Hilltoppers prepare for road contest against Hawai'i

After a long battle, WKU got the job done against against Austin Peay last Saturday and they look to build off that win this weekend in a tougher matchup on the road against Hawai'i.

The Hilltoppers showed off their potential, but they will have to play better on both sides of the ball on Saturday if they want to start 2-0 on the season.

Hawai'i is coming off blowout loss against Vanderbilt, 63-10, where their defense couldn't keep up with the Commodores. Hawai'i gave up a whopping 609 yards of offense last week, and WKU plans on taking advantage of those defensive struggles.

Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers liked what he saw from his unit, but he knows there are some little things that need improvement.

"Our ultimate challenge is not giving up the big plays," said Summers. "If we can find ways to limit the big plays and be able to erase some points off the score board, it gives us a better opportunity."

Jacques Evans and Upton Stout were the primary playmakers for this WKU defense on Saturday. Coach Summers raved about the growth they've made this off season.

Jacques Evans led the Hilltoppers in tackles against Austin Peay with 13 (9 solo, 4 assist), he also had 2.5 sacks as well, capping off a great performance.

"He is ultra ultra intelligent and super competitive," said Summers. "I think he's great for our football team and I think he is a dynamic leader for us."

Upton Stout had the momentum shifting play of the game when he had a house call for 34 yards after an interception that WKU needed badly. Stout is known for his playmaking ability and being all over the field to be an enforcer.

"I think he's been excellent ever since he's been here," said Summers. "We've talked about it before, he's ultra competitive, very smart. Obviously, he came up with a big play that we would call a game changer for us. It was a spark when we really needed it."

Co-Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was elevated to his new position back in January. Arbuckle is doing a great job so far and the win against Austin Peay to start the season makes everything sweeter. WKU's offense had a good day overall, but Arbuckle thinks they can play even better and the offense will only get better by the week.

"It was good watching Austin (Reed) get out there with his first FBS experience," said Arbuckle. "He's played a lot of games, but it's his first time at this level. I thought he handled himself really, really well and I'm just looking to see him make strides throughout each week."

It took some time for WKU's offense to look normal after a slow start, but once they got rolling they put points on the board as they're expected to. The goal against Hawai'i is to start off the game with the offense firing on all cylinders, and Arbuckle thinks with more time it's bound to happen.

"At the end of the day it comes down to the quarterbacks," said Arbuckle. "That comes down to the quarterback making good checks, good throws, catchable balls. The more that we complete passes and keep the ball in bounds, the better. Now we have a chance to play more at the tempo that we want to. Being sound on our assignments, that's what creates rhythm."

WKU looks to move to 2-0 this weekend at Hawai'i, a test that won't be easy, but definitely not impossible. The Hilltoppers offense will have to be clicking and should have an advantage against the Rainbow Warriors' defense. They need to have a balanced attack of running and passing this game, as Hawai'i has shown significant struggles against the run. If WKU can keep the Rainbow Warriors' defense on its toes, they very well could return to Bowling Green with a 2-0 record.

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