WKU Football: Keys to Victory Against Jacksonville State

What does WKU need to do to quell the upstart Gamecocks.

Western Kentucky heads into a crucial Conference USA clash with Jacksonville State after what should have been a nice opportunity to recover and get some bodies back healthy.

WKU heads into the second half of the season at 4-2 and 2-0 in CUSA, only losing to Ohio State and at Troy, two quality losses if there ever was such a thing.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville State is 5-2 and a surprising 3-1 in Conference USA. Jax State was not expected to be anywhere close to the top of the standings, but it’s clear Rich Rodriguez is a big shark in a kiddie pool.

Despite their record, the Hilltoppers have still not performed to full preseason expectations, while the upstart Gamecocks are well ahead of the expected pace to start its FBS transition.

Keys to Victory

More First Half, Completely Trash the Second

You know what I mean. Last game’s performance , just like a lot of WKU’s games this season, was a complete Jekyll and Hyde performance. The first half, WKU could have beaten 95% of college football. The second half, the Tops couldn’t have beaten 95% of the FBS. That can’t happen again.

Let the Talent Overcome

Jacksonville State is the clearly less talented team, but their coach knows what he’s doing. The Gamecocks run an odd triple option spread offense but WKU, even with its injuries to JaQues Evans and others, is clearly the more gifted team, whether we’re looking at developed talent, or whether it’s looking at previous recruiting rankings and transfer quality.

Suck it Up

Everybody’s beat up this time of year. Whoever is out, the Tops are out of excuses. Guess what? Jacksonville State has at least two QBs beat up, at minimum. It’s time to suck it up and deal with it. Plug the holes, and let’s set up an epic clash with Liberty next Tuesday.

Be the Better Unit

Jacksonville State’s defense is legit. They hold opponents under 20 points per game. WKU’s offense is very good, as well, producing over 32 points per game. Interestingly, both units struggle in a certain way. WKU’s offensive unit doesn’t stay on the field long enough, and Jax State’s defense doesn’t get off of the field for 25 minutes a game.

Dominate up Front

WKU is not necessarily superior to Jacksonville State athletically, but there’s a reason WKU is expected to win by more than a touchdown. WKU needs to control the line of scrimmage without completely compromising the back end of the defense.

Prediction

If WKU shows up and plays well, I think they handle this. If they don’t, this is going to get dicey. JSU is incredibly slippery. Can they find a way at home?

The simple answer is “yes”. But I don’t believe this is the right matchup for Jacksonville State. I still think WKU doesn’t put it all together but easily wins. We’ll go 38-21, Tops.