The Hilltoppers, fueled by optimism and anticipation, were ready for liftoff on their way to their biggest test of the season.
They didn’t make it off the launch pad.
WKU Football went into the Glass Bowl seeking its most decisive and convincing win of the season. It came away empty-handed as the Toledo Rockets ran rampant over the Hilltopper defense.
Let’s look at the Hilltoppers’ first loss of the season.
The Good
The best part of the game was the relief of the final whistle, which saved me from the numerous times Toledo’s band erupted into their first-down song. WKU started off slow and nervous. Early turnovers led to 14 Toledo points. From there, the defense grounded WKU’s offense, allowing just 59 yards rushing.
Despite the 24-point loss, the Hilltoppers showed resilience offensively. Quarterback Maverick McIvor threw for 235 and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 10 passing touchdowns through three games. Junior Wide Receiver Moussa Barry grabbed three passes for 110 yards. Freshman Wide Receiver Cameron Flowers grabbed two balls for 18 yards and a touchdown, but also threw a deep ball to Barry on a trick play for 39 yards in the first quarter.
The offense had moments where it looked like the offense from the first two games. Fixing the blunders could lead to success offensively moving forward.
The Bad
This game had some eerily similar moments to last season’s thrashing at Alabama. The Rockets took off for 307 yards rushing on 7.3 yards per carry. Toledo Wide Receiver Junior Vandeross doubled his production from the matchup last season, catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chip Trayanum rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while catching another. McIvor looked rattled and indecisive all game, leading to a devastating pick-six and numerous stalled drives.
The Hilltopper receivers had numerous drops on the night. The defense could not get off the field. The Rockets punted five times on the night, but only two came in the first half. One of the biggest contributors to the Rockets’ monster offensive day is the missed tackles on defense. WKU gave up a large amount of yards after contact and completely missed on open-field tackles.
The Hilltoppers have been notorious for their run defense problems, and moving forward against teams with mobile quarterbacks may prove to be problematic.
Is it Ugly?
We all got to see how the Hilltoppers handle tough competition. Away from the safety of the Houch, WKU was exposed, and the Rockets took advantage. A team can’t consistently win by giving up 45 points and 303 yards rushing.
However, the time for a wake-up call is now. Now is the perfect opportunity for them to get beaten down so they can reach orbit, especially with conference play coming up. The Hilltoppers are headed to a bye week, giving them much-needed time to tune up before Nevada comes to town.
