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| Western Kentucky Football |
The much anticipated 2012 WKU Football
season finally gets underway on Saturday as long-time foe Austin Peay visits
Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium for a 6 p.m. (CDT) kickoff in a game
televised on ESPN3.
This will mark the 42nd all-time meeting between the Hilltoppers and Governors in a series that dates back to 1940. WKU has never lost to APSU in Bowling Green (20-0-1), and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two schools.
This will mark the 42nd all-time meeting between the Hilltoppers and Governors in a series that dates back to 1940. WKU has never lost to APSU in Bowling Green (20-0-1), and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two schools.
Saturday's
season opener has been designated as the Live United White Out Game. Fans are
encouraged to wear white to the game, and the first 4,000 Fans will receive a
free "Live United" White Out t-shirt as they enter the game courtesy
of WKU Athletics, United Way, Fruit of the Loom and U.S. Bank.
Rare
Home Opener
Saturday's game with Austin Peay marks the first time the
Hilltoppers have opened a season at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium
since 2005. Ironically, that is also the last time WKU started a year 1-0
as it opened that season with a 63-3 win over West Virginia Tech. The
Hilltoppers are 54-33-5 (61.4%) all time on opening day - no score is available
for the first game of 1916.
Stat
Leaders Return
Outside of all-time
leading rusher Bobby Rainey, the Hilltoppers return every statistical leader
from the
2011 season. Senior quarterback Kawaun Jakes is back for his fourth season under center after
tallying 1,854 passing yards and 2,015 yards of total offense a year ago.
His main target - senior tight end Jack Doyle - is back after hauling in 52 catches for 614
yards. Junior linebacker Andrew Jackson emerged on the scene last year, leading the
Toppers with 109 tackles, while junior punter Hendrix Brakefield ranked among the league leaders averaging 41.6
yards per punt.
Veteran Toppers
Compared to his first
two seasons as head coach, Willie Taggart will be able to rely on a much larger veteran
presence on his 2012 squad. Nearly half of this year's roster (50 of 104)
enter either their junior or senior season of eligibility. That trend is
only natural considering that in 2011 only 34 of 103 players (33%) were
"upperclassmen", and just 29 of 102 Hilltoppers (28%) fell in that
category in 2010.
Three Toppers Named
Preseason All-SBC
When the Sun Belt Conference announced its official preseason
all-conference team in July, the Hilltoppers were represented by three of their
top returning weapons. Offensively, senior tight end Jack Doyle earned all-league honors after pacing WKU in
receptions in 2011. A pair of defensive stoppers were also named to the
team as junior Andrew Jackson - WKU's top tackler in 2011 - was one of three
linebackers selected, while senior Quanterus Smith was named among the league's top four defensive
linemen after ranking second in the conference in sacks last year.
Watch Out
Over a 10-day stretch
in July, the National College Football Awards Association released the
preseason watch lists for 15 of their awards. WKU was represented more
than ever in 2012 as three Hilltoppers were named to the preseason list for
four of those trophies. For the second straight year, senior tight end Jack Doyle was recognized among the best at his position as a
candidate for the John Mackey Award. He was also selected to the first
ever Senior Bowl watch list earlier this month. Junior linebacker Andrew Jackson was rewarded for his outstanding 2011 season by
earning a spot on the list for the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player). Jackson earned a
spot on a third watch list as he joined senior offensive lineman Adam Smith as preseason candidates for the Rotary Lombardi
Trophy (nation's best lineman or linebacker).
Toppers On The Tube
As the season gets underway, nine of WKU's 12 games during
the 2012 season are scheduled to be televised. Opportunities for the
other three contests (ULM, FIU and ULL) could be announced at later
dates. Three games - Austin Peay, Southern Miss and Arkansas State - will
be available exclusively online at ESPN3.com, while the Hilltoppers will have a
trio of regionally televised games at Alabama (SEC Network), and at home
against Florida Atlantic and North Texas (Sun Belt Network). WKU will
also appear on three nationally televised games on ESPNU at Kentucky, at Troy,
and home against Middle Tennessee. The contests with Troy and MTSU will
be Thursday night games.
