Bowling Green, Ky. Four members of the Western Kentucky University football senior class Dan Cline, Greg Ryan, Travis Watters and David Wolke will serve as team captains on Saturday when the Hilltoppers visit Troy for a 2:30 p.m. (CST) kickoff at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.
Cline, a defensive lineman from Centerville, Ohio, has registered five tackles for loss and a sack so far in 2008. That included a season-high five stops two outings ago against Florida Atlantic. Last Saturday against North Texas, Cline was credited with a pair of stops including his firs sack of the year and also blocked a kick.
Ryan, a Murray, Ky., native, continues to be one of the most productive members of the Topper offensive line. He received an overall grade of 92 percent last week against North Texas, recording a pair of pancake blocks. Ryan and the rest of the offensive line aided the Hilltoppers to a season-high 314 rushing yards against the Mean Green.
Watters currently leads the Hilltoppers with 57 total tackles through nine games, including 27 solo stops. The free safety from Louisville, Ky., also has an interception and two pass breakups on the year. He recorded seven tackles last week against North Texas, and has posted no fewer than six tackles in each of the last four games.
Wolke, a Mt. Juliet, Tenn., product, is coming off perhaps the best game of his Hilltopper career last week against the Mean Green. He rushed for a career-best 178 yards against the Mean Green the most rushing yards by a WKU quarterback since Willie Taggart ran for 218 against Elon during the 1998 season. In all, Wolke accounted for 268 yards of offense last week as he also passed for 190 yards. He accounted for four touchdowns on the day rushing for two and passing two more. On the season, Wolke ranks second on the team with 292 rushing yards, and has thrown for 895 yards and seven touchdowns.
Saturday’s contest with the Trojans will be televised live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. The broadcast will also be available locally on WKYU-PBS (Cable channel 11).
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