WKU Game Notes
Kentucky Game Notes
Sun Belt Conference Weekly Notes
Monday Press Conference Transcript
Press Conference Audio - Coach Taggart
Press Conference Audio - Bobby Rainey; Thomas Majors
The Western Kentucky University football team wraps up a two-game roadtrip to start the 2010 season this Saturday when it travels to Lexington to take on Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. (CST) at Commonwealth Stadium. WKU is looking to bounce back after a 49-10 opening-week loss at #8 Nebraska, while Kentucky is coming off a 23-16 win at Louisville. Saturday's game will be televised live on CSS.
Common-wealth Occurrence - Saturday's game at Kentucky will mark the 289th meeting for WKU against another team from the Commonwealth in its 92-year history. The Hilltoppers hold a 174-99-15 advantage in those games against those 14 in-state rivals. A majority of the contests - 85 in fact - have been played against Eastern Kentucky.
Toppers No Stranger To the SEC - This will mark the sixth straight season - and seventh time in the last eight years - that the Hilltoppers have faced a Southeastern Conference school. Over that stretch, WKU has played at Auburn (2003 and 2005), Georgia (2006), Florida (2007), Alabama (2008), Tennessee (2009) and Kentucky (2008, 2010). In addition to its recent history against the league, WKU faced off against two other current SEC teams in the early years of the program. The Toppers dropped games to Mississippi in both 1931 and 1942, and fell in all three meetings against Vanderbilt between 1931 and 1938.
Run Rainey, Run - Junior running back Bobby Rainey rushed for a career-best 155 yards on 30 carries last week at Nebraska. He previous highs was 144 yards last season at Florida Atlantic. Dating back to last season, Rainey has now recorded more than 100 yards in three of his last four games, averaging 144.3 yards in those three games. Nebraska ranked ninth against the run nationally in 2009. Rainey also registered a career-best 36 receiving yards, and his 191 yards from scrimmage were the most in his career at WKU. The Toppers' 179 rushing yards were the most allowed by Nebraska since Baylor tallied 206 on Oct. 25, 2008.
Carrying The Load - In addition to his other career-highs, Rainey also ran the ball more than he ever has in his time on the Hill - 30 times to be exact. That was 11 carries more than his previous high of 19 last season against Louisiana-Lafayette. It also marked the first time a Hilltopper runner has registered 30 carries since all-time leading rusher Lerron Moore ran 34 times against Southern Illinois on Oct. 21, 2006.
It Doesn't Happen Often - Rainey's 155 rushing yards were the most allowed by a Nebraska defense since Colorado's Hugh Charles ran for 169 yards on Nov. 23, 2007 - a stretch of 26 games.
Not So Negative - Of WKU's 62 offensive plays on Saturday, only three went for negative yards against one of the top defenses in the nation. Of those three negative plays, one was a sack, one was a QB kneel at the end of the half, and the other was a tipped pass that was caught by an offensive lineman for a 2-yard loss.
Family Ties - There is one family connection between the programs at WKU and UK. Hilltopper senior wide receiver Seth Tamme is the younger brother of former Wildcat tight end - and current Indianapolis Colt - Jacob Tamme.
Road Warriors - Hotels, planes and buses will be nothing new for the Hilltoppers by the middle of the season. WKU will play four of its first five games away from home to start the 2010 season.
McNeal Debuts On Returns - Freshman Willie McNeal made his Hilltopper debut last week, and proceeded to rack up 169 all-purpose yards - including 132 on kickoff returns. He averaged 22 yards per return, with a long of 29. He also rushed for 19 yards and caught an eight-yard pass.
14 Make Debut - McNeal was one of 14 players to record their first game played as a Hilltopper against Nebraska. Only one of those to make their debut recorded a start, however, as redshirt freshman Sean Conway started at center.
Returning the Favor - WKU's four nonconference games in 2010 all come against teams from BCS automatic qualifier conferences. However, just one of those games - the season opener at Nebraska - is a "guarantee game". Each of the other three are part of home-and-home series. The game at Kentucky on Sept. 11 is the beginning of a new four-year deal, with WKU's home game being played at L.P. Field in Nashville in 2011 and 2013. The home opener against Indiana is a return game as the Toppers opened the 2008 campaign in Bloomington, and WKU will travel to Tampa, Fla. to take on South Florida on Sept. 25 after the Bulls visited Bowling Green last season.
96 and Counting - Despite the Hilltoppers' recent struggles, an impressive streak has remained intact and will enter its ninth season in 2010. WKU has not been held scoreless in a game since a 14-0 home loss to Western Illinois on Sept. 14, 2002 - a streak of 95 games. That is also the longest streak without being shut out of any team in the Sun Belt Conference. The previous record for consecutive games scoring was 88, set between the 1975 and 1973 seasons. After being blanked by the Leathernecks, the Hilltoppers dropped just one more game in that '02 campaign as they went on to capture the I-AA National Championship.
Game #900 Approaches in 2010 - When the Hilltoppers take the field at home against Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 16, it will mark the 900th game in the history of WKU football. Entering the year, the Toppers hold a 511-349-31 all-time record (scores are not available for three games played during the 1916 campaign).
