Interview: QB Eckels
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Football wrapped up its Tuesday evening practice as the Hilltoppers prepare for a Saturday, Oct. 20 game against Conference USA foe Old Dominion. Kick off at Houchens-Smith Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. CT with the game being streamed on ESPN+.
The contest will mark the 1,000th game in program history, coincidentally - yet appropriately - coming in the 100th season of Hilltopper Football. Four of those games have been against the Monarchs, all being wins, over the past four years since WKU joined C-USA.
Historically, the matchups have been high-scoring, with the Hilltoppers coming through with wins of 66-51 in 2014, 55-30 in 2015, 59-24 in 2016 and 35-31 last season in head coach Mike Sanford's first year at the helm.
Trailing 31-21 in the fourth quarter, former quarterback Mike White led a comeback with a pair of touchdown passes in the span of 1:22. With 7:41 remaining, the senior gunslinger hit wide receiver Quin Jernighan for a 30-yard score to put the Hilltoppers ahead 35-31, and the defense held the lead.
White reached five touchdown passes for the second-straight game, and was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week the following Monday.
This season, 1-6 Old Dominion ranks 121st in the nation in scoring defense (allowing an average of 39.1 points per game) and 128th in total defense (allowing 521.6 yards per game). Still, Sanford knows the Monarchs are much more capable than their record shows, case-in-point a 49-35 victory over No. 13 Virginia Tech on Sept. 22.
"You put on the tape, they're a 1-6 football team, but they might be the most talented team in our league from top to bottom, up there with Marshall and FAU, I really believe that."
Sanford continued, "You see a team that's dangerous and capable of doing all the things. Their one victory is against one of the top teams in America, in Virginia Tech. This game of football, every week's different, every week's unique."
WKU boasts leading rusher Joshua Samuel, who has posted 231 yards on the ground, as well as wideouts Jernighan, Lucky Jackson and Jacquez Sloan, who have recorded 287, 334 and 237 receiving yards, respectively, so far this year.
Despite a 1-5 record, there is still the second half of the season to turn things around for the Hilltoppers, and seniors like quarterback Drew Eckels are preaching to the entire team.
"It's all a learning experience. Everyone goes through adversity, it's just how you react," Eckels said. "The younger guys look up to the seniors, to our group. We're trying to let them know what road to take, instead of just hanging your head and being negative. You have to fight through it and you have to answer with the right things."
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