One Hill WKU Shouldn’t Be Able to Top
For a school with nearly 100 years of footballing history, it was a bit of surprise to find that the official Western Kentucky football website doesn’t include an actual “History” section.
Minus the World Wars, the Hilltoppers have been playing football since 1913, going a perfect 1-0 in that first season by shutting out Elizabethtown High. Just short of 40 years later, WKU made their first postseason appearance in the unfortunately defunct Refrigerator Bowl. Successful stints at the Division II and I-AA level, including a national title in 2002, followed.
And now they’re coming to Lincoln under first year coach and former BMOC Willie Taggart as sort of an enigma.
Maybe they like it that way.
The transition from FCS power to FBS punching bag is rarely easy and Western Kentucky’s first year in the Sun Belt Conference was as ugly as they come.
The Hilltoppers went 0-12, fired their coach nine games into the season and finished in the bottom three of just about every defensive team stat you’d care to look at.
Offensively they do return running back Bobby Rainey and quarterback Kawaun Jakes, key cogs in a rushing offense that finished second in the SBC last year. It’s unlikely to matter against a defense like Nebraska’s.
In their season opener at Tennessee last year, WKU managed only 83 yards of total offense. As a 38-point underdog in some places, the Hilltoppers come to Lincoln facing the largest spread Nebraska has seen in at least the past five years.
Nothing is unthinkable any more, but a win by Western Kentucky is about as close as you can get. No disrespect, just the facts.
| 9/4 | at Nebraska |
| 9/11 | at Kentucky |
| 9/18 | Indiana |
| 9/25 | at USF |
| 10/9 | at FIU |
| 10/16 | LA-Monroe |
| 10/23 | at Louisiana |
| 10/30 | North Texas |
| 11/6 | Florida Atlantic |
| 11/13 | at Arkansas St |
| 11/20 | Middle Tenn. |
| 11/27 | at Troy |
For the sanity of this state, the game better be over by halftime.
The Hilltoppers will at least by familiar with Nebraska from an offensive standpoint. New defensive coordinator Clint Bowen arrives after spending the past four years at Kansas.
Considering that the anemic Husker offense had their best conference scoring output against the Jayhawks last year, maybe that’s not as good a sign as Taggart might hope.
The fact is that nobody likes these games. They’re only palatable when chased with the excitement of a new season but there’s at least a possibility that WKU might be one of the few true cupcakes left after this year.
While the move to the Big 10 will surely shuffle things around a bit from a scheduling perspective, future Nebraska schedules currently only go as far down the college football ladder as the likes of Fresno State, Wyoming and Southern Miss.
There are some open dates left to fill of course and undoubtedly those will be “pay day” home games but more than a five touchdown underdog?
That would mean that either Nebraska’s getting real good again or Western Kentucky has passed the mantle as college football’s
worst team on to someone else.
8/31/2010
these type of games should be banned by the NCAA. it’s not even a sporting competition. just a money grab. in the future the NCAA should limit the amount of home games so teams like Nebraska can’t just schedule payday patsies. as long as everyone is on the same playing field it wouldn’t hurt the program and the fans would get to so decent football rather than this yawner that i will not be watching
8/31/2010
Roger no doubt you are Not a Husker Fan if you are not going to be watching this game! As far as scheduling pasties talk to Michigan about a couple of the pasties they scheduled a few years ago and what happened! Also, some of yesterdays cupcake teams are now top 25 teams. The teams on the bottom only get better by playing teams on the top.
8/31/2010
Its fine to play these teams. It gives them some $$$ and national exposure. It is definitely better for David than Goliath though. I don’t care if we are playing the Lincoln SE middle school and ppv is $100, I will be tuning in!
8/31/2010
Hey Roger, you have no idea who will show up, if everyone in the program felt like you do they would fast forward to conference play but wait, what about week three, who knew back when they sched. The Huskies that Jake Locker would be there. I can tell you right now the Huskies are salivating and it’s not about the money.
8/31/2010
Roger
This game was scheduled by a horrid Nebraska AD who was fired with malice 3 years ago. Again, bottom line, WKU will get a nice check and respect from the best fans in the world.
8/31/2010
I just disagree with the spirit in which these games are scheduled. It gives the Huskers a warm-up game or two, and some easy “wins” on the record, but the games are not scheduled with competition in mind. Money has crept too far into the equation, and that’s not what college football is supposed to be about. So just because playing strong teams makes weak teams stronger, that’s just an unintended byproduct. I agree with Roger. One man’s opinion. GBR out.
8/31/2010
I can’t wait to watch my pay-per-view this week. Living in Texas is extremely hard but being able to pay to watch the crowd and see Memorial Stadium and “our” team can’t be beat. I miss being there and the great people in the state of Nebraska! This is as close as I can get and it is worth every cent! I thank God for the little bit of “home” that I can be a part of no matter how far away I am!
8/31/2010
When this game was scheduled WKU was playing for championships in division II and NU was on a express elevator for the basement of their conference. Remember the Exciting BALL STATE last second win from a few years back, who could forget that game. Remember the struggles that NU had with the likes of South Florida, Louisiana Tech. and So Miss. in recent years or even the upset by unranked Wash State in 1977. These games serve a purpose.
9/1/2010
Who cares, if people don’t like it don’t watch. The bottom line is its takes two parties to agree on a game. Well WKU did, yes for the money and for national attention. Nebraska did for tune up game for the season. WKU is not a 1AA school so the NCAA could not ban this game. Look at the the 1A schools that are playing 1AA teams the first week. There is always a ton in non-conference. Everyone takes there cup-cakes. 3Nout!
9/1/2010
Ahhh yes… The good ol’ patsy argument! I can smell the brats and grass already. Bring on game day! You know….Every now and then it’s fun to sea-gull your way into a message board following ANY article on a random college football team and give someone’s cherished team the ol’ patsy bomb! Just the other night I heard powder puff. Cream puff is common as well. K-State fans have probably heard more variations than any other. But let’s get creative here. What about “Cheesy Poofs”, or maybe “Speed Bumps” or “Skid Marks”. I invite Roger and everyone else to change it up a little. We can do this, people!