WKU Football: Why the Running Game is the Key to WKU’s Greatness

Offensively, the Hilltoppers' bread and butter is in the passing game. But WKU is not at their best unless they're effective running the ball, too.

It is game week in Bowling Green. The Houch will be buzzing and South Florida will come in ready to put WKU in its place.

When you hear about WKU football, it’s Austin Reed. It’s Malachi Corley. It’s Tyson Helton and his transfer portal. Donut Evans. Also, it’ll usually be, “It’s Western Kentucky’s conference to lose.”

Well, that’s all nice, but that’s not all there is to winning football. It’s nice to have stars on offense, but it’s also about having the holes fulfilled. Is there any major deficiency? One major issue in the Air Raid offense is running the football. It’s too easy to fall in love with the pass. There still has to be balance, or at least the threat of balance.

I know that some will say some of the run game in the Air Raid is really through quick check screens. Basically, the QB reads an advantage and the receiver knows the ball’s coming to him in certain scenarios. So yes, that’s an extension of the running game. But also, you need a traditional running game, as well.

One thing WKU really struggled to do last season was have tons of success against teams with great backend defense. By that, I mean mainly safeties and corners, but also nickels and linebackers. Troy was a good example. It was IMPOSSIBLE to throw the ball in the middle of the field, and the DBs were physical and played on the line of scrimmage. The only way WKU figured out to move the ball was midrange outside passing.

Why was that? Well, one reason was WKU didn’t have an elite running game. If the Tops could run the ball at will, those linebackers (and even nickels and other safeties) would tend to creep up and respect the ground attack. Then you could open up the middle and that Troy defense is on its heels.

Feel free to barf violently after this reference, but what about Indiana? WKU had a solid lead and should’ve won. Period. What if you had Bobby Rainey? What if you had Antonio Andrews, Leon Allen, or Ace Wales? Name your quality RB. If WKU had that last season for some of those early games, it’s a different story in one or two more games.

Looking Back…

WKU has clearly overachieved on the gridiron when there was a quality running game. When the running game was suspect, the Tops just were not as elite.

Of course you need a pass game. Of course you need a defense. But a run game opens so many doors to new ways to win, even if you suck that day. We all know from experience that at some point during a season, you’re going to have a craptastic day. Everything will go wrong. But a running game can give you a chance in many ways.

Before we get too deep into it, think about the years that sucked. The years that WKU just wasn’t that great. A blaring example is the Mike Sanford era. Dead last in the country in rushing with future part-time NFL starter, Mike White at QB: 6-7.

Think about the two conference championships in 2015 and 2016. Obviously those teams had a lot going for them. The better team (in my opinion and in some ways statistically) was 2015. However, in 2016, a more developed and role-defined Ace Wales helped WKU make up for a less overall talented team and achieved the same result as the previous season: A conference championship and a double digit win season.

I think when you compare the two teams, 2015 was more talented with more high end talent. However, because the 2016 team had more success on the ground, Mike White had way less pressure than Brandon Doughty to throw for over 300 yards per game. Brandon Doughty had to throw an extra 50 yards per game than Mike White in those two championship seasons.

Another great example of the impact of a running game would be comparing 2012, 2013 and 2014. With three different head coaches, the styles and players offered a significant contrast. Willie Taggart’s offenses were way more run-focused and way less interested in the passing game. With Hilltopper legend Kawaun Jakes at the helm, the 2012 team was able to earn the program’s first ever bowl appearance in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl and finish with a 7-6 record. WKU had Antonio Andrews ready to blossom, and a budding Leon Allen as the backup.

In 2013, Bobby Petrino came in, still had Andrews and Allen in tow, but had to establish a completely new style of play (and “leadership”). They were also snubbed for a bowl game, although that was no fault of their own. In the most exceptional top-heavy year of all-time in college football, WKU was not able to find a bowl invite with an 8-4 record. Given so many bowl games available, it is now incredibly rare to see a bowl eligible team not make a bowl game. It was not that way a decade ago.

There are a couple of ways to interpret the 2013 team under Petrino. With a new coach and entirely new staff came a transition from the West Coast to the Spread, a remarkable change in one year’s time. Essentially, WKU’s rushing production stagnated, and despite players one year older, the rushing attack did not take a significant jump forward, going from 181.7 yards per game in 2012 to 197.0 in 2013.

The passing attack saw a modest increase as well, with the Tops averaging 261.5 yards per game under Petrino compared to 205.2 in Taggart’s final year, but notice that did not have as much of a bearing on the overall quality of result as the rushing attack.

In 2014, Jeff Brohm took over a program that had some of its greatest defensive talents ever depart over the previous two years. Andrew Jackson, Jonathan Dowling, TC Robinson, Quanterus Smith, and others left The Hill. It left a void on defense with a ton of young players with no experience, and the Topper defense that season was absolutely horrendous. But hey, to be fair, they were opportunistic at times. That’s an important factor when calculating this situation.

However, another vacuum we may not think of was at the running back position. Andrews was the most statistically productive WKU running back ever. Despite Allen doing plenty (2018 offensive yards, 16 total TD), WKU’s overall rushing attack was not as deep. Would a completely developed Andrews have added a win or two to that team and taken some of the pressure off of the defense? Maybe having him would’ve prevented the colossal 35-point meltdown against Central Michigan in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl.

As I look back through WKU’s history, there is a correlation with the running attack’s success and the overachievement of the team. We can go back all the way to the transition to Division 1A (now FBS) if we need to, but let’s start in 2010. Bobby Rainey is coming into his own. WKU breaks the 26 game losing streak and wins another game in an upset at Arkansas State. In 2011, Rainey is a senior, WKU nearly beats Arkansas State, and that ends up being the only reason the Toppers did not win a Sun Belt Conference Championship that season. Ironically, that game was lost because of a fumble in the running game. But in 2011 overall, WKU had a really good rushing attack, and it helped WKU probably overachieve to a 7-5 record. We already talked about 2012-14, and we discussed 2015-16, as well.

Fast forward a few years…

In 2017, Mike Sanford took over the Topper running game and it absolutely tanked. Was that all Mike Sanford’s fault? No. There were injuries and departures to be taken into account. Regardless of blame, Mike White had to throw 335 yards per game to achieve a 6-7 record, because he had the nation’s worst running game, with the Tops averaging - and this is not a typo - 60.8 yards per game.

In 2018, WKU’s rushing attack was much improved, but the team around them was absolutely horrendous. The individual players were not, but in one of the few egregious disasters in WKU history, this team was just not good at all. They gave up tons of yardage and points, and the passing attack was anemic and frustrating, to say the least.

2019 brought hope with Tyson Helton. Immediately, WKU went 9-4 under new tutelage, but the biggest reason for the jump? You guessed it, Tyson Helton’s staff pulls out an absolute rabbit of the hat and Gaej Walker comes out of the linebacker room and nearly runs for 100 yards per game. Also, Ty Storey was a huge part of the running game, as well. And yes, he brought a ton of stability at the quarterback position. However, wasn’t the most remarkable change the running game that season? WKU went from an attack nearly incapable of producing a 20 yard run to an All-Conference caliber feature back with an option capable QB.

2020 was a weird year for everybody, but it was especially tough on Tyson Helton and WKU. Western went 5-7 overall, including a trouncing in the Cure Bowl against Georgia State. Despite a returning Walker, WKU’s rushing attack was anemic once more, plagued by a worn out feature back and a one dimensional passing game that stifled any chance for this season’s version of the Tops to be much more than slightly below average.

2021 was an incredible year, right? WKU goes back to the conference championship, Bailey Zappe sets all kinds of records, and the Toppers absolutely gobsmack Appalachian State in the bowl game. It was beautiful! A return to glory! But don’t we remember that great team and just wish there was more accomplished as a team? I mean, that passing game…shoo lawdy! It was amazing. But note the issue that kept the Tops back: Defense and, you guessed it, a running game. First, the defense was absolutely awful, although they did force tons of turnovers, their saving grace. In the running game department, WKU barely averaged 100 yards per game rushing, and that included positive rushing numbers from a WKU QB for the first time since Kawaun Jakes in 2012.

Zappe had to work so incredibly hard in 2021 to accomplish what he did. If he had just had a running game early in the year, this team probably would have played at home in the championship game, and maybe UTSA wouldn’t have even been in the championship game. WKU lost close games to Army, Indiana, and UTSA early on in the season. There’s almost no question in my mind that a solid running game would have helped win at least two of those three games, if not all three.

Last season, Austin Reed led the nation in passing, but he was also the saving grace in the running game, just like Zappe was in 2021. Reed, however, gained 200 more yards on the ground than Bailey, productivity more in line with Jakes than any of the Tops’ previous prolific passers,on the ground, while matching the production of a Doughty or White level of passing ability, and he did it in his first year and was not a graduate transfer. It was an incredible feat, but he really did not have help until Davion Ervin-Poindexter established himself as the starter and L.T. Sanders and Markese Stepp developed as the year progressed. Kye Robichaux, the incumbent presumed starter or 1B type of option, struggled with injuries and setbacks all season.

WKU’s offense massively improved late in the season the last several years of Tyson Helton’s tenure. The 2021 rushing performance against Appalachian State boggled the mind, coming out of nowhere. Last season, WKU’s rushing attack steadily improved, and the Tops found other ways to win besides just throwing the ball all over the yard.

2023 Looks Bright for the Running Backs

WKU returns three legitimate contributors from last season’s running back room, and adds a fourth potential stud in SEC transfer Elijah Young, from Mizzou. I think everyone that paid significant attention last season remembers “Poindexter”, as seemingly everyone referred to him outside of the locker room. But young L.T. Sanders was a heck of a find last season. He stands to find some reps this season. As a true freshman that didn’t even get to play in every game, he gained nearly 300 yards. Markese Stepp only played in four games, but in that short window, he was able to produce over 40 yards per game. Elijah Young played and was successful when given the ball at Mizzou, averaging over five yards per carry in the SEC.

Regardless of who of those four sees the field (or anyone else if they’re capable), Topper fans should be thrilled with the depth in the running back room this season. This kind of depth has not been present since Bobby Rainey and Antonio Andrews played together. Maybe Antonio Andrews’ last season had the most top future top level producers, but regardless, this season could prove to be the best season for the running game in a long time.

With Reed at QB, quality at the receiver position, good special teams, and a defense that looks like it could be better than advertised, opponents should already be pretty terrified. But if WKU’s running attack can also be elite, my goodness.

Personally, I think the potential is there for WKU to make a New Years Six Bowl. Will it happen? Gosh, we’ll see. Ohio State is a huge obstacle to that. With a loss of any kind to Ohio State and running the table otherwise, it’s unlikely, unless the Group of Five doesn’t have another 12-1 team. But if WKU goes 12-1 (including a CUSA Championship win) or better with one loss to virtually anyone, they will be in the conversation at minimum. They may have a chance at 11-2 if it’s a really down year.

Regardless, look at the stats and the tendencies. A great running game raises the ceiling for any team, especially at WKU. If that team is ahead, they can ice the game. If that team can’t pass the ball due to matchup or just an off day for the QB, the running game could save the day, or at least give them a chance. Having a well-rounded offense will open so many doors, and with shortened games due to running the clock on first downs most of the game, a quality running game could make even more of an impact.

If you want to know WKU’s potential, look at the running game.