Oct. 19, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Never one to back down from a challenge, the Western Kentucky University football team might face its toughest test of the season Saturday.
The Hilltoppers have made the move to the Gateway Conference, where three other league members join WKU in the national rankings. And, the Toppers travelled to take on I-A Wisconsin earlier this season.
Now, the Hilltoppers play host to 11th-ranked McNeese State as WKU celebrates its 72nd Homecoming.
In addition to the regular festivities surrounding the annual event, Western will also retire the jersey of former All-American Virgil Livers at halftime of today's contest. Livers, who still holds five school records, lettered from 1971-74 in the defensive backfield and as a return specialist, helping lead WKU to a 34-9 (79%) record and a pair of Ohio Valley Conference championships. And, he was part of the 1973 squad that was a runner-up in the first NCAA national championship playoffs.
As Livers watches today's action, he'll see that the Hilltoppers continue to field All-American players in the defensive backfield. FS Mel Mitchell (35-20 / 55) has picked up his game in the last month, collecting 10 or more tackles in the last three contests. CB Bobby Sippio (8-4 / 12) returned from a shoulder injury last week at Indiana State, and CB Joseph Jefferson (25-1 / 26) was named the Gateway Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Hilltoppers' last home game, a 24-7 victory over Elon on Oct. 6 in which the senior returned four punts for 77 yards and a kickoff for 47.
LBs Erik Dandy (44-25 / 69) and Jon Drummond (23-10 / 33) each had double-digit stops in the win over ISU, with the latter posting three sacks - his first of the season - in the last two games.
Their efforts have helped lead WKU to the top of the Gateway rankings in rush (103.7 yards per game), pass (120.7 ypg), total (224.3 ypg) and scoring (10.7 points per game) defense, with the Toppers ranking third in pass and scoring defense, as well as fourth in total defense, in the country.
And defense should be the focus of this week's game with McNeese.
The Cowboys have been just as impressive on that side of the ball, leading the nation in rush defense (51.5 ypg) while ranking second in total defense (210.2 ypg) and 15th in scoring (15 ppg). McNeese is also third nationally with a pass efficiency defense of 78.53 points.
SSs Hadley Prince (34-17 / 51) and Joe Judge (28-18 / 46) lead the group, which has forced 12 turnovers, blocked four kicks and scored three touchdowns. LB Ryan Garrison (21-12 / 33) tops the squad with four sacks, with LB Brad Archie (23-16 / 39) adding six tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 3? sacks.
The Hilltoppers will aim to stop an offense that is averaging 36.67 points per contest, which ranks 12th in the country. The Cowboys did make a recent change, though, as freshman QB Scott Pendarvis (30-22-0, 261 yds, 4 TDs) made his first collegiate start in leading the team to a 21-3 victory at nationally-ranked Southwest Texas State last week.
TB Aaron Pierce (80-442, 2 TDs) leads the team's ground attack, with backup Jacob Prim (49-277, 1 TD) adding almost 50 yards per game. WR Jermaine Martin (25-391, 2 TDs) needs two catches to move onto the school's top five list for career receptions, and WR B.J. Sams (17-350, 4 TDs) leads the receiving corps in yards per catch and touchdowns.
The Cowboys have a balanced attack, rushing for 187.3 yards per game while collecting 196.5 yards per contest through the air.
QB Donte Pimpleton (9-4-0, 70 yds) has led the Toppers to victories over Elon and Indiana State in his first two starts of the season, averaging 41 yards per game rushing during that time.
One week after RB DeWayne Gallishaw (69-394, 4 TDs) ran for a career-best 168 yards against Elon, RB Keith Brooks (83-411, 1 TD) took over the team lead in rushing with a 168-yard performance in last week's road victory. RB Jon Frazier (16-137, 1 TD) heads a group of three other WKU players in the offensive backfield with at least 100 yards and one touchdown on the season.
Both team's punters - WKU's Brian Claybourn (30-1212, 40.4 avg, 8 I20) and David Latta (34-1329, 39.1 avg, 8 I20) of McNeese - rank among the top 35 in the country. Claybourn comes off a performance that included a career-long 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter last week, which helped the freshman move into second among players in the Gateway Conference.
The Hilltoppers are ranked ahead of the Cowboys nationally in returns, thanks to the efforts of Mitchell (4-109, 27.2 yards per kick return) and Jefferson (13-168, 12.9 yards per punt return).
Just as the Toppers have faced a tough schedule, the Cowboys are taking on their second ranked team in as many weeks - they also opened the season with a 14-point loss at I-A Texas A&M. One of these teams will come out of Saturday with three losses, clinging to NCAA I-AA playoff aspirations. Which team will be up to the challenge today?
-- WKU --
