Family Dinner Table: Toppers to Face Rejuvenated Kennesaw State Owls at Smith Stadium
FB: Will WKU overlook 1-6 Kennesaw State like Liberty did? They Better NOT!
The first ever matchup between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Kennesaw State Owls looks to be a blow out on paper. But those kind of thoughts will get you beat in today’s college football. Just ask Liberty as they fell to defeated 0-6 Kennesaw State 27-24 on the road last Wednesday. What will Dear Old Western need to do to not fall under the same spell? Anyone can beat anyone in college football this year, so you cannot look past an “inferior” opponent or it could cost you. Will the Owls upset of the Flames scare WKU on blackout/costume night into focusing on this game?
WKU has the ability to defend well as long as injuries do not play too big of a role (see 2023). Western has an offense that at times has looked undefendable, like against MTSU, and other times pedestrian, like Alabama or the second half against Boston College. So, which teams shows up on Wednesday night at 6:30? WKU and its fans surely hope its not the combination of the Kennesaw that beat Liberty a few days ago and the WKU that got smashed by Alabama.
That would likely spell “D-E-F-E-A-T” for the Tops. What does WKU need to do to avoid a Halloween nightmare?
If you’re a sports fan, hopefully you have someone you can talk about your favorite team with. Well, for father-son duo David and Matt McCay, they are each other’s backboard to see if any of their ideas are of any account. Every once in a while, those bricks clank against the backboard and find their way into the bucket. Most often, it probably looks like you in your backyard shooting it off of the gutters of your house, Jackie Moon.
Heated battles may happen around the dinner table at your home, so in honor of those tense moments when you nearly roll into a fight about long snapper depth, we salute you with this series from the McCay’s. Hopefully they won’t roll into a public argument, but hey things happen.
Before and after each game, Matt and David will put their own spins on their thoughts on the matchup. In a preview article, they’ll talk about what they see, whatever that may be, whether it’s about the food at the stadium, fan experience, roster depth, or big picture football thoughts. One will go and then the other. In a postgame article, they will react with whatever vitriol or euphoria they feel at the time.
In honor of the Monday morning quarterbacks, the heated debates, the differing opinions, and the people screaming from the upper deck and their wives grabbing their arm telling them to shut up because you’re embarrassing them, this one’s for you.
Papa McCay
Look at Kennesaw State
After losses to UTSA (28-16), Louisiana (ULL) (34-10), San Jose St (31-10), UT-Martin (24-13), Jacksonville State (63-24), and MTSU (14-5), Kennesaw State beat undefeated and conference leading Liberty University 27-24 at home. No longer can CUSA schools look at this conference newcomer as an automatic win. But if you pay attention to details and do your job on the field as a team, you should beat them. Hopefully this proves Liberty is more human than we have been led to believe.
Like Western way back on October 23, 2010 against ULL, where my Matthew had his picture taken crying under the arms of a huge WKU offensive lineman after their initial “Football Bowl Subdivision” win at ULL 54-21, Kennesaw State is having a similar celebration and will come into Bowling Green with a giant killer attitude. Western must smash their Owl-O-Lantern quickly or it could be a long, cold, scary night for Hilltopper fans.
Kennesaw State average 15 points per game and opponents average 31.4 points per game. The Owls have scored only 10 TDs, have added 11-of-11 field goals and a safety for a total of 105 points on the season. Their offense averages 135 yards passing and 106.6 yards rushing. They have fumbled 13 times losing three and have thrown nine interceptions, giving them a turnover ratio of -5. Kennesaw quarterbacks have been sacked only eight times on the season. KSU has 45 penalties for 371 yards on the season. Much like UTEP, penalties and turnovers have added to their offensive woes.
Kennesaw State Leaders
Davis Bryson #9 leads all Kennesaw quarterbacks with 805 passing yards, 73 completions out of 131 pass attempts, three TDs, six interceptions, and has been sacked 5 times. Davis has added 115 yards rushing on 54 attempts.
Michael Benefield #0 leads the Owls in rushing with 296 yards on 75 attempts and two TDs. Qua Ashley #30 has rushed 76 times for 252 yards and one TD. Qua also has 15 receptions for 153 yards.
Kennesaw State has eight receivers with eight or more receptions and those receivers have between 111 and 159 yards.
Austin Welch #99 is the very good place kicker at 11-of-11 field goals with a long of 49, and 10-of-10 extra points.
The Owl defense is OK but prone to give up big plays and penalties. They have only recorded ten sacks, two interceptions, and five fumbles.
Updated Look at WKU
The Hilltoppers come off a big win at Sam Houston State and a week to lick wounds and practice some more taxidermy, this time on the Owls of Kennesaw State. Western now averages 28.7 points per game and gives up 22.4 points per game. WKU has scored 25 touchdowns, eight field goals, and a safety for 201 points. The Tops now average 279.1 yards passing and 121.4 yards rushing for a total of 400.6 yards per game. Western has fumbled ten times losing four and thrown seven interceptions, and now has a turnover ratio of +1. Quarterbacks have been sacked 14 times and Western players have committed 34 penalties for 344 yards. If not for miscues, WKU would have beaten Boston College and needless to say, be averaging more points and passing yards.
WKU Statistical Leaders
Caden Veltkamp #10 is now 114 of 164 (69.5%) for 1428 yards passing, 98 yards rushing, 14 TDs passing and five rushing TDs, but has thrown 5 interceptions, had a few lost fumbles, and been sacked 12 times.
Elijah Young #3 continues to be Western’s main running back with 102 carries for 375 yards and two TDs, plus 24 receptions for 227 yards and another TD.
Kissean Johnson #0 leads the Toppers wide receivers with 37 catches for 493 yards and four TDs, plus three rushes for 14 yards. Easton Messer #8 follows with 28 receptions for 358 yards and two TDs, plus seven rushes for 28 yards.
River Helms #87 leads tight ends with 19 catches for 228 yards and two TDs. Add multiple blocks at the line and downfield, Helms is becoming an exceptional tight end in a long line of great ones at WKU. Editor’s note: He was injured at the end of the SHSU game with the Tops up 17 with a couple of minutes remaining. We do not know anything official on his injury status.
Lucas Carneiro #17 is now 8/9 on field goals and 25/25 on extra points this season.
Cole Maynard #18 is WKU’s exceptional punter with multiple punts over 50 yards. Cole was averaging over 45 yards per punt, but struggled last game at Sam Houston and saw his average drop to 43.8 yards per punt.
Western’s defense is full of exceptional team players. There are 12 players with 20 or more tackles, led by Anthony Johnson Jr #4 with 33.
Older Guy’s Conclusion
If Western Kentucky’s football team can continue to play good defense and continue to score 30 or more, the winning ways should continue. Only time will tell. At 5-2 overall and 3-0 in conference, Western finds itself in first place tied with Jacksonville State and ahead of Liberty and Sam Houston with one loss each. WKU is in control of its own destiny this season so far. Come to L.T. Smith stadium this Wednesday in black or in costume as Big Red hopes to scare the feathers off the Owls. I see this as a true blowout 70-14.
GO TOPS!!!
Young Buck McCay
A quick message to Pops
Jeez, Dad. Could you stop embarrassing me? The dad jokes are real (Owl-O-Lantern smh), and then the “my Matthew” crying into a lineman’s chest! I mean it’s 100% accurate. I cried like a baby into starting LG Myke Patterson’s chest as we beat the s*** out of ULL. But dang it, do we have to go there, bro?!?
Didn’t See This One Coming…
I absolutely was not taking this one seriously. And then after a long day of work and church Wednesday I saw in our Towel Rack chat that Kennesaw was up after three quarters against Liberty…WHAT?!?!? Unbelievable. Even if they had choked against Liberty, they still got my attention. The fact that they basically didn’t really get threatened late in the game was impressive.
Now, I’m taking them seriously.
On top of the obvious threat that is now a really confident and desperate Kennesaw State (don’t underestimate the motivator that is avoiding a seventh loss), I am absolutely salivating about the opportunities that WKU has before itself.
The Tops have a roadmap to a championship. Yes, there are difficult games in Liberty and JSU to end the year. But WKU is the best team in Conference USA. The only other two teams that may be coming on strong are Sam Houston, who has an injured quarterback and already lost to WKU, and Jacksonville State, who has not lost since looking awful early in the year. And of course, Liberty may wake the heck up and take back control of CUSA by year’s end.
WKU plays a rejuvenated Kennesaw State, goes to Las Cruces to fend off NMSU at altitude, comes back home for the ever pesky La Tech Bulldogs, and then goes to Liberty and then comes back home to take on JSU. That’s not an easy schedule, but the Tops look to be the class of CUSA and should not be seriously threatened until traveling to Liberty in late November.
There’s no question we should be salivating at the opportunity that this CUSA season has presented thus far.
We’re Going to Liberty
Dad and I have booked a hotel in Lynchburg for the Friday before the Liberty game. We’ll head over there Friday, get settled, and head to the stadium for a battle at noon to take on the Flames.
I’m sure we’ll have more coverage, do some videos, take some pictures, and give you a full summary of our experience at LU.
Come join us!
Throw Out the Statistics
The dangerous thing to do here would be to start looking at statistics and roll your eyes.
Yeah, Kennesaw State has sucked…except Wednesday when they beat the conference favorite pretty easily. A game Kennesaw tied or led from 2:49 left in the first quarter, the Owls controlled the scoreboard against Liberty.
They played good football. Now, looking at the stats, it’s miraculous that Kennesaw State won. Other than trustworthy field goal kicking and controlling time of possession, Kennesaw State was fairly dominated by Liberty.
Nonetheless, the Owls showed talent and togetherness and really played good football to beat Liberty.
WKU Should Curb Stomp Kennesaw State
Ultimately, all of the things I have said so far are nice and complimentary. And Kennesaw State has been improving over the past few weeks. Their numbers are up offensively. Defensively, they’re not getting absolutely obliterated of late.
But this is just an absolute dream matchup for WKU. Kennesaw State has three passing touchdowns all season. A top 25 passing offense, WKU has 16 passing touchdowns. Liberty was the perfect matchup for a Kennesaw team that can decently hold down teams for yardage, keep opponents at a reasonable score, and force an opponent to continue to execute.
WKU can score quickly, and Kennesaw State will likely be required to score 30 or more. The Tops can take advantage of neutralizing a lot of what Kennesaw State is good at, like special teams. Like defense. Like Kennesaw’s respectable offensive line.
If WKU is going to lay serious claim to CUSA this year, it starts with this one. You’re at home, and they’re going to have their heads in the clouds thinking they’re invincible. Take care of your business, Tops. Shut it down. Don’t give them a chance. At the end of the day, just win.
Keys to Victory
Reload Last Week’s Defensive Game Plan
Kennesaw State can run the ball decently well. The QB can run the ball decently well. The QB can throw when he needs to. Kennesaw is not prolific through the air. This is basically manning up and stopping the run once again in my opinion. Stop the run and force the QB to spray it. A difference from Sam Houston, this time (see the key below), the running back is the best player. Other than that, assignment football and bear front/multiple up front. Dare them to pass.
Score 30
It’s simple.
Score more points, right? It’s really hard to see Kennesaw State doing enough if WKU can score 30. I would feel supremely confident if WKU got to 30 points. Could Kennesaw State come up with enough stops to give themselves a chance? Watch out for Kennesaw State’s DBs Tyler Hallum and redshirt freshman Jerrico Washington, Jr. These two both average several tackles per game, have 14 combined PBUs (pass breakups), an interception, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. These two guys could play a big role in slowing down the WKU air raid offense. Also, they’re not seniors, so they’re not polished yet, either. The potential is sky high, especially with a redshirt freshman making plays like Washington, Jr. They should improve as each game passes by.
Keep Everybody Under 50 Yards Receiving
No one averages more than 33 yards per game receiving. Thus far, no one receiver has come up with a total of 200 yards receiving on the entire season. As long as the Tops keep everyone from going wild, how does Kennesaw State find enough to be competitive? They need someone to do like Sam Houston did and bust two 30 yard plays and they will hang around for a while. Considering Kennesaw hasn’t had too many receivers make significant plays downfield, it stands to reason that an upset bid can happen if the offense does something abnormally well. Big plays in the passing game would be a big changeup for the Owl offense.
Stop RB’s Qua Ashley and Michael Benefield
Redshirt sophomore RB Qua Ashley is the key to the KSU offense. With over 400 total yards, he is far and away KSU’s most prolific offensive player. No one else comes close to his yards from scrimmage. Ashley also has a touchdown on a kick return. Throw in Michael Benefield, who leads the team in rushing, and you have two competent running backs that make you pay attention. Again, if the Tops can key in on this one position group and make life difficult, they shouldn’t be threatened.
Don’t Let Kennesaw State Win Special Teams
Another big key, if WKU dominates the third phase of the game, they should win. If it’s remotely close, KSU has comparable to better players at certain positions on special teams than WKU. KSU’s kicker is statistically better than Lucas Carneiro. If it’s close, this guy is pure. With an average of 45 and a net of 40+, the punting game is totally comparable to WKU. Opponents are 5-of-10 kicking against KSU. 23 yards per punt return. These are all solid, respectable, comparable numbers.
Matt’s Prediction
I genuinely feel like this season has set itself up to keep WKU completely aware and focused. Kennesaw State is 1-6 and desperate to keep bowl eligibility alive, but they also just beat Liberty, who is seemingly zombie walking through spooky season.
Think about it. WKU gets stomped by Alabama. WKU doesn’t produce much against EKU until the late fourth quarter. WKU gives up 500 yards to MTSU. WKU nearly throws away the Toledo game. WKU does throw away the Boston College game. WKU sloths through against UTEP. The Tops win impressively against Sam Houston, but made plenty more mistakes. Then the seemingly weak opponent that hasn’t stuck within single digits all year beats Liberty, the conference favorite, pretty easily.
Whoa. “Recomputing…”
At the end of the day, Kennesaw State may be improving, but they are not all of a sudden the best team in the conference. They still got dominated in yardage against Liberty. They still lost just about everything but the scoreboard. Somehow, they won the most important stat in the game with big-time circumstantial football plays.
You know who all of a sudden is the best team in the conference? Western freaking Kentucky, baby. It’s the Toppers’ year. The Tops have goodness to greatness in all three areas. The Topper offense, interestingly enough, is not the main catalyst of the team. It’s really the Topper defense. Although they can surrender some yards, the Tops have been one of the better defensive teams in the country against comparable competition. 63 points (Alabama) really skews some numbers, but this WKU defense is the one that opposing offenses have trouble scoring four times on.
It used to be of the ilk of the Zappe-led offense, which basically guaranteed WKU 31 points per game. Now it’s the WKU defense that pretty much will not give up 30. It may happen. The Tops may play in a shootout at some point. However, that would actually not be to their advantage. WKU is much better suited to shoot for 30 on offense, avoid giving up touchdowns, and force a few turnovers.
Whatever the case, Western Kentucky should be staring straight at Kennesaw State and be looking nowhere else. This is a serious opponent, and I believe the Tops will lay the lumber. Frankly, I think this is a great matchup for the Tops defensively, and I think the Tops will have a pretty good offensive showing. Give me 425 yards of offense, 250 for Kennesaw, and the Tops strangle the Owls, 38-7.
Conclusion: Apparently Kennesaw State is About to Get Blasted
Who knows if David’s prediction of 70-14 holds true, but even Matt thinks the Tops win in completely dominating fashion.
But at the end of the day, isn’t that what should happen? The Tops should win handily. This is a fledgling FBS program. They have a mixture of FCS and FBS talent. Yes, they have some talent. They have momentum. That Liberty win will reverberate in recruiting for several years as long as they don’t completely tank from here.
But they’re not ready to really compete with CUSA’s big dogs. They’re just not. There’s now respect, and they are “one of us” now with a respectable win.
But now they have to go on the road, face a rested team that’s focused on winning a championship, and pull off the shock of the century two weeks in a row.
The odds are astronomical. But the game must be played off of paper.
We say that’s unfortunate for Kennesaw State.
Tops by 90.
BEAT KENNESAW STATE!
It’s now the meat of Conference USA season in football, two basketball games will have been played on The Hill by the end of the day today, Volleyball and Soccer are deep in CUSA play and prepping for the postseason, and the Topper fall calendar is in full swing. Don’t you want to be connected with the only WKU outlet that provides real, unbiased perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, a podcast, and full-length articles? 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!!!!