The Hilltoppers are clicking at the right time.
WKU Football, after starting the season 2-0, dropped its first road game of the season to Toledo, getting completely outmatched on both sides of the ball. From there, however, the Hilltoppers have rattled off three straight wins to enter the second half of their season 5-1.
Most recently, the Hilltoppers overcame a 16-10 third-quarter deficit against Missouri and a 17-10 third-quarter deficit against Delaware, showcasing the team’s ability to come from behind and win against tough conference competition. The rewards for their labor are a 5-1 record (3-0 CUSA) as they head into the heart of their conference schedule.
With a home game against FIU next on the docket, here are my takeaways from the first half of the season.
The Good
The Hilltoppers have found a rhythm offensively, and it resides in the run game. Three straight games of 100 yards or more on the ground and two of three with 140 or more have allowed WKU to close out games. Wright had four touchdown runs against Nevada and Missouri State and has a 7.7 per carry average through that span. He shared snaps with freshman running back Marvis Parrish, but has effectively taken over the lead back role, and has been effective.
The Hilltoppers can continue to see success if they continue this rushing attack, taking the pressure off of quarterback Maverick McIvor. Speaking of, McIvor threw for 317 yards against Missouri State and 230 against Delaware.
Another positive is the defense, which has seemingly found an answer to their rushing issue. Delaware only managed 121 yards rushing, the lowest by any team on the ground this season. Despite rushing for three touchdowns, Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci had to rely on his passing to produce offense, as he only managed 55 yards rushing on 12 carries. All of his scores came from two yards or less, the Hilltopper defense limiting his big-play ability.
The Bad
The slow starts keep getting slower.
WKU has scored three total points in the first quarter in its last three games combined, with only one touchdown in its last four. They have been outscored 31-10 in the first quarter during that span.
These statistics highlight woes for the team in opening games. Tougher conference opponents will jump on this slow start and make the Hilltoppers play from behind. The Hilltoppers play two teams in conference play that are currently over .500, being Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State.
An even bigger problem for WKU might be penalties. Yardage totals of 85, 94 and 90 through the Hilltopper’s last three games show why teams have been able to stick around in these close games. Drives have been extended or shortened because of the extensive amount of penalties. Through their last three games, 25 penalties were accepted against the Hilltoppers.
Is it Ugly?
WKU leads the conference in total offense, passing offense and offensive efficiency. They lead the conference in points per game with 33.7, and they are the only team in the conference averaging over 30. Defensively, they are top three in passing defense, tied for second in points allowed per game with 22.8, and rank second in defensive efficiency.
All of that is to say, at 5-1, the Hilltoppers look sharp. Last season, they took a loss at Boston College on the road, and didn’t let it derail them. Similarly, they took a loss on the road at Toledo and have rattled off three straight wins since. With five remaining conference games and a road non-conference game at LSU, the Hilltoppers must stay consistent in order to make and win the conference championship game.
