

Listen, WKU knows what it needs to do, and this is but another obstacle in the journey. Here’s to hoping that the Tops come out and take care of business and do not let a rival inferior team get a foothold. Just like any 1-8 team, the confidence is not going to be high. They may manufacture some confidence and genuinely feel good about their chances, but from experience being on plenty of teams that won very few games in various endeavors, the feelings of hope and devastation swing violently when you’re used to losing.

And for WKU, how do you handle the pressure of being expected to win and knowing you have more important games ahead? Because if you lose this one, it ends up being important because your dream season is most likely ruined. It’s hard to know you’ve got two giant tests coming up that probably get the juices flowing more naturally than an opponent that’s just another on the slate that only has one win.

The challenge is to think of this with emotion, to think of this as the conference semifinals. Shoot, think of it in terms of high school football, and this is the opportunity to play in the state championship. There are so many reasons to go out and execute Saturday if it’s presented correctly. And it’s a dangerous opponent, an opponent that realistically could have won any of five other games. If MTSU came into this game at 5-4, would they be a more serious threat? Because they have shot themselves in the foot this season or they probably would be fighting for bowl eligibility right now.

So here’s to WKU getting it done Saturday. And listen…

It’s NEVER not time…

…to BEAT MIDDLE!

GOOOOO TOPSSSSS!!!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Football finally has a victory against an FBS opponent they can feel extremely good about. Last Saturday (November 1), despite another incredibly slow start on the scoreboard (6-0 New Mexico State until a Topper touchdown at 3:39 left in the second quarter), the production in terms of yards and time of possession was there all game, and WKU exploded to the tune of a 35-3 stretch. The offensive explosion started at the aforementioned moment late in the second quarter and lasted 22:27 of game time, ending with WKU’s final game sealing score with 11:12 left in the fourth quarter. WKU would go on to win by a final tally of 35-16.

WKU (7-2, 5-1 CUSA) had not a moment since a 17 point win against Sam Houston State on August 23 where WKU had an FBS win and it felt like they played well and took care of business. New Mexico State (3-6, 1-5 CUSA) is much better than its record, with (now) three recent losses by a touchdown or less in Conference USA play. After the WKU loss, the Aggies flirted with an upset that would have sent shockwaves in the CUSA standings, nearly making a long field goal to tie Kennesaw State at the end of regulation this Saturday.

Finally, WKU fans had a moment to say, “Well, that went about how it was supposed to.” Although it means exactly the same whether the Tops win in the last moments (Nevada, LA Tech, Missouri State, and Delaware) or whether they win or lose by double digits in a game firmly controlled by one team (SHSU, UNA, Toledo, FIU, and NMSU). Nonetheless, signs point to WKU trending upward. With a quality win at LA Tech despite some gaffs, and a blowout home win against a team that may struggle to win another game (NMSU), WKU should be “confident but not cocky”. Speaking of “cocky”, WKU plays rival MTSU this week in a game that WKU should dominate, goes to Baton Rouge to a reeling LSU program, and then plays the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a game that almost certainly will have both teams still alive for a conference championship berth.

Once again, WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton has WKU in the hunt for a championship in November. Can he finally get a regular season championship? Can the Tops finally get in and win the conference championship game? The picture is coming into focus, and WKU has four pit stops to a championship. Can they do it? Signs point to “yes”. Will they? Signs point to, “That’s up to them.”

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Andrew’s Anecdotes

I’ll take a 19 point victory any day of the week, as WKU arguably played their most complete game of the season against NMSU, winning 35-16. Were it not for a costly fumble by WKU RB Jalen Hampton, Western Kentucky would’ve held NM State out of the endzone completely. I must tap my hat to the WKU defense in this one. I’ve been very vocal and critical of the WKU defense all season for giving up big plays and arguably being the weak spot for the team as a whole, but the defense earned their stripes in this game.

WKU’s defense held NM State’s QB to an abysmal 13 for 39, for 110 yards passing. Which if you pull out your calculator at home, that is a 33.3% passing completion percentage. NM State is not known for being an offensive juggernaut by any means, but for WKU — it seemingly hasn’t mattered who they’ve played. Someone on the opposing team’s offense usually put up career numbers against the WKU defense. The biggest play the Hilltopper defense allowed all day was a 24 yard run, which they only allowed 66 total yards on the ground. (Editor’s note: After WKU’s 66 yards against NMSU, the Toppers vaulted up the charts to 112th in the country against the run. The Hilltoppers were bottom 10 previously.) The defense arguably carried the load early in the game, as WKU’s offense didn’t seem to wake up until midway through the second quarter, scoring two touchdowns to go into halftime up, 14-6.

The offense played great as well. Rodney Tisdale Jr., filling in for the injured (and possibly benched) Maverick McIvor — perhaps permanently at this point given how well Tisdale has played — put up 301 yards passing and threw for 4 touchdowns. Tisdale didn’t do much on the ground, as he was credited for carrying the ball 12 times for only 28 yards. The ground attack was pretty much a committee effort as Parrish, Wright, and Hampton all saw 5 or more carries from the backfield. George Hart III, normally the second or third back for WKU, only carried twice for seven yards.

I am curious to see what happens when we receive more information on the injury to McIvor and whether or not they continue to ride the hot hand in Tisdale. Tisdale is 2-0 and McIvor’s last game was a flop against FIU. It’s a hard case to make to bench Tisdale, but we shall see. It was solidly McIvor’s job until he presumably faded due to the impact of his injury. All told, this was a solid all-around effort for the Tops in this one. I usually always try to find something to complain about in each game, but as a fan — I’m content for now. Go Tops!

David’s Deep Dives

For those of us who wondered if Western’s inconsistent offense would struggle against New Mexico State’s very good defense, those questions were answered “yes” until midway through the second quarter, but “no” after that. Once again, WKU struggled early in the game mostly due to slow sweeping plays that did not work against the Aggies’ fast defensive backs. These type plays killed the first three Western drives. And after a first play interception on the fourth drive of the first half, fans were wondering if this was another FIU type home game. In the mean time, the Western defense did what it has done most of the season: Give up yards, get a stop and force field goals. With 7:15 left in the second quarter, NM State had built a small 6-0 lead.

After NMSU made their second field goal, the WKU offense decided to wake up. Now whether this was the players or the coaching staff, I don’t know, but from this point forward Western finally figured out that the midrange passing routes (8-15 yards) were open and started to call more of these plays. Western went on an 8 play, 75 yard TD drive that was capped off by 22 yard pass from #16 Rodney Tisdale, Jr to #0 Matthew Henry who dashed into the endzone for the game tying TD. The extra point gave WKU the 7-6 lead. Western’s defense got a rare three and out and the offense went on a 7 play, 68 yard drive that ended with a beautiful over the defensive player, 21 yard TD catch from #3 Moussa Barry that put WKU up 14-6 with 1:14 left in the first half.

The defense got a three and out in 18 seconds allowing WKU to get the ball back and go 40 yards to attempt a 53 yard field goal with time expiring in the half. A chance to take a two possession lead, the field goal looked a little wobbly coming off of Cannons foot and clanked off the front of the cross bar, no good. Still, this was an incredible flourish, nearly scoring 17 points in under four minutes to end a half. That, folks, is how you win some ball games.

In the second half, Western started with two three and outs and NM State scored a third field goal. On the second Aggie drive, there was come controversy as WKU’s Avarion Cole #16 intercepted the ball and fell on top of a pile of players and then ran into the end zone. Officials blew the whistle ending the play on the presumed tackle, but reviewing the game via ESPN.com his body (in my opinion) never touched the ground. Western would capitalize on this turnover anyway four plays later scoring a third TD on a La’Vell Wright direct snap shotgun sweep left for a TD. Western would add two more consecutive TDs to put the game away leading 35-9 with 11:12 remaining. The NM State defense would score a 71 yard fumble return as Western was trying to run out the clock with 1:25 left in the game.

Scoring Videos

Numbers for the Game

Notables about this chart… The WKU defense was dominant in this game giving up only 176 yards, ZERO TDs, and three field goals. They also had three sacks, 5 total tackles for loss and an interception. It has been a long time since we saw WKU defensive numbers like this. May it continue.

Redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale, Jr #16 had a very nice game completing 30 of 38 passes to ten receivers for 301 yards, four TDs, and an INT. WKU had 128 yards rushing led by La’Vell Wright with 44 yards and a TD. K.D. Hutchinson had seven receptions for 83 yards. Matthew Henry had seven receptions for 81 yards and 2 TDs. Moussa Barry had five catches for 39 yards and a TD. Jackson West (TE) had three catches for 26 yards and his first college TD.

David’s Conclusions

We as fans have been waiting for WKU to play a more complete game especially in CUSA games. This game was the best game Western has played this season. Can they continue this type of play against dreaded MTSU, LSU and Jax State to end the season? If so, it should mean a berth into the CUSA championship game and a nicer bowl game. All I can say is GO TOPS!!! BEAT MTSU!

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Matt’s Musings

Now it’s time to shift our focus to the MUTS this week. Despite some extremely close calls and some moments where bile had started moving upward, WKU is 7-2 and brings MTSU to The Houch for Senior Day. 250 Band Alumni will be in the house Saturday, and I would guess whatever crowd shows up Saturday at 2:30 (hopefully a big one) will be interested, active, and hoping to see a comprehensive statement from WKU.

MTSU has had a struggle this season, only winning one game all season, and not a one in Conference USA. However, they have had plenty of moments where they were competitive, and the quarterback talent is there, along with plenty of solid athletes on all sides of the ball.

WKU should come in expecting a war. It’s not called “100 Miles of Hate” by accident. Although MTSU’s admin refuses to acknowledge the name of the rivalry, perhaps that is an indication of their softness as an organization. A rivalry MTSU Football controlled until recently, WKU has rattled off victory after victory of late, claiming the overall lead in the rivalry 38-35-1.

If nothing has gotten you to Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium to Bowling Green as of yet, why not this one? WKU plays an ancient rival in a crucial matchup that either WKU alive for a championship, or it completely crushes it. Western is 7-2, and this one sets up another year-end battle between Jacksonville State and WKU for the third time in the last two seasons, all of which would have championship implications if can stomp out the MUTS, as we disaffectionately call the baby Blue Raiders. “My Little Pony” and his band of 1-8 friends come to the Houch, and it’s time for Big Red to “bring the hate” and put what should be one of the final nails in on MTSU Head Coach Derek Mason’s career at MTSU. Or perhaps greater still for WKU, perhaps MTSU will lather itself in mediocrity and renew Derek Mason’s contract for yet another year.

“Standing “Stockstill” since 2006”, MTSU comes to town, and as always, it’s always a good day…

to BEAT MIDDLE!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Football is presumably thankful and focused after nearly tanking at Louisiana Tech, or at least that’s what they’re saying publicly.

Can the Tops take a nice road win against a team that has looked at times like CUSA’s best team off and on throughout the year and take control of their own destiny?

Western Kentucky (6-2, 4-1 CUSA) is already bowl eligible with a sparkling 6-2 record, but in a wild Conference USA race where no one really seems dominant, WKU needs to keep stacking wins.

Standing in their way, New Mexico State (3-4, 1-3 CUSA) poses an interesting threat. Boasting an offense that really struggles to run the ball and a passing offense that is decent, the Aggies have a defense that causes problems, holding opponents under 400 yards per game while forcing over two turnovers per game.

We’ll tag team this one with some different thoughts from each of our perspectives.

Andrew’s Anecdotes

Las Cruces, New Mexico

New Mexico State University is located in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. “Las Cruces,” translates into “the crosses,” which research indicates that the name was given to city upon being established due to crosses that marked the graves of early settlers and soldiers into the area. It is the second largest city in the state of New Mexico and is established the mid-point between San Diego, CA and Dallas, TX. Las Cruces is said to celebrate a cultural heritage that brings together both Native American and Hispanic cultures.

For more information on NMSU the university, click here and here.

Matt’s Musings

New Mexico State has recovered from coaching changes and the loss of Diego Pavia (yes, that Diego Pavia), and the Aggies are competitive once again. At 3-4, the Aggies are fighting mainly for bowl eligibility, which would be a nice accomplishment for a program that hasn’t had consistent success in decades. With only three bowl appearances since 1960, it would be historic to find a way to six wins for the Aggies.

The CUSA Picture

For WKU, the Tops, despite consistent inconsistency, are competing for a championship. With two overall losses and only one in conference, if WKU can run the table, they almost certainly will appear in the Conference USA Championship. As I’ve said, any two of three of Kennesaw State, Jax State, or Liberty loss not to each other would then allow WKU to be able to march to the championship game simply by winning the remainder of its games.

Kennesaw State sits atop CUSA undefeated with a very tough remaining schedule. They play both Liberty and JSU on the road, as well as NMSU and Missouri State, no pushovers, either.

JSU is the other undefeated team in CUSA, and they also face a tough schedule. With two road games and Kennesaw State and WKU at home, if JSU makes the championship game, they will have earned it, especially considering they already beat Liberty in September.

Liberty is a bit on the back foot with a loss at JSU already recorded, but other than that, with Liberty facing KSU and the other teams having tough matchups upcoming, they are absolutely in it. Just like WKU probably being in if they win out, so would Liberty in most scenarios.

WKU may have the toughest single game, facing Jacksonville State in the last week of the season, but other than that, the Toppers have less games to play (three) than anyone else, and they have a cellar dweller (MTSU) and a very winnable opponent (NMSU) at home and then they play the aforementioned JSU.

Regardless of the matchups, all four of the contenders for the CUSA have shown vulnerability recently. Any fan base, team, coaching staff, or locker room feeling anything but nervous is bound for a reality check.

Dave’s Deep Dives

Thoughts About New Mexico State

New Mexico State comes into Bowling Green 3-4 overall and 1-3 in CUSA play and loser of their last two games, against Liberty 30-27 and Mo State 24-17. In CUSA play, The Aggies average 23.75 points per game, but give up 28.25. This team has struggled defensively and offensively much this season, but will this game be their time to get things straightened out like FIU did against Western a few weeks ago.

Logan Fife is their offensive leader with 1,721 yards passing and ten total TDs, but has been intercepted eight times and sacked 18 times. Kadarius Calloway is the NM State leading rusher with 280 yards on 73 carries and three TDs. The Aggies have four good wide receivers: Donovan Faupel, T.K. King, PJ Johnson III, and Brodie Malone-Bradford who have 998 of their receiving yards, 72 of their receptions, and nine of their 10 receiving TDs. They also have a very good tight end, Gavin Harris with 24 receptions and 352 yards. Ryan Hawk is their kicker with 15 of 16 extra points and 12 of 17 field goals made this season.

The NM State defense has actually been pretty good this season having 14 sacks, nine INTs, seven fumble recoveries and a TD. Defensive lineman Ezra Christensen leads this team with six sacks. Safety Naeten Mitchell has the most tackles (56) and INTs (3). Other players to watch on the Aggies include Tory Gethers (LB), Jamal Thompson Jr (DE), and Nick Session (S). Will NMSU be the seventh straight team to hold the WKU Offense under 30 points? If they do, it greatly improves their chances of an upset win.

Thoughts About Western Kentucky

WKU looked very good for most of the first half against a very good defensive team in La Tech last time out. This is another game where they face a good defense and a weaker offense. Western needs to keep being aggressive on offense throughout the entire game. Last week WKU seemed to be “trying to hold on” in the second half, when they should have continued their short passing instead of rushing on almost all first downs in the second half. It was so obvious that we were going to run, my wife who was only partially watching said, “Here comes another run.” Maybe WKU can figure out a way to run the ball in this game without it being “so obvious”.

The big question coming into this game for WKU is who will be the starting quarterback against NM State? Will Maverick McIvor add to his 1,863 yards and 13 total TDs, or will backup Rodney Tisdale, Jr. get his second start? Andddddd it’s Rodney Tisdale, Jr. Maverick McIvor is still nursing his injuries, but it’s still known Maverick could play if he had to. Could it be that both get some playing time this week?

WKU as a team has rushed for almost 1,000 yards so far this season, led by Marvis Parish (291), George Hart III (201), and La’Vell Wright (199). These three have nine of the 12 WKU rushing TDs. The Toppers have eight players with at least 10 catches. Matthew Henry and KD Hutchinson both have more than 400 yards and three TDs each. Running back Marvis Parish is a key pass catcher out of the back field with 28 receptions.

Western’s defense has struggled this year giving up 400+ yards to almost every team this season, but has ben able hold teams to field goals most of the time in recent weeks giving the team chances to win. WKU needs to find ways to get pressure into the backfield and make tackles. Tackling, sacks (only 7) and generating turnovers (only 9) are problems for this defense. Linebacker Jaylen Wester (only missing an n, haha) has 54 tackles and a forced fumble. Harper Holloman (DE) and Dominic Oliver (LB) have two sacks each to lead the team. Jaylen Lewis (S) has two INTs to lead WKU. The defensive front needs to play well in this game or it might be a disappointing homecoming for Western fans on Saturday.

David’s Conclusion

This Western bunch has found ways to win or hold on in the four conference wins this season. These games have been far too close for my heart. Western has only scored 30+ once this season, the first conference game against winless Sam Houston. I have said for years if WKU can score in the 30s, they will win the game. There have been very few games in the last few years where this would have been wrong.

How can WKU score 30?

1. The quarterbacks need to be able to change the passing plays to adjust between man to man vs zone defenses.

2. Always use motion to move the defense and be a key indicator. It seems like WKU is just running fixed plays no matter what defense they face, even if it is obvious that the play will fail.

3. Play with more urgency.

4. Run more tempo, especially on third down. Keep defenses on the field and not allow substitutions.

If WKU scores 30, they will win this game easily. If they do not, they are again playing too close to a good defensive team and the win becomes much more difficult. I have hope that Western gets it done this week.

WKU - 34
NM State - 23

Matt’s Keys to Victory

Have the Better QB

Whoever starts (Tisdale, Jr.) and whoever ends doesn’t really matter, but Logan Fife is a productive but not elite dual threat quarterback (245 ypg and positive rushing yards). At 57 percent completion percentage, he’s not always dead on, but he does ooze with potential at an astounding 245 yards per game despite a poor completion percentage and a terrible running game. It is essential that WKU have the better signal caller.

Be the Better Rushing Game

WKU’s clear and obvious weakness (the rushing defense) takes on a rush offense without a single player averaging four or more yards per carry. Starting RB Kadarius Calloway has been stepping it up of late, having respectable results the past four games. But he doesn’t have much help, and even he is not an elite back. The Topper offense has three solid running backs, but in the Air Raid, the Tops rarely run it. One would think this is a simple ask, but either the WKU run game needs to be awesome, or the WKU defense needs to show up and stop the run.

Back to Great Special Teams

Last time out, WKU gave up a special teams touchdown, the punting has been much more average, and long returns have been allowed on punts and kickoffs. The Tops did force two missed field goals, one of which was blocked. So it wasn’t all disastrous. However, WKU’s greatest strength has been its special teams, and it absolutely was not against LA Tech.

Don’t Be Boneheaded

Both teams seemed to try to lose it in Ruston last week. This is just a general “Don’t screw it up” thing. Whether it’s stupid turnovers, penalties, or management heading into the ends of halves and quarters, WKU has had its questionable moments this season. It’s time to step it up, and a good way to get upset is to come out and throw away some points and give up unearned first downs.

Be Even in TFL, Sacks, and QBH Combined

Here’s an interesting one for you…WKU’s offensive line is pretty solid. Despite some injuries, they have held their own and don’t give up more than a couple of sacks in any one game. NMSU’s offensive line has allowed Logan Fife to take plenty of hits. Interestingly, this is good-on-good between WKU’s offensive line and NMSU defensive line. Conversely, it’s bad on bad with WKU’s defensive line and NMSU’s offensive line. Personally, I would be thrilled if the end result is that NMSU’s d-line is overall neutralized compared to WKU’s.

Summing it Up

This one is interesting. NMSU has an interesting ability to muck it up defensively. They can create chaos, and WKU has a tendency to embrace close ball games when they should dominate. And they are playing a freshman quarterback. So Topper fans, we better get ready Saturday at 2:30. Because it could be a ball game.

This is a big one that sets up another big one. It’s November. It’s time to get some wins.

GO TOPS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

First of all, if you’re paying any kind of attention to Conference USA, and especially if you’re paying attention to WKU Football this year, no win is guaranteed. There is no routine victory.

And that especially must be true when New Mexico State travels across the country to visit the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. A dangerous team, New Mexico State (3-4, 1-3 CUSA) isn’t a prolific offensive team, but the NMSU defense gives up a respectable 24 points per game and forces a lot of turnovers. Given the fact that WKU (6-2, 4-1 CUSA) is incredibly inconsistent offensively and has not shown a “great” offensive performance since game two, this could be a matchup issue for the Tops.

Vegas likes WKU by nearly double digits (-9.5), but they also liked WKU at home vs. FIU, too. Much like watching the Lady Toppers in the first half against Lindsey Wilson Wednesday night, THAT was hideous. The numbers say if WKU’s offense fires on most cylinders, NMSU will struggle to score enough to keep up with WKU.

But a huge variable is quarterback play for WKU. Redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale, Jr., will get the nod for the Tops despite the health somewhat improving for erstwhile starter Maverick McIvor, still CUSA’s second leading passer despite not playing last game at La Tech. Can the young freshman establish himself as WKU’s starter for the rest of the season with a sparkling performance for the ages? Can a “questionable” Maverick McIvor reestablish his supremacy if Tisdale falters? And how quick is Tyson Helton to pull the plug on the young whippersnapper?

We shall see, as we like to say…

Predictions

Matt McCay (4-4)

Well, my credibility is plummeting. I can’t pick a Topper win to save my life. Twice now, I have predicted WKU would screw it up, and they just didn’t. And honestly, I feel like I was right to feel nervous about both Delaware and La Tech. So I stand by the nervousness in those two moments. However, finally WKU gets a CUSA opponent on equal rest at home. And this opponent has to travel through (well, over) five states to get here. That is such a tall task to just magically make happen and not have some kind of effect on bodies, create distractions, run into equipment issues, forget something in Las Cruces, etc. It’s a lot to manage just on the travel side of things. NMSU also comes off a home overtime loss, and the season is potentially slipping through their fingers. They will need to upset two of the four between WKU, Kennesaw State, Tennessee, or UTEP to end up bowl eligible.

But never ever underestimate the power of desperation. There’s no question this team knows it needs to step up right now. Not later, now. And look at FIU! In what in hindsight seems like a final gasp to relevance, FIU jumped up and took a bite out of the Tops and potentially ruined WKU’s CUSA Championship dreams. What I want to see is a serious football team. I’ve been waiting since the end of the North Alabama game to see a serious football team that doesn’t screw around. And I haven’t seen it. Too much inconsistency. Too much of a lull one half to the next. Too many silly decisions by coaches. Falling in love with something that doesn’t work for half a game. So it’s entirely possible. But at the end of the day, WKU better step up and win this game, period.

So I will cautiously pick a blowout, knowing that I might be eating serious crow Saturday night. I hope not. Tops by 90, baby! Give me Western Kentucky 33-New Mexico State 16.

Alex Sherfield (4-3)

The Hilltoppers find themselves in an interesting situation going into Homecoming Weekend. Freshman QB Rodney Tisdale Jr. was the unsung hero of last week’s thrilling road overtime win over Louisiana Tech and is slated to get the start on Saturday in place of Maverick McIvor for a second straight week. Coming down off the emotions of that game into a home contest will be one of the focal points for Tisdale Jr. as the Tops are still in heavy contention for the CUSA Championship title.

The New Mexico State Aggies are desperate for a huge conference win after dropping their last two to Liberty and Missouri State but they have to have a complete game without their glaring offensive inconsistencies showing up. However, both of those losses were within ten total points. If they can score enough to keep up with WKU, then it’s definitely not going to be easy for WKU. Defensively, they have the tools to potentially stifle the Tops offense. The Aggies defense is only second in the conference when it comes to turnover margin, forcing 16 of them this season. They also rank the highest among fumble recoveries and second in forcing interceptions.

I can predict this to be a low scoring affair, having a mixed bag of blunders before the last team that doesn’t make the bigger mistake comes away with the win.

Prediction: Western Kentucky 29, New Mexico State 20

David McCay (4-4, Perfect Predictions: 1)

This Western bunch has found ways to win or hold on in the four conference wins this season. These games have been far too close for my heart. Western has only scored 30+ once (against an FBS opponent) this season, the first conference game against winless Sam Houston. I have said for years if WKU can score in the 30s, they will win the game. There have been very few games in the last few years where this would have been wrong.

How can WKU score 30?

1. The quarterbacks need to be able to change the passing plays to adjust between man to man vs zone defenses.

2. Always use motion to move the defense and be a key indicator. It seems like WKU is just running fixed plays no matter what defense they face, even if it is obvious that the play will fail.

3. Play with more urgency.

4. Run more tempo, especially on third down. Keep defenses on the field and not allow substitutions.

If WKU scores 30, they will win this game easily. If they do not, they are again playing too close to a good defensive team and the win becomes much more difficult. I have hope that Western gets it done this week.

WKU - 34
NM State - 23

Bret Combest, Jr. (5-2)

WKU vs. New Mexico State

It’s homecoming weekend on The Hill and I think the Hilltoppers will have a great day with emerging star Tisdale showing why he is there and deserving of the starting spot!

Western Kentucky enters the matchup as the favorite, boasting a potent offense led by redshirt freshman quarterback Rodney Tisdale, Jr. He’s expected to pass for around 250 to 275 yards, helping to break down New Mexico State’s defense.

On the ground, WKU’s running backs are projected to combine for about 120 to 150 rushing yards, creating a balanced offensive attack that keeps the Aggies on their heels.

Defensively, WKU is expected to limit New Mexico State’s running game, with standout back Kadarius Calloway likely held to under 50 rushing yards. This defensive strength, combined with the potent offense, should lead to a WKU victory, with a final score around 32 to 21.

Let’s goooooooo Tops!

Andrew Nalley (3-5)

New Mexico State, on paper doesn’t boast a lot to worry about. Which if you compare that to the last time WKU was expected to have a cake walk, FIU naturally dominated them 25-6. Digging a little deeper, New Mexico State fields a formidable defense that actually ranks highly in being able to force turnovers. NMST has forced at least one turnover each game this season. Following their most recent game against Missouri State, a game in which they recorded three turnovers - New Mexico State has had three straight games in which they have forced three or more turnovers. NM State has seven fumble recoveries and nine interceptions, which rank 6th and 18th in the nation respectively.

WKU has demonstrated a certain susceptibility to turn over the football and give opponents great field position. For WKU to ultimately win this game, they must be able to hold onto the football and not give a stingy NM State defense opportunities to get a stagnant offense going. Unfortunately, I do not believe WKU will play a completely clean game, being that Rodney Tisdale Jr. is slated to make his second career start against a defense that has a knack to force turnovers. I predict that WKU will indeed turn over the football at least twice, making this game closer than it should be. Ultimately, I feel that WKU’s offensive firepower and diversity with Tisdale, Jr., under center will be too much for NM State to handle.

Prediction: WKU 24, NM State 17

Conclusion: Tops Should Win, but Conference USA is Crazy

Clearly, we learned nothing from FIU. But honestly, just like FIU, this is a game WKU should ultimately win. NMSU’s defense is dangerous, but is that enough to say a team near the bottom of the standings should beat a team competing for a spot in the championship game on the road? Absolutely not. WKU should win this one.

And please understand, WKU needs to play well, needs the crowd involved, and needs to play its best football down the stretch, or the rest of the season will be underwhelming.

But if WKU pulls itself together (with whatever quarterback), the Tops have it sitting in front of them. If WKU takes care of business, wins two winnable home games, takes its (likely) beating at LSU, it should set up a play-in game with JSU at JSU in the last week of the season. That doesn’t happen without this one and the next one, though.

WKU needs to take care of business, and we cautiously think they do. Should be a good one!

GO TOPS! BEAT NMSU!

Want more from The Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!