Red Towel Roundtable: Bold Predictions For the 2023 WKU Football Season
Another record-setting QB season? Helton's Last Dance? The Towel Rack's writing staff gives their boldest prediction ahead of the 2023 season.
We have finally made it. Welcome to the first game week of 2023.
Unlike last year, where the Hilltoppers got to ease themselves into the season against Austin Peay, WKU welcomes South Florida to the Houch for an off-the-bat test in The Taggart Bowl (willie Taggart sighting TBD) as we get our first look at how the Tops will, and will not, meet our expectations.
But before we kick the season off, we're going to take one more stab at setting some expectations, even though these may be the least likely of all scenarios.
That’s right. It’s bold predictions time.
Fletcher Keel - Corley Leads WR Room, But Not on Scoreboard
In 2019, the Hilltoppers garnered the program’s fifth-ever 1,000-yard receiving season, when Lucky Jackson caught 94 balls for 1,133 yards. However, he did not lead the team in touchdown grabs: That distinction belonged to Jahcour Pearson, who finished with seen to Jackson’s four.
I don’t think it’s out of the question we could see a similar feat in 2023: Malachi Corley is far and away WKU’s top receiving option entering the season and could find himself finishing the year, and his Hilltopper career, No. 2 in program history in all-time receiving yards. But, is it that crazy to think that Corley, after doing the dirty work and getting the Tops inside the red zone, won’t be Reed’s primary red zone target?
Maybe it is crazy - on a roster without an established tight end, often the security blanket for a WKU quarterback, Corley is very much that guy, at least to enter the season. But with a couple of WR’s with - albeit limited - P5 experience and a running back room that could make itself known throughout the season, Reed will have options to sling it around and call different numbers when appropriate.
Matt McCay - Rushing Game Joins The Chat
Bold predictions are always fun, because you can really let your imagination run wild. It can go any direction. I’ll get to it. I’m really loving WKU’s depth at running back. Western looks like it has four legitimate options at RB: Davion Ervin-Poindexter, Markese Stepp, LT Sanders, and Elijah Young. In what order and who gets what measure of the load? No idea. However I’ll tell you this:
WKU will have a Top 50 rushing offense this season. This will be the most deep and explosive backfield WKU has had in a long time. To get to that number, WKU would need to gain about 175 yards per game on the ground. Imagine if Austin Reed has a running game that is just as lethal! I think it happens in 2023.
Alex Sherfield - Double-Digit Dubs
My boldest prediction of 2023 would have to be the Hilltoppers finishing the season with double digit wins. Other than a nationally ranked challenging Week 4 matchup against Ohio State, I forsee the Tops having better chances for a large number of wins over the next few months. A leery mixed bag of CUSA ball clubs (which includes MTSU, FIU, La Tech & UTEP) would be the bread and butter for a “conference title or bust” campaign for Coach Helton and the Tops. Other than having one of the nation’s highly ranked offenses, a pretty stout defense which also led the nation in total takeaways (32 in 2022), the pass rush + no fly zone secondary is destined to give opposing offenses some nightmares. Combine all the aspects, who wouldn’t love a 10-12 win season in Bowling Green?
Josh Owens - Reed Rewrites the History Books and Books a Ticket to NYC
In 2021, Bailey Zappe broke Joe Burrow’s touchdown record, tossing 62 scores. Now in 2023, Austin Reed has an opportunity to break that record.
WKU has one of the most talented receiving rooms ever led by a possible Biletnikoff award candidate in Malachi Corley and, when he returns from injury, Michael Mathison is maybe the best WR2 in the conference. The Hilltoppers also have a pair of underutilized transfers in Blue Smith from Cincinnati and Jimmy Holiday from Tennessee who could enjoy the benefits of Corley attracting so much attention.
Which leads me to Reed, coming off a 40-touchdown season, wanting to take the next leap forward in his second year in Bowling Green. When you look at the schedule it favors the Tops quite a bit with the conference taking a hit and the level of competition not quite as difficult as last year. Although WKU schedule is slightly easier than in previous years, there are games for Reed to have his Heisman Moment, starting with Ohio State, easily the toughest game WKU will have all season.
If he can go into Columbus and, not necessarily win, but be impressive against Power 5 competition it will put him on the map. Liberty is another game to watch, the Flames are the biggest competition in C-USA to WKU this season and being a home game, this will be the most electric game at The Houch this season.
Austin Reed has plenty of opportunities to sling touchdowns while drawing media attention.
Devin Stewart - Toppers Bring Home the Hardware, Helton Peaces Out
With the realignment of CUSA, it’s no shocker to believe the strongest team left in conference is going to win out.
But our time with Coach Helton is over. We were super lucky last year that Purdue balked. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of everything Coach Helton has done at WKU, but we’re not a coaching destination and with his coaching and transfer portal wizardry, he’s destined for a bigger school.
Let’s just hope the next coach is another contender and not a pretender.