Advertisement
football Edit

Reaction: Dont call it an upset

Unless you've been living under a rock in the Bluegrass State, you've likely already heard about WKU's electrifying 32-31 overtime win over Kentucky late Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
Many people, including myself, are calling it the biggest victory in program history.
Advertisement
But should the 32-31 Hilltopper triumph be considered an upset, like many are saying?
Before Saturday night, WKU had been 0-20 all-time against Bowl Championship Series opponents.
They earned their first BCS victory over a founding member of the Southeastern Conference, without a doubt the strongest conference in college football.
But take a step back, forget about conference affiliation and program history for a second, and take a quick glance at the talent on this roster.
Middle linebacker Andrew Jackson? A top five position player in the country, (Ask Alabama head coach Nick Saban.)
Tight end Jack Doyle? Also Top 10 at his position in the country.
Defensive end Quanterus Smith finished with three sacks against No. 1 Alabama's highly touted offensive line. Former four-star safety Jonathan Dowling caught three interceptions from Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith, who's previous season totals stood at six touchdowns to zero interceptions before facing the Hilltoppers.
The offensive line is littered with BCS-level talent, including NFL prospect Adam Smith.
Even senior quarterback Kawaun Jakes, facing heavy criticism from the WKU fanbase over the last few years, has made tremendous strides.
In his first four career games against the SEC as a quarterback, Jakes threw for under 100 yards in all four contests, totaling one touchdown to seven interceptions.
Against Alabama and Kentucky in 2012, in back-to-back weeks? A combined 36 for 53 passing (a 67% completion percentage), adding 338 yards and a touchdown (with two interceptions).
But the quarterback hasn't been making plays solely through the air.
Just ask Kentucky's defense, who watched Jakes scramble in the endzone untouched for the game-winning two point conversion Saturday night.
A day after the win over the Wildcats, the newest USA Today Top 25 Coaches poll has been released.
WKU received 3 votes, ranking the Hilltoppers as the No. 45 team in the country (for now).
With a home tilt vs. Southern Miss on the horizon before the start of Sun Belt conference play, WKU is in a great position to control its own destiny in both the polls and post-season opportunities.
Will WKU earn its first bowl appearance in school history? Could they even finish in the Top 25 by the end of the season?
We'll have the opportunity to watch over the next few weeks, (PS fans, that does mean showing up at the Houch.)
But for now, one thing is certain.
The Hilltoppers led the Wildcats for all of 54:23 Saturday night, physically dominating a large portion of the contest on both sides of the ball, before allowing the game-tying touchdown with 24 seconds left.
Keyword there--dominating.
A Sun Belt school over an SEC school.
So call the Kentucky victory a substantial win--maybe even the most important in school history.
Call it monumental. Call it historic.
Just don't call this an upset--it wasn't.
Excited about WKU football? Learn the future of the program today, click here for a 7-day free trial to InsideHilltopperSports.com for all the latest WKU recruiting information, message boards, team news, and more.
Advertisement