WKU Football: Grading WKU's Division-Clinching Win over Marshall

Breaking down individual position groups and Matt's Keys to Victory in WKU's Conference USA East Division clinching victory over Marshall

Credit: Ben Queen | USA TODAY Sports

They’ve done it! WKU started the year 1-4 and, from a defensive perspective, looked like they couldn’t figure out how to stop a functioning faucet from spraying water. They miraculously flip a switch to complement their historic offense to outscore opponents by an average of 45-18.

In their latest effort, and clearly their most impressive, WKU allowed Marshall to score 14 before shutting down the Herd 53-7 to end the game. There was a lot that happened in between, and most of the entirety of the damage in WKU’s favor was done amidst a 23-0 third quarter, an amount Marshall had not given up in the third quarter all season.

Marshall had its opportunities to extend its lead in the first half, including multiple opportunities to take a commanding lead of as much as 21-3, or at least 21-6 near the end of the first half.

Instead, despite absolute dominance, Marshall went into its locker room only up 14-6 despite completely dominating its opponent.

Although the outcome was certainly in doubt, the educated fan probably knew WKU could easily flip a switch and come back in a matter of minutes. This was clearly a landslide that came on almost completely in the second half. WKU only had six points at halftime, so let’s not let this mar the great performance of the Marshall Thundering Herd.

They were incredible for one half, but WKU just went up three or four notches and it was over before Marshall knew it had been hit by a train.

So let’s get back to WKU’s performance. This is a WKU-centric blog, after all. We’re not here to admire the opponent. So let’s get at it, starting with grading their performance in my Keys to Victory.

Keys to Victory

Just Hold Your Own in the Trenches: A+

I knew WKU could possibly dominate Marshall up front, but I didn’t expect it. I also knew of the two squads, who was the most likely to blow up the game and go for a ton of sacks? Marshall, according to statistics. Again, they’re not everything, but they indicate the need to overcome tendencies at the very least. WKU dominated statistically in just about everything related to the line. Now it was much more even early in the game, but even early in the game, DeAngelo Malone made the most devastating blow of the game, knocking out Marshall starting QB Grant Wells. Statistically, WKU led in sacks, 4-1. Marshall did hurry Zappe 10 times, but again only got home once, and that was much later in the game once WKU had seized control. Tackles for loss: 8-6, WKU.

Perhaps the most surprising statistic and the most indicative statistic was WKU rushing for its most rushing yards all season, 157. And Marshall, with it’s incredible rushing attack, only mustered 126. Rasheen Ali, the freshman sensation, didn’t quite crest 100 yards in the most crucial game that he do so. He also only had 17 more yards through the air on seven receptions. I’m not sure WKU could have controlled the trenches anymore against Marshall than what they did. It was an incredible performance against a red hot defense run brilliantly with a great deal of variety.

Light Em Up, Up, Up: B+

Obviously the first half was an issue, with WKU most definitely not lighting it up, so there’s no way this could be an A+. But good lord. 53-7 in 40 minutes? My goodness! It was an onslaught, and honestly it just felt like even though Marshall had completely dominated the first half, WKU had gotten it going enough to see the tide of momentum starting to shift near halftime. With the injury to Wells five minutes into the second quarter, the game completely changed. Ultimately, the bludgeoning and asphyxiating style of WKU’s Air Raid offense ultimately wore out the Herd, and they absolutely folded in the third quarter. It’s mentally and obviously physically exhausting playing these WKU Hilltoppers. As a defender, there is no play off, and there is no series off. And two non-offensive touchdowns near the end just adds to the idea of “lighting it up”. Imagine a team with so much margin to go down 14-0 against a good opponent and win by 32 also having a defense and special teams capable of adding scores on their own. It’s mind boggling how many weapons WKU has developed this season. They just keep coming at you.

Defense Needs to Get Five Stops Net of Turnovers: A+

Obviously WKU did way more than they needed to in order to win the game. I knew the defense was going to have to come up with stops in order to beat Marshall, but they were good enough in the beginning to make the Herd work for their touchdowns, even though they gave up 14 early. It was still pretty good defense and something I’m not sure a coach could really point at and deeply complain about. But obviously after that, virtually every drive was a stop. WKU did force a couple of turnovers, and the Tops also did not turn the ball over. So full marks on this one, Tops. For the record, the number of stops net of turnovers: THIRTEEN. I’d say they did their job.

Be About Your Dang Business!: A

This was largely intended as a commentary on penalties, which by the way, WKU kept the penalty yardage under 50 yards, so that is a good performance regardless of the week. But to do it in a game was just massive. And it turns out Marshall only committed a few penalties. Now, I will say, most of the penalties for WKU came early in the game, when WKU was digging its 14 point hole and also battling itself to muster field goals in the first half. But perhaps the most telling sign of the Tops focus was when a scuffle broke out on Special Teams early in the fourth quarter. These types of scuffles happen in football. Ultimately some offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties were doled out, but Marshall’s #55 Defensive End Owen Porter, who had a good game and looked like a really good young player for the Herd, was ejected and escorted to the locker room after coming off of the bench to join the fight. I think overall, WKU was about its business and was focused. There wasn’t any kind of panic in the troops down 14-0. And the 14-0 wasn’t really anybody’s fault, either. It was circumstantial for the most part.

Be Prepared for the Kitchen Sink: A

Lance Guidry (former Topper Defensive Coordinator and interim head coach in 2012) put together a heck of a game plan. Honestly, the Herd absolutely flummoxed the Tops for the first quarter, holding WKU to just 33 yards. But slowly, WKU started figuring it out. Although they didn’t light it up in the second quarter, they made three significant drives that just happened to stall (credit Marshall) and gained well over 100 yards. This softened up the Marshall defense and gave WKU some ideas to chew on in the locker room. Obviously the Tops came out firing in the second half, and the rest was history. But Marshall was doing everything it could, and it was a brilliant plan. Lance Guidry knows what the heck he’s doing, and by god, that man can inspire young men. I loved him when he was here, and he has this way of making everyone in the stadium feel important. He’s a special man. Shoutout to Coach Guidry! But WKU was able to overcome and ultimately wore the Herd down. The floodgates opened in the third, and ultimately the rout was on.

Honorable Mention Keys

Dominate Special Teams: A+

I’d say an onside kick for a touchdown and not allowing Marshall to do anything in the return game was a huge win for the Tops. Also, 4-of-5 on 39+ yard field goals is NFL caliber stuff from Brayden Narveson.

Don’t Let Ali Get Three: A+

Tops kept this stud under 100 yards rushing, didn’t allow to him bust much in the passing game, and he didn’t even reach the end zone once. That’s massive.

Make Grant Wells Run Dry: A+

I mean, injuring him is not exactly what I meant, but Western held him to 76 yards. I’d say that’s winning that battle.

Make Marshall Have One of “Those” Games: A+

Marshall only had one sack, forced zero turnovers, had a quarterback go down early in the game, had an defensive lineman go down early and get carted off, WKU literally returned an onside kick for a touchdown, the Herd gave up a pick-six, and were 3-of-14 on third down. I’d say that’s “just one of those games” if I ever heard of it.

Position Grades

Quarterback: A-

Bailey Zappe was horrible for a half of football. But you know what the guy didn’t do despite being off? Turn the ball over. And he also poured it on in the second and threw four touchdowns, also throwing for well over 300 yards. He was 100 yards under his average, but Marshall was absolutely loading up on receivers outside. They basically bludgeoned Jerreth Sterns every chance they got. His options were limited, he remained poised, and delivered a good performance despite a) getting pressured by a good Marshall front and b) not being on his “A” game. To me, this was one of his most impressive performances despite the statistics. In the biggest game, he managed the game, didn’t screw up, and I honestly don’t remember too many opportunities for Marshall to even come close to picking it off. A slight dropping of the rating to the low A’s simply for not completely lighting it up and being off in this game.

Running Back: A+

Let’s get them full marks here. Most rushing yards the entire season against arguably the best defense they faced all season? Four backs with at least 25 yards? Each back that had a carry had a run of 11 or more? That’s a good performance, and it’s the kind of running game WKU needs to be able to run. Why? Because Marshall absolutely abandoned the box and dropped players all night, forcing WKU to bottle to the middle when possible. Other teams will likely consider that as a strategy. So what happened? WKU was able to run as they wanted, and Marshall had no idea how to defend a team that could run the ball for a guaranteed three or more yards and pass despite their every effort to prevent them from doing so. And they specifically stifled Sterns (four catches for 28 yards), which tells me three things: Size played a little factor here, they had the personnel to take him away, and they specifically made sure he didn’t beat them no matter what. But the combination of running back performance and obviously other receivers stepping up (see below) neutralized Sterns not playing much of a factor.

Wide Receiver: B+

Finally, someone pretty much shut Jerreth Sterns down (first game under 82 yards receiving). And that’s ok, because Mitchell Tinsley was there early and Daewood Davis and Malachi Corley (and Dalvin Smith in the red zone) were there to provide the explosive plays needed to take control of the game. The receivers were certainly stymied early, only helping Zappe to the tune of 17 yards well into the game. But they settled in and did their job, contributing four touchdowns and over 300 yards of the 328 total passing yards for the Tops

Tight End: D

Joey Beljan had a catch for seven yards, and he does contribute significantly on special teams. So I’ll throw a little bone and not completely dog on him, but again, it’s hard not to judge harshly on the tight end position when it’s pretty non-existent. No idea on Joshua Simon’s condition, but the way Helton comments in the press conference, he doesn’t even mention Simon anymore. It makes me think maybe Simon really is done. No proof whatsoever here, but regardless, this position is a shell of itself with the preseason Mackey Award Watchlist Candidate.

Offensive Line: A+

These guys are the number one pass blocking unit in the country, averaging a 90 grade as a unit. They’re unbelievable. And this game, they did allow some pressure on Zappe, but honestly, this was a heavyweight fight between WKU’s O-Line and Marshall’s front seven, and WKU passed the test with shining colors. And on top of the passing game contributions, the offensive line helped WKU’s running backs rush for the most team yards all season.

Defensive Line: A+

Malone was a force, finally getting two sacks in one game for the first time this season. He has not had his dream statistical season, but again, for almost half of the year, he was basically playing linebacker. And in that role, he still got in the backfield, but also leads the team in tackles, TFLs, sacks, forced fumbles, and QB hurries. In addition, Jaques Evans, Juwuan Jones, Darius Shipp, and Lichon Terrell all had noticeable performances. Big picture, they helped hold a really good offense to 126 rushing yards and 199 receiving and beat up on a really good offensive line that was made to look average by this front.

Linebackers: A+

I’ve said it all year: Linebackers need to produce tackles or big plays or both. In this case, Jaden Hunter both led the team in tackles and had two sacks. Demetrius Cain was also present and active. Even Matthew Flint contributed a few tackles. And again, they linebackers were solid, contributing to stymying the run as well as the pass.

Defensive Backs: A+

Khalef Hailassie was everywhere, contributing tackles, TFLs, and PBUs all game. Also Kincade, Bishop, and Simpkins all contributed. With Davion Williams throwing in a pick-six to finish off the game, you’ve got to give this group full marks, I think. I don’t blame the defense for the poor start. I think they fought and made it really difficult for Marshall to go down the field. That just happened to be the first two possessions that Marshall executed perfectly. But the DBs contributed in all phases, and it was great to see the defensive compliment itself at all three levels.

Special Teams: A+

Obviously the MVP was Narveson, who went 4-of-5 on field goals, all of which were 39 or more yards. He also made his PATs, so without his efforts, WKU would have been in much more of a dog fight late in the game. Narveson scored 17 points on the night, and he was put in ideal situations to fail. Other than Narveson, Cory Munson was great, kicking it high and deep, forcing touchbacks half of the time despite pretty cold weather. John Haggerty III was a little bit more average this game, but he did his job and didn’t put WKU in a bind. Returning an onside kick for a score was one of the most bizarre plays I have ever seen, but that alone just launches special teams performance into the stratosphere. Anytime a team has a special teams touchdown, it massively increases the chances of victory. In this case, victory was already in hand, but there’s nothing quite like a kick return for a touchdown to kill any opponent momentum that they may have just created by obviously scoring right beforehand.

Coaching: A

I actually liked not going for two to tie it at 14 and not going for it to go up a full touchdown, because it was so early in the third quarter and obvious that WKU or Marshall were going to score more than just the 14 or 21. There are too many scenarios where coaches go for two and end up losing because they shouldn’t have. However, I don’t understand why they didn’t go for two early on if they were just going to do it up two scores. Instead of just extending the lead to 13, they settled for a 12 point lead after the missed two point conversion. Then the Tops go straight down and kick a field goal, and guess what? 16 points is basically three possessions. 15 is still very doable in two possessions. Regardless, not a disaster, but I fundamentally disagree with going for two unless a) you’re definitely going to make it and b) if there is no way getting that two pointer doesn’t massively increase your chances. I think if you go for two when it makes sense, your players are more focused on getting it done. When you do it when it’s just routine scoreboard maintenance, opponents see an opportunity, and your players don’t see the point.

Also, this coaching staff still continues to call timeouts on early downs when on defense near the end of the first half. I understand you’re all-world and it’s to your advantage to get the ball back, but it also backfires when you give the opponent enough time to go down the field by calling timeouts for them. Or they will stop the clock after getting stuffed when on offense. You just put yourself behind the sticks. Why are you calling timeout? The defense may be tempted to call timeout for you. What frustrates me is they will call them early and then let the clock run on later downs. Why not save those time outs to control what happens later in that set of downs? What if you stuff the run (or get stuffed) to create a 2nd-and-11 and the next play either gains a first down or sets up on a third-and-short. You just called timeout and saved them 20-40 seconds and possibly put it on the table for them to now go down and score. But again, this stuff doesn’t really matter in a blowout. Watch out for it, though. This staff has not been elite at strategical decision making in the couple of years they have been here.

Overall: A+

I’m really not sure how blasting a rival with an opportunity to appear in a championship and dominating every statistic in the game doesn’t result in an A+. There were clearly a few nitpicky issues at certain positions, but obviously WKU is in a wonderful position now to go win a championship in San Antonio Friday.

Whether Marshall is the better team than UTSA is irrelevant but debatable, especially after UTSA choked against North Texas, getting blasted by 22 and giving up over 40 points against a team that had to win five in a row just to be bowl eligible. But certainly WKU has to be the slight favorite heading into the battle for the Ryan Conference USA Championship Friday in the Alamodome.

Again, to beat the dead Herd just a little more, WKU hasn’t won by any less than 15 since losing to UTSA by only six in a game that WKU had every opportunity to win. The Tops have held opponents to no more than three touchdowns and have scored no less than 34. Any score from any of those games could have been inserted and still, WKU could not have won by any less than 13. But then again, UTSA is the team that until this week was 22nd in the nation and an incredible story. They still are, but who is now really the team of destiny?

Doesn’t it feel like the Hilltoppers have all of the momentum at this point? It’s an exciting time, and I assure you, Towel Rack is all over it and will be providing content all week, so stay tuned! We will have at least one writer in-person and maybe more. Subscribe, follow, and like, and we will walk you through the most important football game week in five years.