WKU beats ULL 42-23, ends 18-game home losing streak
October 23, 2011
The final losing streak is finally dead.
It took three years, one month and two days after
beating Murray State on Sept. 20, 2008 before WKU got another home
football win.
That long-awaited victory came on Homecoming Saturday
as the Toppers beat Louisiana-Lafayette 42-23 in front of 15,122 at
Smith Stadium, ending their 18-game home losing streak.
WKU (3-4, 3-1 Sun Belt Conference) is now riding a
three-game winning streak and stands alone in third place in the
league standings.
“Every week we’d come home people would talk about
getting rid of this losing streak, getting rid of this losing
streak, and not one time people would talk about winning,” Head
Coach Willie Taggart said. “We don’t talk about losing no more. All
we talk about is winning.”
Taggart and the Toppers snapped a 26-game overall
losing streak last season, also coming against ULL.
But WKU couldn’t quite break through at home.
In the past calendar year the Toppers had endured
losses to Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee State and Arkansas
State in which they gave up second half leads.
That all came to an end Saturday.
The Toppers took a quick 7-0 lead, led 21-17 at
halftime and stretched the margin throughout the second half.
When the fourth quarter clock hit zeros, students,
family members and other fans flooded the field and mobbed the
team.
“They had been hungry for a win around here for a
long time, and we had been teasing them for a long time,” Taggart
said. “It was really good to see everybody smiling and everybody
happy. I had missed that.”
Saturday WKU got big performances from its star
running back, senior Bobby Rainey, and star tight end, junior Jack
Doyle.
Rainey ran 32 times for 206 yards and a career-high
three touchdowns, while Doyle notched seven receptions for 106
yards.
But it was the performance of junior quarterback
Kawaun Jakes that really impressed Taggart.
Jakes had been slowed down throughout the week
because of a thigh bruise sustained last Saturday against FAU.
So the dual-threat quarterback did it through the air
against the Ragin’ Cajuns, going 15-of-18 for 242 yards with one
touchdown and one interception.
“I tell you what, he needs to be hurt out there every
week,” Taggart said smiling. “He was hurt out there, he couldn’t
run.
“He threw the ball really well in practice this week
and I think the injury helped him slow things down… We always said
the kid could do it, he needed help, and he’s starting to get
help.”
While the offense scored 42 points and gained 507
yards Saturday, it was senior cornerback Derrius Brooks who may
have made the game’s two biggest plays.
The first came late in the fourth quarter when ULL
quarterback Blaine Gautier, with his team trailing 35-23, threw
deep down the right sideline to wide receiver Javone Lawson.
Brooks, who had been beaten on several throws earlier
in the game, ran stride for stride with Lawson and batted the deep
ball away.
Later in the same drive, Gautier looked for Lawson in
the end zone.
But Brooks had inside position and he snatched the
ball away for WKU’s lone interception of the game.
Two plays later, Rainey sprinted 24 yards to the end
zone to put the Toppers up by three scores and put the game on
ice.
Taggart said a conversation with ULL Head Coach Mark
Hudspeth before the game may have given Brooks a little
inspiration.
“Coach Mark told me Derrius was a really, really good
player, he was really stroking him,” Taggart said. “And as I
thought about that they were picking on Derrius, so that made me
think they were telling me he wasn’t any good.
“I told Derrius what happened and told him to go back
out and play like he’s capable of… He stepped up and came back big
for us there at the end.”
Rainey gave the Toppers a 7-0 lead on the game’s
first drive, cruising in from a yard out, as senior left tackle Wes
Jeffries sealed the outside edge.
ULL responded with a Brett Baer field goal and had
the ball back when senior defensive end Jared Clendenin blind sided
Gautier, stripping the ball.
WKU recovered, and three plays later sophomore
fullback Kadeem Jones fell forward for a two yard score and a 14-3
lead.
The Ragin’ Cajuns responded swiftly, as running back
Aaron Spikes took a pitch play down the right sideline for a
79-yard touchdown.
The teams traded scores at the end of the half, as
Topper freshman tight end Mitchell Henry and ULL tight end Ladarius
Green both hauled in touchdown grabs.
Rainey and Green traded scores at the end of the
third quarter and beginning of the fourth, giving WKU a 28-23
lead.
Finally the Toppers gained a two-score lead when
Jones capped off a six-play, 54-yard drive with a one-yard
touchdown dive.
Sitting high in the Sun Belt standings, in the midst
of a three-game winning streak and having finally won a home game,
Doyle said there won’t be any more talk of losing streaks.
He said there will instead be talk of going to
Monroe, La. next Saturday and beating ULM for the Toppers’ fourth
straight win.
“Yeah it was great to win at home, but we’re on the
next one,” Doyle said. “On to Monroe.”
