WKU Football: How to Shuffle Through The Coach-Speak & Fall Camp Storylines to Watch
Fall camp is coming, which means a never ending train of all of the same things you've heard year after year. Here's what it all means and when to know to really pay attention.
Excitement is building towards another fall semester at WKU. A new batch of freshmen moving in, a chunk of seniors just need to finish off their last semester to get the heck out, and of course, sports are back on The Hill.
Instead of having to turn to Major League Baseball, the NBA Summer League or NFL preseason games, in a few weeks, we will have something of interest to everyone. You can now delete the Tour de France and Wimbledon off of your DVR.
College football kicks off in Bowling Green on September 2 against the University of South Florida at 2:30 on CBS Sports Network. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are looking forward to what could be a magical season, entering the year as fairly heavy CUSA favorites.
We still have a little more than a month until that time, but we are extremely close to starting fall camp, which begins the first week of August.
Camp is when the most progress is made, and internally, the teams will have so much information about what they think they have. The trick is, they are almost always completely closed off from the public and the coaches and players do everything they can to leak as little as possible.
So we get these vanilla interviews with coaches and players and there’s no real information, right? No way! There is plenty of information they give away, even if they follow the script.
So what I want to do is shed some light on some things we need to be looking at, but also, let’s shed some light on what certain things might actually mean when coaches say what seems like a bunch of fluff.
We’ll start with five tips to decodify coach-speak. Then we’ll give you five issues to resolve on your own coach’s board before Week 1.
5 Tips to Decodify Coachspeak During Fall Camp
“Right now, it’s going to be by committee…”
First of all, with any of these, they don’t always mean one certain thing. They really could mean it, or it could all be BS. So keep that in mind. This one doesn’t apply to all position groups. But if coaches are indicating a certain position group doesn’t have a set of starters clearly named or they’re saying they’re going to use multiple guys, that probably means they don’t have a clear standout. It may even mean they don’t think they have much talent there. Usually, it doesn’t mean the group is so incredibly talented that they can’t choose a couple of guys to get the bulk of the reps. When you have a stud or a stable of studs, you know it.
“We’ve been trying some guys at different positions...”
If they’re doing this during fall camp, they’re either experimenting with the future or they are desperate to find a solution for a gaping hole somewhere. Maybe they don’t have depth, or maybe they feel like whoever they have can’t even do a decent job to field the position. Some of this is standard. For example, on the offensive line, they’ll play with switching guards out for tackles, centers out for guards, what have you. That usually happens early in camp. However, if this is extensive or it goes on much past week one, they’re still looking for a combination that works.
“He’s day-to-day…”
Don’t trust that crap. You literally have no idea. If that’s all they give you and there’s no other comment, you might as well have watched practice from space, because you would get just as much information. Day-to-day can mean he’s about recovered or it can mean he’s out for several games guaranteed. How do you see through this façade? Look at the solid information. Did they practice? Did they take contact? What did they actually do?
“I’m blessed to have a great group…” vs. “We’re a work in progress…” vs. “I like our pieces…”
Position coaches will give away more than most, so if you want to get some nuggets, watch the position coach interviews. But you still have to pay attention and read between the lines, unless a coach just comes out and says, “Here’s my depth chart.” Sometimes you can tell if a position coach is at ease and in love with his group. If they say something like “We’re still working on continuity…” or “work in progress…,” that usually means they have no idea if they’re going to have an effective unit. This is incredibly common early on in camp, though. But if they’re saying that last week of camp, that’s not good at all. If a coach is saying something like “I like my pieces,” he sees potential but they’re not there yet. Or at least he’s willing to go out on that limb yet.
“It’s back and forth…” vs. “The offense and defense are trading punches…”
A lot of times, if Helton is commenting on the general flow, or maybe offensive or defensive coordinator is doing the same thing, the less they say, the less they want you to know. If they say one side is dominating another, that could just be stoking competition, or it could mean one unit really is way ahead of the other. If they say something overt - like the competition being incredible - they are confident. They’re not going to say something bold like, “It’s a war out there. Both sides are pushing each other,” if they don’t feel they can back that statement up. If they say something non-committal, they may simply not be able to put it in words, or they may just not want you to know how they really feel.
5 Things to Watch for Throughout Fall Camp
Is Anything at All Disconcerting Related to Austin Reed?
Duh. But it has to be said. We’re not really thinking he’s under threat, so we want to hear how great he is and how he’s killing it. But if Helton comes out and says, “Yeah we’ve got a veteran starter out there throwing it to the defense out there,” that is not the best sign. No news is good news.
Do They Have Confidence in the Defense?
One major question in general as we approach the start of 2023 is about the defense. We know WKU’s offense should be good. Most people think the defense just needs to be decent in order to win games. How do they feel about the defense? They have some good stars at each level, but do they have a quality starter at all 11 spots? Do they have good backups at each spot? These are all questions that we need answered.
Are They Indicating Good Things About Receivers Not Named Corley and Mathison?
You know those two guys should be solid, but who else does WKU have? We have no idea. Are they saying noncommittal things about everyone else, or are they gloating about who they have and saying they’ll have the best unit in the country?
Do They Feel Confident in a Solid 7 or 8 on the Offensive Line?
We know WKU has three proven entities on offensive line, but only two have played the positions they most likely play against USF. What is going on with the O-Line? We think they should be fine, and I’m personally not deeply worried. However, judging by the fact that everyone basically played the whole time during the spring game, the Tops didn’t even have 10 healthy bodies in the spring. They lost a likely starter due to late transfer right before the Spring Game. So how deep is this unit and who do they have? Last year, they didn’t have much depth, either and were one of the best units in the country. Can they repeat it? Watch for information on the offensive line. As they go, so could the offense.
Are There Any Injuries to Major Players or Major Position Groups?
Of course you have to pay attention to injuries. Any information on injuries gives you a ton of intel. But it also doesn’t tell you the depth of the issue unless you know some other information. Watch for the tone of voice, the extra minor comments in addition to them saying, “He’s day-to-day.” If you’re not keeping tabs of injuries, you might as well not watch for everything else. The wrong injury or two or three could derail a season.
The season is just around the corner. I can feel that excitement building. Camp is coming soon, and we should start getting a flow information. The only question is, “Are you paying attention?”