WKU Football: Bleacher Report Says Sanford on Hot Seat
I don’t need to tell you but I’m going to anyway — it’s been a long couple of weeks for the Hilltoppers.
I don’t need to tell you but I’m going to anyway — it’s been a long couple of weeks for the Hilltoppers.
Whatever good feeling anyone might have been feeling after the Wisconsin game was undone by the 31–28 loss to Maine this past weekend, a loss in which the Toppers allowed 31 unanswered points after jumping out to a 21-point lead.
The slow start, and major upset loss, hasn’t gone unnoticed (for better or worse) by the rest of the college football world and earlier today, Bleacher Report put Sanford on their list of early Hot Seat Coaches.
B/R doesn’t say anything that we don’t already know, but there is a curious thing at the bottom of the story.
Getting blown out by then-№4 Wisconsin in the season opener was no surprise, but the subsequent home loss to Maine was a clear sign of how far this team has fallen.
The most damning thing for Sanford isn’t just that his team lost to an FCS opponent but that it blew a 21–0 lead established roughly five minutes into the first quarter.
That’s right. Western Kentucky was ahead of Maine by three touchdowns after just six offensive snaps, thanks to a 66-yard reception on the first play of the game, a pick-six and an effortless drive down the field.
From there, they allowed 31 unanswered points en route to an awful L.
The good news for the Hilltoppers is they still get to play UTEP, Charlotte, Old Dominion and Marshall, so they should at least get a couple of wins. But if they keep putting out efforts like the final 55 minutes against Maine and end up losing to three of those four bottom-feeding opponents, they’ll be looking for a new head coach sooner rather than later.
…does…does B/R think Marshall is an easy win this year?
Regardless, Sanford joins Texas’ Tom Herman, San Jose State’s Brent Brennan, Purdue’s Jeff Brohm (!!!), ODU’s Bobby Wilder, UNC’s Larry Fedora, UConn’s Randy Edsall, Bowling Green’s Mike Jinks and Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin on B/R’s list.