WKU Football: Rating each Game by Excitement Level

Western Kentucky football is looking to bounce back from its worst season since 2010. As the Tyson Helton era starts, the excitement…

Western Kentucky football is looking to bounce back from its worst season since 2010. As the Tyson Helton era starts, the excitement builds as we get farther into camp and closer to the first game against Central Arkansas.

How does each game rate on a scale of 1 to 100 in excitement factor? Some may be snoozefests that we don’t have much hope for a good game. Others should be fascinating battles.

WKU battles its normal conference foes, with (finally someone besides La Tech) two fresh C-USA West teams, as well as some juicy non-conference match-ups. WKU plays two Power Five programs this season (including in-state rival Louisville), along with an FCS team at home and Army, which is always an interesting battle.

Overall, I believe that WKU’s schedule is rated above-average interest wise for Topper fans. Why? Two Power Fives that went 2–10 last year (meaning winnable games), a military academy, and juicy conference match-ups. Truly every game is winnable, but the quality across the board is very good for a non-Power Five schedule. Here’s the rundown of each game by excitement level.

vs. Central Arkansas: Thursday, August 29, 6 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level: 43

If this wasn’t the first game of the season and the beginning of the Tyson Helton era, this would be a three in excitement. However, everybody needs a confidence booster, which is hopefully what this game is. Then again, what happened last time the Tops played UCA? That was ten years ago, my friends, and that was one of WKU’s 12 losses that year. Sweet, sweet memories, I have of that year.

This game gets 40 more points because this should be a chance to showcase what this new era of Topper football should be about, hopefully, airing the football out. Be sure you take off at least ten points of excitement if this game is remotely close. Panic will set in immediately across the Topper faithful if so.

at FIU: Saturday, September 7, 6 PM, FIU Stadium

Excitement Level: 47

Honestly, I’m really having trouble getting super fired up for this one. This is the first conference game, and it should be a big litmus test for the Tops. However, this game is in Miami and is going to be difficult for people to watch (ESPN+ is still on $5 per month). Also, it’s so early in the season this probably won’t show everything either team is going to be.

However, Butch Davis is a very good, experienced coach that has FIU as one of the East division favorites. Expect FIU to be ready to go, and hope the Tops have figured out some things early to not go in an early 0–1 hole in the conference.

Vs. Louisville: Saturday, September 14, 3 PM, L.P. Field

Excitement Level: 96

The Louisville game is honestly the one particular game I’m looking forward to, personally. I think it drives a ton of local and statewide interest. This is a game a lot of people in the Commonwealth are going to have their eyes on. This is especially true since three of the last four WKU coaches have extremely strong Louisville area ties. With it being played in Nashville, add the Metro area as another area with eyes on the game.

Also, Western’s worst team in a decade should have beaten the Cardinals on the road last season. This should also be a moment where both teams are starting to jell and could be the first indication of how good each of these teams could be.

Nothing will fire up the WKU fan base more than a win against a Power Five in-state opponent. Think Kentucky 2012 and 2013. It will be massive for the Tops and a disaster for Louisville if they lose. If U of L blows Western out, Louisville gets tons of momentum.

My gut says this thing is within two touchdowns the whole way, though. Without question, people should be excited about this game. Take away a few excitement points because of the possibility of a blowout. Other than that, coolest game of the season.

Vs. UAB: Saturday, September 28, 6 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level: 82

Western gets two weeks off to prepare for a huge game against UAB. UAB has been one of the better teams in Conference USA since having their program dismantled.

They’re currently the darling of C-USA, and rightfully so. What was done to that football program was an absolute travesty. UAB also has some interesting ties to WKU. Plenty of staff members past and present worked at UAB. A lot of players were recruited by UAB, as well. Thank goodness Western doesn’t play UAB on the road. UAB has become one of the most difficult places to win now that their program and fan base is completely re-energized. This should be the first real indication of where both WKU and UAB might stand this season. The Blazers lost alot from their CUSA Championshiptteam. This is big time for WKU in every way.

The game loses several excitement points because WKU has very little history with UAB Football.

At Old Dominion: Saturday, October 5, 5 PM, S.B. Ballard Stadium

Excitement Level: 37

Western starts its October in Norfolk this year. As we start going through the schedule, this really is a weird set up in terms of rhythm for the season. WKU dances from non-conference to conference games for its first six games, with four different sets of conference games throughout the season.

WKU’s non-conference games are evenly spread throughout the season, unlike most years when at least three of the four non-conference games are over by the end of September.

This switching on and off honestly might be really good for this team. There’s always going to be something to be excited about and lord knows it’s easy to have 18–22-year-olds get a little arrogant, lackadaisical, and distracted.

However, a road match-up against one of the worst teams in Conference USA doesn’t really get my juices flowing. This is possibly the least interesting game on the schedule for me. All of the excitement points given are pretty much because of the history of the match-up getting a little testy.

Vs. Army: Saturday, October 12, 6 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level: 85

WKU comes home for a fascinating battle in a winnable game against the United States Military Academy. This game should be exciting, and a huge opportunity for WKU Defensive Coordinator Clayton White to show his chops. Nick Holt, the former defensive coordinator with Western, certainly showed his abilities against triple-option military schools.

Western has had pretty good success against Army and Navy in recent memory. Can WKU hang with a weird style of play? Also, I’m sure Western is going to pull out some stops and honor the military.

I really think this could be a good opportunity for Western to pull in a possible quality win. Army finished 19th in the nation last season, winning 11 games. However, they lose half of the defensive starters, their coordinator, and a couple of really good offensive linemen.

Even if a win was off the table, this should be a good non-crucial barometer for where the Tops are at the middle point of the season. The great news is this game does not count in the standings for Conference USA. If they lose, oh well let’s move on. What a great opportunity in the middle of the season!

If WKU could look at its record after this game and see .500 or better, that would be unspeakably massive for the program, given its recent downward trajectory.

Vs. Charlotte: Saturday, October 19, 3 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level: 64

For Homecoming, the Tops take on the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte has been a doormat for years in Conference USA, but with new coach Will Healy, the man who brought Austin Peay’s program from the complete and utter dead, I frankly would be shocked if Charlotte does not take big steps forward over the next few years.

If that man can make Clarksville, Tennessee, and Austin Peay State University the place to be on a Saturday, he surely can make Charlotte, a school with actual support and a large metropolitan area an attractive place to go to school and play football.

Book it: Charlotte will sit atop the standings late in the year the next few years.

I would say this game could be a sleeper for a pretty good football game. Charlotte absolutely walloped WKU last year, but the Tops have handled them every other time they played.

It should be interesting to see which program is going to take the next step to get back where it needs to be. I would say I’m pretty interested in this one, partly because it’s a homecoming and partly because this match-up could actually mean something in October. This could be one or both teams trying to stay bowl eligible or could be one or both teams trying to get bowl eligible at this point. Don’t sleep on this game. That being said, this is still a middle of the road game in terms of excitement for me for 2019.

At Marshall: Saturday, October 26, 1:30 PM, Joan C. Edwards Stadium

Excitement Level: 87

Well, Marshall has finally shown up to the Moonshine Throwdown. In the past few years, they’ve actually won in basketball and football against WKU. Western travels to Huntington, and I hope to find a way to get there.

This should really be an interesting game, and at this point in the season, you never know where either team is going to stand in the Conference USA picture. One would presume WKU will be trying to play catch-up to Marshall, but who knows?

Something tells me this game will mean something to both teams at this point in the season. Last year’s game was close with WKU being abysmal. Then again, close games despite the record are the sign of a brewing rivalry. No matter how bad the teams are, you can expect a pretty good game. I would say this is in the top third of my most anticipated games this year for sure.

If this game is for first place in the East, or both teams are looking to get eligible, or whatever the case, that would only spike the interest for Topper and Herd fans. Mark this one on your calendar. Marshall fans will.

Vs. FAU: Saturday, November 2, 3 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level: 79

WKU’s only three-game stretch of conference games in a row comes to a close as the Tops finish with FAU coming to The Hill to start the month of November. In case you live under a rock, Lane Kiffin coaches FAU and has their program on as high a level as it’s ever been.

Western has fared well against FAU, even in difficult times. WKU’s worst loss was last year, still only losing by 19. Before that, no WKU team has ever lost to FAU by more than two scores. Despite FAU being the better team in most years since the FBS transition, WKU has held its own and had the better end of most of it.

Regardless of how good WKU is, expect the Tops to be in the game or even to win it. History says it’s likely. Who knows? This game could be a fight to stay in the race in the East.

This game loses points simply because a match-up against the Florida schools doesn’t really have that much natural excitement tied to it.

At Arkansas: Saturday, November 9, TBA, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Excitement Level: 88

In the second week of November, WKU heads to play Arkansas in Fayetteville. If you remember, Western Basketball beat Arkansas last season on the road. Maybe Arkansas fans will have that sticking in their craw about the Tops. Bring it on, Razorbacks!

In all seriousness, this is an interesting game for a multitude of reasons. It’s a late-season match-up against a Power Five, so the expectation is generally to get pulverized and get paid for it. That’s fine. However, Arkansas is not guaranteed to be an elite SEC team and also has a serious history with Group of Five upsets (North Texas last season). They could struggle to win an SEC game this season.

The Razorbacks lost to Colorado State last year on the road, got blown out by North Texas, nearly lost to Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech in years past, and lost to Toledo a few years before that.

The one that tells me that nothing is impossible was when ULM went into Fayetteville and beat Arkansas when they were ranked. If freaking Louisiana Monroe can do it, why can’t the Tops? Arkansas was 2–10 last season, so there is absolutely no reason WKU couldn’t go in and make some noise.

WKU generally gets up for these type of games, so I would not be shocked if they were in it and I’m really interested to see how this one turns out. Again this is one I would love to go to, but I can almost guarantee you I won’t be able to go. However, if you have never been to an SEC football stadium, go and enjoy the atmosphere. You will absolutely not regret it.

At Southern Miss: Saturday, November 23, 2:30 PM, M.M. Roberts Stadium

Excitement Level: 72

In the penultimate match up for the 2019 regular season, the Tops battle the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. WKU has some recent history with Southern Miss, despite USM being in another division of the conference. WKU won its first conference championship against Nick Mullens and the Golden Eagles in 2015. Southern Miss has great tradition and surely should compete for the West Division crown.

If general prognostications are true about Western, this could be a game to get bowl eligible or confirm a winning season. Depending on what else has happened, this could just be a game to try to salvage the end of the season. Let’s be realistic.

At this point, given last year’s record, WKU could easily be searching for its fourth or fifth win. Or worse. However, it feels like WKU should be in position for this game to really matter.

This is also a chance for WKU fans to go somewhere they’ve never had the chance to go before. Western has played Southern Miss two times at home in the last nine years. Never have they played them on the road. This is an interesting match-up, but it loses points because the teams don’t have a ton of history and it is a long drive and scheduled for ESPN+. All things considered, I still have a pretty solid level of interest.

Vs. Middle Tennessee: Saturday, November 30, 1 PM, L.T. Smith Stadium

Excitement Level if it doesn’t matter: 93; if it does: 99

In the final game of the season, Conference USA definitely has gotten it right. This is the perfect chance for either program to ruin each other’s seasons. That’s right. 100 Miles of Hate resumes in what should be an awesome battle like it always is.

Throw out the records. Throw out predictions.

This game is an absolute war just about every time. Even last season, WKU couldn’t move the ball, Middle was dominating, and the game was somehow within reach late in the game.

No rivalry in Conference USA has more history or more hate. No rivalry has multiple overtime games in recent memory. Both fan bases detest each other.

Imagine if this game means absolute victory for one and devastation for the other. That would make it even better. Kudos to Conference USA for creating an awesome end-of-the-year match-up between two huge rivals. Middle just came off a choke job in the Conference USA Championship game, getting a penalty on a fourth down that kept them from having a final chance to go win the game. Surely they will be trying to prove themselves as deserving champions this year despite losing a ton from last season’s team of the century.

They lose a ton of talent including quarterback Brent Stockstill, so this may be the year for WKU to get back on top. If Middle could win like it probably should, perhaps MTSU could win some important recruiting battles and take back control of the rivalry. The rivalry stands at 34–32–1 for MTSU, despite WKU winning three of the past four.

Overall Excitement Level: 73.25/100

I think WKU fans should be excited. Not much can be worse than winning three games the previous season. This is especially true when you’re two years removed from a conference championship.

But change has come in time to salvage the program from utter ruin, and with the talent that WKU has coming back, there is no reason WKU should not absolutely eclipse its 2018 win total. Really, a realistic goal should be a 6–6 season. Within one in either direction is understandable. However, the ceiling and the floor is incredibly extreme.

With disorganization and inexperience, Western could continue to flounder. With purpose and direction, WKU could immediately compete in the East with some luck.

My personal excitement is pretty high for this season, and I think the things coming out of camp in the first week are extremely positive. Obviously, one of the huge keys during camp is staying healthy, find good players, and be ready to go for the season.

So far, so good.

Now, WKU has some holes to figure out. Let’s not miss out on reality here.

The main concern would be linebacker. Can the Tops replace Nick Holt, who waited to transfer until after Spring Ball and Eli Brown, who went down to injury during spring ball? Western hopes to get Jaden Hunter eligible, but if the Georgia transfer can’t go, the Tops really do become incredibly thin and inexperienced at this position.

The two other positions of serious concern are running back and quarterback.

Regardless, they’re not even a third of the way through camp yet. However, reading the tea leaves and knowing a general idea of where the talent level is, Western fans should feel good about where the program is headed.