WKU Football: Hilltoppers Can't Close Out Hoosiers in 33-30 Overtime Loss
The Hilltoppers looked poised to pick up the program's first ever win against a Big Ten team. Until they all of a sudden didn't.
Entering Saturday, the last two meetings between Western Kentucky and Indiana went down to the wire, and this year’s affair was no different.
WKU took a lead with 1:37 to play in the first quarter and didn’t relinquish it until 0:47 left in regulation.
Two missed field goals later, a wide-right kick as time expired in regulation and a blocked kick to end the first series in overtime, set up a game-winning field goal for the Hoosiers in overtime, for a third-straight game between the two programs with a margin of victory by three points or fewer.
Letting It Fly
If you had any qualms or hesitations about the passing game over the first two weeks of the season, Saturday should put you at ease: Austin Reed looked a lot more comfortable under center for the Hilltoppers, showing the Tops’ patented high-powered offense that we know & love return to its most refined form.
Throwing for over 200 yards in the first half was a huge catalyst to get the upper hand on Indiana. Daewood Davis led the Tops in receiving once again, capping off his five-catch, 77-yard day with a 59-yard touchdown reception across the middle and torching Indiana’s secondary in the process.
Reed also had 10 straight pass completions before an Indiana interception inside the red zone, late in the third quarter and finished the game completing all but 10 of his pass attempts. He also worked his own magic on the ground whenever he could.
WKU was patient on offense, using short passes to open up not only WKU’s most effective regular season rushing attack since 2020 (more on that in a minute), but kept Indiana on their toes enough to take a few deep shots, most of them coming in the first half, to set up scores.
Defensive Dandy
The Hilltoppers’ defense still remains a strong anchor for the 2022 season. As patient as the offense was in working different ways down the field, the defense was equally as patient, getting hands up to deflect or break up passes and kept the Hoosiers’ yards after catch to a minimum.
WKU was also patient with the run game, only allowing a couple of long break-through rushes and holding IU’s leading rusher to just 65 yards.
Don’t confuse “patients” for “sitting back”, though: The Tops got men in the backfield with relative ease, especially with JaQues “Donut” Evans on the field. The Tops totaled three sacks and seven tackles for a loss, many of which came on second or third downs to make conversions difficult or to end drives.
Kahlef Hailassie had a loud day, finishing second in total tackles behind only Derrick Smith, and BJ Wagner made the hustle play of the day, having the foresight to clearly jump on a ball that was a borderline backwards pass, leading to an IU turnover.
The one blemish on the day for the defense came in the final drive of regulation, where three penalties (whether they were warranted or not, is a different question…) accounted for 45 yards in IU’s game-tying drive.
But make no mistake about it, this defense is for real and should be a difference making force come conference play.
Cleaning up the Laundry
The penalties in this game did more harm than good for the Hilltoppers. Two Malachi Corley touchdown catches were called back because of holding calls. Kaleb Oliver was the recipient of a personal foul call in the first quarter after throwing an unnecessary late hit on on a Connor Bazelak scramble (luckily, he avoided a targeting penalty).
Eight total penalties were against WKU, including back-to-back defensive interference calls on Upton Stout late in the fourth quarter. There was a confusing sequence where a face mask was called, which negated another fumble recovery attempt for WKU.
Some days you can outplay your penalty mistakes. Unfortunately, this was not one of those days.
Red Threads
A few more quick, final thoughts on the Tops’ heartbreaking loss deep in the Midwest:
The Tops’ receivers continue to have various days across the board. Davis had the longest catch of the day with his touchdown from earlier. Despite Corley’s two touchdowns being called back, he remained a productive safety valve for Reed. Joshua Simon had a rough day, being the target of an interception thrown by Reed & losing fumbling on a screen pass. Joey Beljan still remains productive by getting a touchdown catch in the second quarter.
WKU’s running game still remains a work in progress, but this we could look back at this game as the turning point for the unit. Despite logging just 33 rushing yards in the first half, they found their rhythm in the back 30 minutes, led by Kye Robichaux, who logged WKU’s first 100-yard rushing game in a regular season game since Gaej Walker rushed for 127 on November 21, 2020 against FIU. Robichaux, Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Jakari Moses would be my preferred RB rotation moving forward.
Speaking of Moses, maybe the most baffling decision all game came when the Hilltoppers were pinned inside their own three yardline, and on the first play of the series Moses got a draw play. On Moses’ first touch of the game. It was a loss of about two and a half yards and the Tops’ nearly avoided a safety. Moses did break off a long rush in the second half, and my disagreement with this play is less on Moses’ abilities as it was for Helton not to be riding the hot hand, which would have been Robichaux in this instance.
Speaking of baffling decisions, the case could be made that the Tops’ second-half red zone play calling is what cost them the game. After Reed’s end zone interception, in which he tried to out Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes, the play calling became either too cute, tricky, stilted or all of the above.
That loss is all on the Coach. Terrible calls in the Red Zone. WKU just gave gave the game away with a ribbon tied their victory.