WKU Football: Hilltoppers vs. UTEP — Initial Thoughts
For just the second time since the Toppers have joined Conference USA, the Tops will tango with the Miners of UTEP, and they’ll make their…
For just the second time since the Toppers have joined Conference USA, the Tops will tango with the Miners of UTEP, and they’ll make their first trip to the Sun Bowl as conference foes.
The first time the two teams played was the homecoming matchup in 2014 (my senior year, so of course I’ll never forget it) and it was a Wonderful Terry pick six that sealed the Topper deal.
Anyway, this matchup got a lot more interesting after Sean Kugler announced he was stepping down from the 0–5 club, a move that was honestly just a matter of time.
So, what are my thoughts/things to watch for as we head into game week against UTEP? Lets see!
The Tops are coming off a bye week, a come-from-behind win on a late-game drive and the defense has been playing pretty well. UTEP, on the other hand, are winless this year and are allowing 45.2 points per game while scoring just 14.4 themselves (stats that land them 127th and 126th in the nation, respectively). They allowed 35 points to Army this past week and 41 to New Mexico State the week prior, so yeah — things aren’t great for the Miners.
However, things aren’t 100% rosey in Topperland, either. Is Quinton Baker ready to play a full game? Has the week off given the offensive line enough time to rest and prepare for the rest of the season? What will the playcalling look like (probably a question I’ll be asking all season long).
I don’t want to fall too early into the “this game is going to be a slaughter” mindset — but I’m honestly kind of there. I’m not saying I’m already looking to ODU in two weeks, but *whispers* I’m kind of already looking to ODU in two weeks. That isn’t to say we wont learn a lot — for better or worse — about the Tops this week or next, I just think they’re very clear and easy wins for WKU. But hey, we thought the same thing about EKU and, despite the win, it was a bit of a wakeup call.
While not a game-specific thought, this weekend saw several things around the conference that poses a pair of observations: 1.) The Tops truly are in the thick of things in the CUSA East. The season is far from over and, while they need to tread lightly, a third-straight appearance in the title game isn’t out of the question. 2.) We entered this year thinking it was a three-man race in the East. After Marshall’s win against Cincy, it’s either a four-team race or Marshall has overtaken the injury-riddled Middle Tennessee squad — I’m still not decided yet on which it is.
Sorry I don’t have many more thoughts for you, but I think this week is pretty cut and dry. If the Tops execute, they win in a blowout. If they struggle, they’ll still win pretty handily.
What say you? What are your initial thoughts as we begin UTEP week? Let us know in a comment below, via Twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page.