Starting 1-0 in conference play sets a precedent regardless of whether it’s the first game of the season, especially since it’s week 0. It shows that you can compete.
Here are my takeaways from the Week 0 win.
The Good
The Hilltoppers’ true air raid offense was on full display against Sam Houston to open the season. Quarterback Maverick McIvor’s offseason work with Head Coach Tyson Helton and new, but not unfamiliar, Offensive Coordinator Rick Bowie showed in his 401-yard, three-touchdown passing night. He added one more on the ground, and he accounted for 28 of WKU’s 41 points.
McIvor spread the ball around all night, finding senior wide receiver Matthew Henry seven times for 148 yards, redshirt junior wide receiver Moussa Barry for 90 yards on six catches and true freshman running back Marvis Parrish six times for 58 yards. Fast and effective, the Hilltopper offense scored at 2:31, 1:20, and 2:17.
The running game added 105 yards on the ground and created a two-headed offensive monster that totaled 506 yards of total offense. Outside of a fumble and a couple of stalled drives due to conservative play calling, that’s an A+ offensive day, or as McIvor said, “Just another day on The Hill, baby.”
The Bad
Last season, we witnessed a collapse of epic proportions with the WKU defense, which gave up over 200 yards rushing per game, as conference teams ran roughshod over them.
Did Sam Houston do that Saturday? Yes, and no. Quarterback Hunter Watson and running back Alton McCaskill had long runs of 55 and 52 yards on the ground, with Watson’s being a touchdown. Take those runs away, and 173 yards rushing for the Bearkats turns into 66.
The trend continues of WKU giving up 150 rush yards or more, with Sam Houston rushing with a 5.6 average per carry. However, WKU held the big runs to a minimum. Any other team that is just a little more threatening offensively will give the Hilltoppers fits if they can pass the ball any better than Sam Houston did. WKU must figure this defense out, as Helton said, or the train will derail again come November.
Is It Ugly?
Before you dust off the party supplies and declare WKU national champions, this is the first game of the season. The team may handle business in Week 1 against North Alabama, but the true test begins when the Hilltoppers head north to play Toledo. The Rockets nearly won in Bowling Green last season. WKU looked solid on both sides of the ball, but it’s like redshirt junior defensive back Jaylen Lewis said, “We’re gonna clean everything up. We’re gonna be ready.”
