WKU Football: Tops Air It Out; White Surprises Red In Spring Game, 28–21
The Tyson Helton era now has something tangible with which to define itself. On a drizzly Saturday afternoon, the Tops various units battled each other in WKU’s annual spring game.
Spring games are generally glorified practices and the Tops chose to run minimal special teams all game. Under Mike Sanford, WKU was obsessed with the run, despite an inability to actually move the ball on the ground.
Well, Coach Helton made it a point to air the ball out. In a game featuring 700 total yards of offense (with a running clock late in the game), WKU passed for 612 yards, four receivers produced at least 95 yards and both sides of the ball showed some ability.
The Tops certainly were more effective offensively than most spring games, and in a surprise the mostly second string White squad surprised Red.
The Offense
Quarterbacks
In order, Steven Duncan, Ty Storey, Davis Shanley and Kevaris Thomas saw the field. Quarterbacks were neutral, so they saw action for both squads. The most impressive were Duncan and Shanley, both of which threw multiple touchdowns. Arkansas grad transfer Storey threw two interceptions to start the game for White, and later threw a touchdown for the Red team. Thomas looked every bit of a young, talented quarterback, throwing bullet passes but also making some poor decisions. For those looking for Thomas to immediately start, unless he magically shows improvement, he needs to wait at least another year.
Running Backs
All told, the running game barely produced 100 yards between the two teams, but in all fairness, after the two teams went to two-hand-touch after the first half, there was no reason to run the ball. Nonetheless, Jakairi Moses, KeShawn McClendon, Quinton Baker and Gino Appleberry saw the first minutes in the backfield. In my opinion, all but Baker showed some kind of burst or promise. Baker is also a known quantity, though. He has played on the Hill and is presumably better than his first seasons here.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
As before mentioned, several receivers were productive in the Spring Game, so perhaps the Tops will have some depth at this position. The receivers are mostly unknown, with no player on the roster knowing what a 1,000 yard season in the air feels like. There are no guarantees with this group, but 300 yards in the air is a great sign.
Offensive Line
This is more a known quantity, with significant starting and reserve experience nearly a full two deep in the trenches. The offensive line was for the most part very good, allowing the offensive units to produce respectable numbers.
The Defense
Defensive Line
Another known quantity, the defensive line should be one of the best units on the entire football team in 2019. This team has legitimate production at all four positions on the line. Something to watch going forward is depth. The Tops do need some backups to step up and be serviceable.
Linebacker
This is one of the most concerning positions for the Tops, and it is even more obvious now that Eli Brown is out. Very few are proven at linebacker, and the most proven is out until at least late summer. Eli Brown had a semi-hard cast on his foot, suggesting this wasn’t just a bad break.
Secondary
Another position with plenty of veterans and some All-Conference caliber performers, the secondary should be wracked with depth and talent. With the addition of Clayton Bush, who looked incredible Saturday, this unit is that much better. There is no way Bush doesn’t see the field and possibly start by the end of the season.
Special Teams
Punting
John Haggerty and Alex Rinella seem to be in a battle here, but if talent plays out, Haggerty should be your Topper punter for 2019. In typical Spring Game fashion, Helton had a long snapper and a punter punt to a returner who fair caught the ball. Not much to learn here, but without a doubt, Topper punting should be much improved.
Field Goal Kicking/Kickoffs
In my experience, not emphasizing something in a spring football game meant we don’t want anyone to know about it. If the Tops had an All-American, you could bet a million that a few field goals would get kicked. Instead, the Tops went for it on fourth down and did not kick extra points. Perhaps this issue is resolved when Cory Munson, top five Class of 2019 kicker arrives for the fall.
Overall Impression
Basically, spring games mean nothing except showing flashes of talent. Sure, they can sometimes indicate the direction of a season, but they are a snapshot of an incomplete team four and a half months before the first game.
However, this team already feels more hopeful than 2018. The two sides were competitive, and there was enough depth for both teams to have decent football all the way through the football game. Both teams competed, and all of the positions of concern showed some production.
The main thing is the direction of Tyson Helton. Is Helton going to be a good coach that brings his players along with him? Mike Sanford struggled in getting his players to buy into his regime, and ultimately, he failed magnificently because his players were not on board with him and his staff.
Topper fans will now turn to hoping baseball can make the conference tournament, softball continuing their incredible season, and hoping no bad basketball news comes during the summer. However, Topper fans should go to bed with a good feeling about the direction of the football program this summer.
