Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: Last season was Western Kentuckys first as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, and the Hilltoppers fared rather well, with a 7-5 mark under sixth-year head coach David Elson.
The schedule was the toughest in the history of the WKU program, with six games against FBS schools. The Hilltoppers got a not-so-subtle welcome to the upper echelon of college football right off the bat, falling to defending BCS champ Florida, 49-3 in the opener. However, there were several key wins along the way. Among the most notable of the seven victories was a 20-17 win at future SBC foe Middle Tennessee, which capped off a three-game win streak for WKU following the season opener. The Hilltoppers also managed to close out the season by winning four of their final six games, which served as a solid building block entering the offseason.
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The essential players in WKUs spread offense return, which obviously bodes well for a unit that racked up 87 points in Week 2 last season and went on to set a school record with 266 first downs. K.J. Black and David Wolke split snaps at quarterback last year. Black completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns as a redshirt freshman, while Wolke connected on 62 percent of his attempts, for 922 yards and five scores. Wolke was injured most of the spring, while Black made a strong case to be the full- time starter. Whoever is under center, they will be looking often to wideout Quinterrance Cooper, who dazzled in the spring game (six catches, 178 yards) after emerging with a solid freshman campaign. Leading returning receiver Jake Gaebler (35 catches, 426 yards, three TDs) is also back. The coaching staff has spent a good portion of camp stressing the importance of controlling tempo.
"When offenses are good at changing speeds, it can really give teams fits on defense," coach Elson said. "Practicing this way also helps with conditioning. Weve got to be able to win some games in the fourth quarter, so practicing at this tempo should mean the games will slow down and be easy for them."
Running back Tyrell Hayden (1,134 yards, 10 TDs) returns, along with two other backs (Stephen Willis and Marell Booker) who both logged at least 50 carries while averaging nearly eight yards. However, the offensive line will break in three new starters. One of those "new" starters is the talented Greg Ryan, who redshirted last season but will now shift to tackle, after spending his first three seasons at guard.
DEFENSE: Both starting cornerbacks return on defense. Marcus Minor is the teams leading returning tackler (61 stops, six TFL, three FF), while Rashad Etheridge is a two-year starter who broke up a team-high six passes last season. Travis Watters (five PBUs) and Ryan Beard, the teams Most Improved Freshman during the spring, are in line to fill both safety spots. Starting linebackers Blake Boyd (47 tackles in nine games) and Alonzo Higgins (43 tackles as a rookie) return, while Ben Sowders and Darvis McBride are slated to fill out the remaining linebacking spots in WKUs 3-4 scheme. Left end Dan Cline (29 tackles, 5.5 TFL) is the only starter returning to the defensive line, although right end Kyle Anderson and nose tackle Terald Clark made plenty of big plays last year.
Health was a bit of an issue in the offseason, as Boyd (knee), Higgins (groin) and Cline (foot) all sat out during spring ball. Just how quickly they get back to full health could tell the tale for this unit early on.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jeremy Moore is back to handle the punting, after averaging a healthy 41.7 yards as a sophomore. There is an ongoing battle between Zac Minturn and Tanner Siewert to replace kicker Chris James, the schools all- time leader with 51 field goals. Etheridge and backup running back Bobby Rainey are in line to handle kick returning duties, while Gaebler figures to return punts again (14.5 yards per return in 07).
OUTLOOK: WKU wont be eligible for the Sun Belt Conference championship and a bowl berth until 2009. However, that wont stop the Hilltoppers from continuing to make strides in 2008. Notching a 13th consecutive winning season will not be an easy task with 10 FBS opponents on tap, up from six last year. Included on the schedule are trips to Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. There are solid playmakers returning at key positions for the Hilltoppers, but theyve never played a schedule quite like this before. A 6-6 record, or even 5-7 seems more likely.
