(Photo Credit: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics)
Key Players Returning:
WR Mitchell Tinsley, TE Joshua Simon, OC Gunner Britton, OG Rusty Staats, OT Mason Brooks, OT Cole Spencer, DE Juwuan Jones, DE DeAngelo Malone, LB Nick Days, CB Dominique Bradshaw, NB Omari Alexander, SS Antwon Kincade, KR Dayton Wade, PR Michael Tinsley, PK Brayden Narveson, and PT John Haggerty.
Key Players Departing:
QB Tyrrell Pigrome, RB Gaej Walker, OL Preston Mixon, DT Ricky Barber, LB Kyle Bailey, LB Eil Brown, LB Damon Lowe, CB Roger Cray, CB Trae Meadows, CB Dionte Ruffin, and FS Devon Key.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: CB Tre Shaw (North Carolina transfer).
3 Star Recruits: CB Davion Williams (Michigan State transfer), LB Matthew Flint (North Carolina transfer), DE Michael Allen (Wake Forest transfer), TE River Helms (Lester, Alabama), LB Niko Cooper (Nebraska transfer), OG Cameron Stage (Bowling Green transfer), WR Daewood Davis (Oregon transfer), QB Bailey Zappe (Houston Baptist transfer), and QB Chance McDonald (Steilacoom, Washington).
2020 Results:
G01 at Louisville L 21-35
G02 LIBERTY L 24-30
G03 at Middle Tennessee W 20-17
G04 MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD L 14-38
G05 at UAB Blazers L 14-37
G06 CHATTANOOGA W 13-10
G07 at #11 BYU L 10-41
G08 at Florida Atlantic L 6-10
G09 SOUTHERN MISS W 10-7
G10 FIU PANTHERS W 38-21
G11 at Charlotte 49ers W 37-19
BOWL vs. Georgia State L 21-39
Team Info:
2020 Overall: 5-7 (3rd in CUSA East)
Home: 3-2
Away: 2-4
Neutral: 0-1
CUSA: 4-3
Non-CUSA: 1-4
Head Coach: Tyson Helton
Western Kentucky: 14-11
Career: 14-11
Bowls: 1-1
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: None
Rushing: Jakairi Moses (60 car., 319 yards, 4.5avg., 3 TD)
Receiving: Lucky Jackson (39 rec., 600 yards, 15.4 avg., 3 TD)
TD’s Scored: Mitchell Tinsley (4)
Sacks: DeAngelo Malone (6)
Tackles: Antwon Kincade (86)
Interceptions: Omari Alexander (1)
Pass Deflections: Dominique Bradshaw (10)
Tackles For Loss: DeAngelo Malone (10.5)
Forced Fumbles: DeAngelo Malone (2)
Kick Returns: Dayton Wade (9 ret., 147 yards, 16.3 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Mitchell Tinsley (5 ret., 6 yards, 1.2 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Brayden Narveson (13-14 fg/fga., 93%, 27-27 xp/xpa., 66 pts.)
Punting: John Haggerty (56 punts, 2560 yards, 45.7 avg., 19 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 4 Bailey Zappe (GR/TR)
RB: 3 Jakairi Moses (RS JR)
WR: 5 Mitchell Tinsley (JR/TR)
WR: 2 Craig Burt (JR/TR)
WR: 8 Jerreth Sterns (JR/TR)
TE: 6 Joshua Simon (SO)
LT: 70 Cole Spencer (RS JR)
LG: 56 Boe Wilson (GR/TR)
OC: 79 Cameron Stage (RS SO/TR)
RG: 75 Gunner Britton (RS SO)
RT: 77 Mason Brooks (JR)
KR: 20 Noah Whittington (FR)
PK: 46 Cory Munson (SO)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 10 DeAngelo Malone (SR)
DT: 97 Darius Shipp (JR/TR)
DT: 00 Jeremy Darvin (RS RS)
DE: 34 Juwuan Jones (RS JR)
LB: 5 Nicholas Days (RS SO/TR)
LB: 25 Bryson Washington (RS SO)
NB: 27 Omari Alexander (RS SR/TR)
CB: 9 Dominique Bradshaw (RS JR/TR)
CB: 14 Davion Williams (RS SO/TR)
FS: 2 A.J. Brathwaite (RS SO)
SS: 31 Antwon Kincade (SR)
PR: 5 Mitchell Tinsley (JR/TR)
PT: 47 John Haggerty (SR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: C
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: C
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: B
Punters: A
Schedule:
09/02 UT-MARTIN SKYHAWKS | Western Kentucky leads the series 4-0. The Hilltoppers won (71-0) the last meeting between schools in 2000.
09/11 at Army Black Knights | Western Kentucky leads the series 3-0. The Hilltoppers won (17-8) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
09/25 INDIANA SOONERS | Western Kentucky trails the series 0-3. The Hilltoppers lost (35-38) the last meeting between schools in 2015.
10/02 at Michigan State Spartans | First meeting between schools.
10/09 UTSA ROADRUNNERS | Western Kentucky won (45-7) the only prior meeting between schools in 2014.
10/16 at Old Dominion Monarchs | Western Kentucky leads the series 5-1. The Hilltoppers won (20-3) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
10/23 at FIU Panthers | Western Kentucky leads the series 8-6. The Hilltoppers are 6-2 since 2011, and their last series loss (17-38) was in 2018.
10/30 CHARLOTTE 49ERS | Western Kentucky leads the series 2-1. The Hilltoppers won (30-14) the last meeting between school in 2019.
11/06 MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS | Western Kentucky trails the series 34-35-1. The Hilltoppers are 6-3 since 2011, and their last series loss (10-29) was in 2018.
11/13 at Rice Owls | Western Kentucky leads the series 2-0. The Hilltoppers won (46-14) the last meeting between schools in 2016.
11/20 FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS | Western Kentucky trails the series 3-9. The Hilltoppers are 3-6 since 2011, and their lasts series win (52-3) was in 2016.
11/27 at Marshall Thundering Herd | Western Kentucky trails the series 4-8. The Hilltoppers are 3-4 since renewing the series in 2014, and their last series win (60-6) was in 2016.
Predictions:
Home: 4-2
Away: 1-5
Neutral: 0-0
CUSA: 4-4
Non-CUSA: 1-3
Overall: 5-7 (4th in CUSA East)
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