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NASHVILLE <span style=

“font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;”>— Sophomore

linebacker Andrew Jackson was Head Coach Willie Taggart’s admitted

favorite player throughout fall camp.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Jackson’s intensity

earned him the starting middle linebacker spot for WKU’s season

opener against Kentucky Thursday.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>And just as he had

throughout fall camp, “Angry” Andrew lived up to his nickname.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>He led the Toppers

with 12 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack in their

14-3 loss to the Wildcats at L.P. Field in Nashville.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Jackson and the rest

of the WKU defense kept constant pressure on UK quarterback Morgan

Newton, sacking him three times.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“We’ve been doing

that all fall camp, just getting better every day,” Jackson said of

the defensive pressure. “It showed tonight.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Jackson, who said

earlier in the week that going against Southeastern Conference

competition motivated him, said he felt the teams were on an even

playing field Thursday.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“It was just another

football game. I told my defensive guys we’re not going to bow down

any more,” Jackson said. “I told my guys that everybody else

picking on us because we haven’t had a winning record.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“I really can’t hang

my head. We lost by 11 points to an SEC team that’s supposed to be

a good team, so I really can’t be mad.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>It would be

understandable for Jackson to say he was frustrated about

Thursday’s game, considering how a strong defensive performance

fell to the wayside thanks to a lackluster Topper offense that

produced just 93 yards through the air.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>But Jackson instead

expressed confidence that the offense will get back on track in the

team’s next game, Sept. 10 against Navy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“In time, it’s going

to get better,” Jackson said. “I wouldn’t really take nothing from

that, it’s our first game. It’s going to get popping against

Navy.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Keeping

Kawaun up

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

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Kawaun Jakes struggled Thursday, going 9-of-27 for 93 yards and

throwing four interceptions.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Following the game

Taggart said much of WKU’s problems passing resulted not from

Jakes’ decision making, but from an offensive line that struggled

to keep him upright.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Senior running back

Bobby Rainey agreed, saying the team needed to block better.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“We’ve got to give

Kawaun more time to throw the ball,” Rainey said. “Like Coach

Taggart said, he’s on the ground too much and we’ve got to get him

off the ground.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Taggart said

positions along the offensive line may be up for grabs.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“We’ll evaluate that

very, very well starting tonight,” Taggart said. “We’ll make sure

we get that corrected.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“We can’t make any

throws if Kawaun is on his back.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Battle of

the punters 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>In a game as ugly as

Thursday’s, field position was especially important.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>UK punter Ryan

Tydlacka and WKU sophomore Hendrix Brakefield dueled all night in

the field position category, consistently firing off long punts

that flipped field position.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Tydlacka punted

eight times, averaging 47.1 yards a kick, while Brakefield fired

eight punts with a 44.6-yard average.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Brakefield, who was

elected as WKU’s special teams captain for the 2011 season, earned

postgame praise from Taggart.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“He did a great

job,” Taggart said. “We always thought that this kid could be

really, really good.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>“He was young last

year and now he’s getting better. He’s got a chance to be a big

time punter for us.” 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>Additional

notes 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>The announced

attendance at L.P. Field on Thursday was 24,599, meaning that more

than 40,000 seats at the stadium were empty. The crowd would’ve

been over capacity at WKU’s home field, Smith Stadium, by 2,486

seats. Additionally, the crowd was just 120 fans more than the

24,479 that packed UK basketball’s Rupp Arena Jan. 2, 2010 to watch

the Wildcats defeat Louisville… With 105 rushing yards, Rainey

surpassed 100 rushing yards for the sixth consecutive game, dating

to last season. He is two games away from tying Antwan Floyd’s

school record of eight… Two Toppers, sophomore safety Vince

Williams and senior defensive end Jared Clendenin, made their first

career interceptions Thursday. Clendenin made his on a ball that

bounced off umpire Brent Sowell and Wildcat guard Stuart Hines… WKU

is now 2-11 under Taggart, and Jakes’ record as a starting

quarterback falls 2-19 as a starting quarterback.