What a season it has been in Topper Land! The Tops went from being counted out, to racing through the conference schedule to end up in this week’s Conference USA championship game versus the UTSA Roadrunners in a revenge game.
Is your head spinning like mine is?! Well, before we get ahead of ourselves, we must look at the how WKU threw down against their moonshine rivals, Marshall.
Tale of Two Halves
If ever the was a complete 180-degree flip, it was Saturday. WKU was… how shall I put this… hard to watch. The offense barely moved, generating just three field goals in the first half. Quarterback Bailey Zappe couldn’t connect with his guys, Jerreth Sterns or Mitchell Tinsley. The defense looked lost as Marshall had all the momentum and marched down the field to score twice.
However, a funny thing about momentum is it can swing at any moment. It just so happened to swing for WKU coming out of the half. The Tops looked less like the stagnant offense which could barely get a first down and more like the energized “run-and-gun” style. The Tops rattled off 36 unanswered points and put the Herd to bed without any supper.
Line Me Up
We don’t always give the offensive line enough credit because our eyes are usually trained on Zappe or one of his receivers. Yet, its time to give a huge ovation to the WKU front line. Zappe stayed upright all but one play, thanks to the dominant performance of the line. The stout offensive line allowed Zappe a clean pocket on most plays, which he most certainly took advantage of. Even when the rest of the team seemed out of sorts at the beginning of the game, the O-line knew its job and worked it to perfection.
Balanced Attack
One of the biggest fears for me going into the Marshall contest was if WKU would come out one-dimensional. Sure, it’s no surprise the team will ultimately live and die by the pass. But, could the Tops do enough on the ground to shake up the Herd’s plan?
I’m happy to say the Tops did - 157 yards on 34 run plays was enough to help secure the win for the Tops. Albeit, much of the bigger yardage on the ground came after WKU had already jumped out to a sizeable lead. It was still good to see the Tops try to work in some more rushing work.
Special teams and the defense also made strong contributions to the game. DeAngelo Malone and Beanie Bishop wreaked havoc on Marshall, especially after their signal caller, Grant Wells, left with an injury. Special teamer A.J. Braithwaite got in on the act by returning a 43-yard kickoff return after Marshall started to regroup. That touchdown effectively shut down any momentum for the Herd.
Breakout Davis
The game ball for this week wasn’t caught by Mitchell Tinsley or Sterns, but rather fell in the hands of Daewood Davis. The Broward County, Florida junior led the charge for the Tops to take the lead. Davis caught two Zappe touchdown bombs for 47 yards and 50 yards, respectively, and gave the team a much- needed shot of energy. Davis, who transferred from Oregon, was the catalyst for Zappe. From there, the Tops turned the corner and changed the game.
Revenge is a Dish…
There is a lot on the line Friday night in San Antonio. I’m not going to use the overused cliché of “every thing is bigger in Texas” but the stakes are higher. The Tops are riding a seven-game win streak and a blowout of Marshall. Tyson Helton and the guys certainly have not forgotten about the only blemish on their Conference USA record this season.
This will be a “get back” game for the Tops. It’s a chance for the Tops to win its third Conference USA crown (first under Helton) and complete the rebuild that began after Jeff Brohm left.
For UTSA, it’s a chance to bounce back from an ugly loss to North Texas which ended their quest for perfection and will likely see them bounced from the Top 25. It’s also a chance to show the win against WKU earlier this season wasn’t a fluke. Plus, who doesn’t want to add a championship to its trophy case?
WKU can’t afford to show up to the game late like it did against Marshall. The Roadrunners are wounded animals they aren’t dead. So, coming out hot out of the gate will be imperative for WKU. North Texas had a lot of success on the ground against UTSA, racking up 340 yards total and six touchdowns. WKU’s run game has improved over the past few weeks, so it may want to push the run a little more this week.
The Tops will likely have a hard time with UTSA’s quarterback Frank Harris. The dual threat gave WKU fits the last time these two met. But, WKU’s defense was far less efficient then as it has become during the win streak.
It won’t be easy, but I believe the Tops can exact some revenge and come out on top this week and take home a conference championship before heading off to play in a bowl.
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