WKU Football: What It’s Like in the Locker Room Right Now
There is a disconnect between what fans think is going on and what is actually happening in a locker room. Most reasonable fans are going…
There is a disconnect between what fans think is going on and what is actually happening in a locker room. Most reasonable fans are going to admit they don’t really have a clue.
Anybody that’s been in a locker room, especially a football locker room at a higher level, knows there are things going on within the program that no one would understand without witnessing it on a daily basis.
So let’s tear back the veil for a second.
What is going on in the WKU locker room right now heading into conference play? Western Kentucky head coach Mike Sanford, Jr. said in his post-game press conference, “That locker room is incredible right now,” following Saturday’s win against Ball State, the Tops’ first of the year.
But, what exactly does that mean?
I don’t proclaim to understand everything; I was an equipment manager, so far be it for me to proclaim myself as an expert. However, I can speak to what the atmosphere might be like in that building. Somebody who has never been in that locker room, or another college locker room, may not know what the reaction may be like.
But as I sit here after a much needed win (the first since the triple overtime win against Middle in late November 2017), I’m thinking about what it must be like in there.
If you’ll recall, the 2011 season started out 0–4. And let me tell you this: People were calling for Willie Taggart’s head, even from a stretch of three previous seasons with a total of four wins. I can’t imagine how much heat Sanford has taken for daring to lose a few games after championship levels in the previous regime!
But the locker room is different than the stands. That goes without saying. What was going on internally during those four games of 2011? First of all, we came in expecting to make a jump from 2010. How much of a jump? Honestly, every year, you expect to win a championship and for the most part, those expectations, or at least hopes, are not unrealistic for most programs. It’s only going to happen for one program in each conference, but the possibilities are there if the chips fall well for any team in the conference. Ultimately, it comes down to executing the plays and doing good things at the right time. That’s what it really comes down to.
So heading into the 2011 season, WKU was set to play UK in Nashville. Sophomore Kawaun Jakes had some opportunities to make some big plays, including a wide open Jack Doyle in the end zone, and things just didn’t happen. WKU plays some defense, but the offense is anemic and loses 14–3. Really, we felt good about it at that point. Obviously the offense struggled, but the defense was promising, and we just hung tough with an SEC opponent on a neutral field.
One thing we must always consider; very rarely does the locker room just simply have no hope. Hope almost always springs eternal when in the presence of winners. Even in the 0–12 season with a lame duck head coach in David Elson, our motto was, “Do it for David.” That was our mantra for the last few games of the season. We didn’t want to be 0–12, and we were desperate to at least get one. It didn’t happen, but even admidst 0–12, we were hopeful. That team was undeniably terrible, but that team had heart, and it never quit. Frankly, it allowed Willie Taggart to walk into a situation where there was immediate potential to win.
Week two of the 2011 season comes, and the Tops play Navy in Bowling Green and get absolutely blown out of the stadium. So what is our response? Navy is really good, and we just didn’t come out and execute. Ultimately, Navy made plays to blow it open and we never were able to get that close to threaten them. On another day, perhaps the Tops could have competed with or even beaten Navy.
Everybody knows what happened against Indiana State the next week. Toppers lose in horrifying fashion to a middling FCS school. Redshirt freshman Brandon Doughty wins the starting job and blows out his ACL on the third offensive play of the game. What a bummer.
Here’s where some of the drama came in. I believe it was during halftime, and needless to say, down 17–3 at half, people were upset in the locker room. I remember several guys getting up, some negative (“We suck; let’s face it,” etc.) and some positive, but I remember two future captains in Jack Doyle and Jamarcus Allen getting up and making pledges that they wouldn’t accept losing anymore, that they were tired of it, and regardless of the outcome of this game, we’re not going back here again.
That united the team.
That game ended up worse and the Tops came out and freshman Antonio Andrews fumbled on the opening drive of the second half. Ultimately, externally, most people felt like that whole game was a pure meltdown, but seeing that display in the locker room solidified for everybody that the ship was going to be righted.
Maybe things like that have been happening this year. There are many moving parts, but these kinds of things happen in locker rooms. Maybe there are some vocal leaders in that locker room driving the conversation and spurring everyone onward.
But as you’ll see, the Tops lost the week after this happened, as well. Sometimes, things just don’t fall right and everything goes wrong. At this point, it was time to open Sun Belt play, so WKU draws Arkansas State at home, who was coming off of a mediocre season themselves. WKU had beaten Arkansas State in overtime for one of their two wins on the season.
Long story short, the Tops fall short in a hard-fought battle with no margin greater than a touchdown, 26–22. There was significant controversy at the end of that one, with some weird calls, a video review, some bad spots and little did we know, it was a loss that ended up costing us a championship. We kept expecting ASU to lose all season, and to their credit, they never did. However, we played well, and honestly, at this point, we knew we could compete with anyone in the conference. And so we did.
The next week, WKU was in another epic battle, this time against Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro. Bobby Rainey went out of his mind, getting 200 total yards and scoring the game winning touchdown in double overtime, and from there, the Tops got on a roll.
All told, WKU won seven of eight games to end the season. There were a few blowouts, but ultimately, most of those games were within reach, including two games in a row (@ULM, vs. FIU) won by last second field goals. The only loss the rest of that year was to LSU, which eventually lost to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.
Ultimately…
You never know what’s happening in the locker room. We can debate about play calling and all of that, but ultimately if the Tops have a good attitude and play up to their potential, why couldn’t they get on a roll and win most of the rest of their games? Are they going to? I don’t know, but I think it’s obvious they can compete with anyone. It’s up to them and not our opinions in articles and on message boards.
This WKU season could one of two ways:
Take this momentum from Ball State and do nothing with it. Get complacent, choke in the big moments, and not reach bowl eligibility. This is very possible. Losing to Maine put it on the table that they can lose every game. Will they? Obviously, they’ve got at least one win, but it’s possible to lose to anyone.
Take the momentum and run with it. Learn from your mistakes, make better decisions, understand the moment, and play with confidence. Unite and fight. Leaders step up and lead. The offensive line is the heart of the team. Defense takes on the attitude that it’s on them to make it happen. Skill positions expect to make plays. Kickers and specialists are involved in everything the team does. Offensive and defensive players hang out with each other, even though there’s healthy competition in practice. Those kinds of things are a good sign of a strong locker room and a program building momentum.
What I would encourage whoever to do to understand this football team, be it fans, media, players, coaches, staff, administration, or whoever else, try to understand it from outside of your own lens.
You never know what’s going on internally. That could be the happiest locker room in the world and they’re about to go 9–3. Or it could be on the brim of absolute disaster. It could be either one of those and go in the opposite direction quickly.
Ultimately, it’s never one thing. It’s never a simple explanation. It’s never just coaching. It’s never one position group. But one thing everyone can do involved in the program is do what they can. Perhaps that is what is going on inside the new side of the stadium. They got their win. Now it’s on their plate to go beat Marshall.
In the words of David Elson, “Do YOUR job!”
In the words of Willie Taggart, “JUICEEEEEE.”
In the words of Bobby Petrino, “#&!@$”
In the words of Jeff Brohm, “Let’s play football.”
In the words of Mike Sanford, “I’m just happy for these players…That locker room is incredible right now…It’s been tough. It’s not been easy… (This is) the sign of a team coming together…playing complimentary football.”