For each week of Western Kentucky's 2019 football season, Tyler Mansfield of InsideHilltopperSports.com will connect with a beat writer who covers the opposing team for a Q&A session.

For Game 6, Tyler chats with Justin Fedich, who covers Army for the Times Herald-Record in Hudson Valley, New York.

WKU (3-2, 3-0 Conference USA) is coming off a 20-3 win last Saturday at Old Dominion.

Army (3-2) travels to Bowling Green after losing 42-33 at home last weekend to Tulane.

Kickoff time is slated for 6 p.m. Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Stadium.

Tyler: Army is obviously known for running the triple option — and being very successful at it. What are your thoughts on Army’s overall offense heading into Saturday’s game at WKU?

Justin: It’s no secret that Army’s offense is predicated on the run, but during last week’s 42-33 loss at home against Tulane, Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins had 24 pass attempts. That’s more than the team had thrown it in the first four games combined. I asked head coach Jeff Monken after the game if it was the plan to throw it that much, and he said, “No, we thought we’d have to run the ball.” Suffice it to say, I’d look for Army to pass very sparingly this weekend.

The offense as a whole has had a inconsistent start to the season. Hopkins was solid in his first game back last weekend after missing two games with a leg injury. Following the offensive line’s worst performance of the season thus far, I’m interested to see how they hold up against DeAngelo Malone and that defensive line.

Tyler: Army is a team that almost beat Michigan this season. Headed into a road game at WKU, what kind of team do you believe Army is from an overall standpoint?

Justin: Army has started 3-2 every season for the past four years, but this year has been the most underwhelming because expectations were so high. Almost beating Michigan was the highlight so far, since every win has come against inferior competition. But Monken said that the team Army played last week, Tulane, was the hardest game of the season. The Black Knights always find a way to go on a run this time of year, and that could certainly start with Western Kentucky.

It’s worth noting, however, that as recently as last Saturday, Monken was chiding his team’s ability to block and tackle. Not exactly a sign of a well-oiled machine about to kick it into high gear.

Tyler: Who are some players you expect to standout against WKU?

Justin: I’d expect fullback Connor Slomka, the team’s leading rusher, to bounce back with a big week after a relatively quiet outing in Army’s loss to Tulane. Cornerback Elijah Riley also failed to make a significant play in the previous game, but he’s always a threat to sack the quarterback off the edge and intercept passes.