Review: WKU v. Troy, What We Know
In week four of Western Kentucky football action, the Hilltoppers were hosted by the Troy Trojans in Veterans Memorial Stadium as both teams took the field coming off of a loss the weekend prior.
The result? WKU was defeated by the Trojans 27-24, who put up 521 total yards of offense, possessing the ball for 38 minutes and 59 seconds. Despite gaining three turnovers from the Trojans, the Hilltoppers weren’t able to convert those into points.
What else can be taken away from Hilltoppers loss?
The Ground Offense Is A Serious Issue: The Hilltoppers are having troubles in the backfield. On 12 carries for the day, the team totalled 20 yards: 1.7 yards per carry. The only rushing score of the day came from receiver KD Hutchinson, whose 10 yards led the team altogether. Elijah Young carried the ball five times for 10 yards. Aside from this, through four games, the Hilltoppers rushing offense is ranked 122nd in the nation with 94 carries for 337 yards, averaging 3.59 yards per carry.
The Run DEFENSE Is A Serious Issue: Trojan’s running back Kimani Vidal spared no mercy on the Hilltoppers defensive unit. Across 26 carries, Vidal posted 156 rushing yards, six yards, and two rushing scores. Running back Damien Taylor rushed for 28 yards, putting up 3.5 yards per carry. Through four games, the Hilltoppers have allowed 905 yards and eight touchdowns rushing, averaging 226.3 ground yards and 5.2 yards per attempt. This puts the Hilltoppers run defense at 125th in the nation, just five spots short of dead last.
Austin Reed Needs Help Up Front: The pass blocking is getting to concerning levels for the Hilltoppers. The Tops pass blocking grade going into week four was 54.7, best for 102nd in the nation. Offensive tackles Wes Dorsey and Mark Goode have posted 28.3 and 35.4 pass blocking grades on the season, allowing a combined one sack, five quarterback hits, 25 hurries allowed, and 31 quarterback pressures allowed. With no run game, a conservative passing game, and relatively bad pass protection: Reed needs help.
Easton Messer Has Arrived: Through four games, Messer has posted 18 receptions for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and 13.2 yards per catch. As it currently stands, Messer is a consistent and reliable target, arriving as the number two option in this offense. The redshirt freshman has a bright future.
The Offense Is…Conservative: The Tops are averaging 6.78 yards per pass attempts, which sits just outside the top-90. Before the Troy game, 65.8% (79 of 115) of the Hilltoppers pass attempts came behind the line-of-scrimmage or in the short range (0-9 yards). That same narrative continued against the Trojans, where the Hilltoppers upped the percentage to 69.48% on the season, with 107 of 154 pass attempts in the aforementioned range.
Upton Stout, JaQues Evans, and…: Stout and Evans are doing what they can to hold down fort for the Tops defensive unit. Stout has played 270 defensive snaps and has played exceptional, well-rounded football, arriving as the team’s key player in the defensive backfield. Evans leads the teams in the quarterback hurries and has been a staple in the front seven. Safety Kendrick Simpkins, safety Talique Allen, defensive edge Niko Cooper, and defensive tackle Terrion Thompson have solidified strong presences in the unit.
Through four games…: Luckily for the Hilltoppers, the first four games before conference play can be considered a “preseason”. With a 2-2 record, the Tops now know they need to figure something out in the run defense and run offense, they know who to play to win football games, and likely - they know it’s time to pull away from the conservative style that has blanketed this offense through four weeks.
Now, the Western Kentucky team begins a new season: conference play. On Thursday night, the Tops will host the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders in the infamous “100 Miles of Hate” rivalry the two programs have. Entering conference play, MTSU has compiled a 1-3 record, falling to tough competition in Alabama, Missouri, and Colorado State, and pulling their only win against Murray State.