Five things we need to see from WKU against Austin Peay
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers finally get a chance to showcase their off-season work tomorrow as they play the first game of the 2022 season. Although the team will certainly look different from last year, head coach Tyson Helton believes his guys are in line to have another great season. With a new quarterback under center and some new coaches on the staff, WKU will have to adapt quickly since this team could win the conference. Coach Helton has his guys ready to go after getting a couple of fall practices under his belt, which prepared them for this moment right here.
"It's been a good week of practice," said Helton. "The guys are ready to roll as much as we know they are, but they're excited to play this game and we're looking forward to it."
WKU is looking to start this season off with a bang, showing everyone else that they can have the same results as last year or even better. This game isn't supposed to be a test for WKU, but more of an opportunity to show the rest of the country that they've been working ever since last year's bowl win. Here are five things we need to see against Austin Peay to give us a little sample size of what this team can accomplish this season.
1. Strong QB play
Coach Helton is definitely an offensive-minded coach who wants to put up a lot of points. WKU had one of the most high-powered offenses in the country a season ago and arguably the best passing game in the country as well. A large portion of that success came from strong QB play from Bailey Zappe, who is now a New England Patriot. New transfer QB Austin Reed is expected to be the starter for Coach Helton this season with Jarret Doege now in the transfer portal. Reed is a guy who can light it up, he led West Florida (Division II) to a national title in 2019, while passing for 4,089 yards and scoring 46 total touchdowns (40 passing, 6 rushing). Reed will be expected to fill some big shoes and replicate the same level of play he once did, but with the great tools he has around him, it shouldn't be too much on his plate.
2. New and improved defense
Last season, WKU generated a bunch of turnovers throughout the year, but some games would've been a win if they got some more stops on key downs in the game. This season is expected to be different though, Coach Helton wants his guys to defend at a higher level and get those key stops that plagued them once before. "We have to stop the run," said Helton. "It's about coming up with turnovers and those critical downs that come up, you got to make those plays." He has a veteran D-Line that needs to put continuous pressure on opposing teams' QB’s and a defensive back group that needs to be making plays on the ball consistently. If this team can get stops on a consistent basis, they will be tough to be beat.
3. High-powered offense
A high-powered offense is integral to the success of WKU football year after year, and it needs to be like that once more. The offense needs to be firing on all cylinders from the start of the first quarter to the end of the fourth. Austin Reed will have plenty of weapons and options to choose from, whether it's returning receivers Josh Sterns and Malachi Corley, or new transfer targets Michael Mathison and Jaylen Hall, there will be a lot of different guys who can make plays for this offense this season and if they can, WKU will be a team to watch for at the end of this season
4. Ball security
It's essential in every football game to have great ball security and limit as many turnovers as possible. WKU must be able to generate more turnovers on defense than they commit on offense. Coach Helton emphasized having "good and clean drives" for tomorrow's game, but that will be a key focus for the entire season, not just for tomorrow. This wasn't a team who coughed up the ball at a high rate a season ago, so it's all about making strides in each area that will affect the outcome of a football game.
5. Utilize the run game
WKU passed the ball a lot more often than they ran it last season, but when they did run it, it was useful for them. This offense may not be a potent as it was last year, but it can surely be a little more balanced with mixing in the run. They lost a couple guys like Noah Whittington and Adam Cofield, but they also have some guys who are waiting to showcase their talents this year when they get the opportunity. RB Kye Robichaux returns for his sophomore campaign and hopes to have a bigger role this season. Robichaux showed his potential in some games last season and he also showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, which can be a secret weapon. Austin Peay will have a hard time defending WKU if they make them stop the run. If WKU can balance their already great offense, it can be one of the best in the nation once again.
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