Red Towel Roundtable: 2019 Football Season Predictions
We are just one day away from the 2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football season kicking off. As the program looks to rebound from an…
We are just one day away from the 2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football season kicking off. As the program looks to rebound from an abysmal 3–9 season that resulted in former head coach Mike Sanford’s dismissal, Former offensive coordinator Tyson Helton looks to recapture the magic of the Jeff Brohm era that he played a major role in. While WKU returns a lot of production, the program must learn how to win again and transition to a new offensive system that is the polar opposite from the one that was run the last 2 years. This season is a toss-up that could produce a wide range of results record-wise. With that in mind here are our staff predictions of the 2019 Western Kentucky Football season.
Jared Rosdeutscher
With all of the things that have happened over the past year, I think a new coach with a new system will benefit this young team tremendously. With that being said, I don’t think it will be an instant turnaround in one season. I predict the Tops going 5–7 for the 2019 season.
I would love to see them split even and finish bowl eligible, and I do think it’s possible depending on how fast the offense can click. Realistically, I think 5–7 is the most reasonable expectation to have for Coach Helton in his first year with the schedule they have. I believe Coach Helton is going to become a successful coach at WKU but it will take him a season or two to get to where we all think he can take this team. Rome wasn’t built in a day and I don’t see this team being completely rebuilt in one season either.
If quarterback Steven Duncan stays healthy and has a strong year, that will definitely raise the bar higher with stronger expectations for the 2020 season but after a 3–9 season last year, finishing around the 5–7 or 6–6 mark would be an improvement and give everyone more hope moving into 2020.
Matt McCay
I believe this team will be massively improved, but the schedule is daunting. Each non-conference game is a possible win or loss. Then every game in C-USA is also up for grabs this season. Very few of the C-USA games seem impossible. That being said, I see this team being much better than prognosticators (and most of The Towel Rack staff itself) think. I like this team. I like the vibe. I like Helton. I like that there are solutions to the holes left. The Tops will find a way to a winning record, and I believe there is margin for several of these games to flip flop between win and loss and still get to seven wins. In my opinion, the realistic range of possibilities is 4–8 to 8–4. I even believe anywhere from 2–10 to 10–2 is a remote possibility on some level. Laugh if you want at that last part. This team was 16 points from 7–5 last season.
vs. Central Arkansas: Win
at FIU: Loss
vs. Louisville: Win
vs. UAB: Loss
at ODU: Win
vs. Army: Loss
vs. Charlotte: Win
at Marshall: Win
vs. FAU: Loss
at Arkansas: Loss
at USM: Win
vs. MTSU: Win
Final Record: 7–5
Ross Shircliffe
As stated throughout this piece, there is a wide range of possibilities with this WKU team. They return a lot of production, have a lot of upperclassmen and have some talented players just itching to be coached competently (especially on offense). I think this season will reflect the growing pains that many first-year coaches have. Players will make plays but also make crucial mistakes as they aren’t 100% comfortable with the new offense. WKU will win some games they’re not supposed to and also lose some games that they shouldn’t. Here is how I see the season playing out.
vs. Central Arkansas: Win
at FIU: Loss
vs. Louisville: Loss
vs. UAB: Win
at ODU: Win
vs. Army: Loss
vs. Charlotte: Win
at Marshall: Loss
vs. FAU: Win
at Arkansas: Loss
at USM: Loss
vs. MTSU: Win
Final Record: 6–6
A late-season bowl eligibility clincher against arch-rival Middle Tennessee will not only get the program back on track but also create a ton of goodwill for Tyson Helton as the Tops could potentially challenge for the Conference Title in 2020 with a veteran-laden squad.
Devin Stewart
In case you haven’t heard, Charles Bassey is still on the Hill. So I’m still riding high when it comes to predicting all things WKU. However, we’re in my favorite time of year, football season, and after the flop of last season, I am actually really looking forward to the Tyson Helton era. So where do I stand? Some people are jumping off the deep end saying things like 8–4, 7–5, or inversely 3–9, or 4–8. Some of these would be an amazing result for the first-year coach, but it’s not realistic to me. These guys are drinking too much Kool-Aid, and hear me out, this is a new coach, (granted, some upperclassmen were around when Helton was here) new offensive system, and (in some positions), inexperienced players.
For me, 5–7 is a realistic goal when looking at the schedule.
Here is the schedule and my predictions:
UCA- Win
FIU- loss
Louisville- loss
UAB- loss
ODU- Win
Army- loss
Charlotte- Win
Marshall- loss
FAU- loss
ARK- loss
USM- Win
MTSU- Win
Don’t get me wrong, I like Tyson Helton, but we have to rebuild. Sanford was trying to build a four-story house on sand. For those of you in Sunday School, you know who did that… He didn’t teach smart football, and for those of you who have listened to the RedOut podcast, you’ve heard me lecture about this a lot. Would I like to go bowling? YES!!! Would I be happy with an improved record? Yes (depending on the outcome of the games we lose). If the guys play smart and coaches make smart decisions, then there’s a possibility of WKU going above what I predicted. I would be completely fine being wrong. I’m married, so I’m used to being wrong (right guys?).
Good Luck Toppers. Prove me wrong.
Sam Gormley
Doesn’t it just feel like yesterday that the Tops ended the year with back-to-back wins over UTEP and Louisiana Tech? Mike Sanford was fired not long after and here we are. Now, I could go on about that decision, but it’s in the past and we are now at a new season with a new man at the helm. Here is how I see the year going:
vs. Central Arkansas: Win
at FIU: Loss
vs. Louisville: Loss
vs. UAB: Loss
at ODU: Win
vs. Army: Loss
vs. Charlotte: Win
at Marshall: Loss
vs. FAU: Win
at Arkansas: Loss
at USM: Loss
vs. MTSU: Win
Final Record: 5–7
This is probably the most common prediction for this season. The defense has the chance to maybe be among the best in the C-USA era for this year’s team, but we are faced with a lot of questions at the rest of the position groups.
Before last season, I remember saying on an episode of RedZone Radio that I was confident that Drew Eckels was going to start game one, but my question is who would start game four? Game nine? The last game? For the second straight year, I think there is a possibility we could see different answers for each question. That is an obvious problem.
Another big question surrounds special teams. Inconsistency at the kicker position can be detrimental to a team. We noticed how many games came down to a few plays a year ago; a made field goal can be the difference in the game.
Overall, I think we could see this season going a lot of different ways. If Steven Duncan plays quarterback at a high level, this team could get to the 7–8 win mark. I am just not confident that will happen this year.
In fact, I see this season being very similar to last. Before last year, I had a high ranking football source tell me that, “the defense will say how far the team will go.” I see that being the case again this year.
Jake Keith
4–8
Wins against: Central Arkansas, ODU, Charlotte, MTSU
On the eve of the 2017 season, if you had told me that two short years later the Hilltopper football program would be coming off its worst season since 2010, I would have laughed you right out of my mentions. Yet here we are.
This is a similar team to the one that won three games last year, albeit with changes at head coach and the offensive coaching staff. It is also a team that draws a good UAB team and Southern Miss from the West side of the conference. Where’s UTEP when you need them? Combine that with non-conference games against Army, who is riding high off of an eleven win season last year, and a retooled and re-energized Louisville team with something to prove and you’ve got a recipe for a rough go of it.
I believe based on everything we are hearing out of camp and from sources close to the team that this year will be better than the dumpster fire that was the 2018 season. The tone is different, the culture seems to be on the right track, and the coaching staff should be much improved. Combine that with one more off-season of preparation and I think things are looking up. I just think we should slow our roll about how much they are looking up.
I firmly believe that this is a 4–5 win team. But I’m hanging my hat on the basement of 4 wins. I think it takes this team a year to get it together, and that 2020 is when expectations can really begin. If you’re one of those people who is hinging their happiness for this season on going bowling, all I can say is…bless your heart. It’s going to be a rough season for you.
Only time will tell how the season will play out but we’ll be there every step of the way as WKU looks to close out the decade with their 8th bowl-eligible season in 10 tries. We’ll be sure to revisit these predictions at the end of the season and look forward to seeing who was on the mark or totally off base.