BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The WKU football team began preparations for the annual spring game with its 13th official practice of the spring Wednesday night at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. The practice opened up the final week of spring practice, which will conclude with Saturday’s 2:00 PM (CT) Spring Game.
One position group that fans could see plenty of action from on Saturday could be the deep group of tight ends. Despite the loss of Jack Doyle to graduation, tight ends Mitchell Henry and Tim Gorski return in 2013 as a pair that saw extensive playing time in 2012, while Tyler Higbee returns in 2013 after missing the 2012 season with an injury. Higbee has made the move from wide receiver to tight end, adding depth to a unit that offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm expects to be leaders for the WKU offense.
“I think the tight ends play a crucial role in this offense in the running game and the passing game as well,” Brohm said following practice. “They have to be versatile. We like the group that we have. I think they all have ability. They have been working extremely hard. Those are guys that are really going to have to be leaders of this team and carry the team. Right now we have four guys that are really competing and battling hard, and we are going to need all four of them.”
The tight ends in the new offensive scheme can expect to be versatile, not only with run-blocking, but also with explosive plays down the field.
“Tight ends are probably going to spread the field this year a little bit more and have more down the field plays this year,” WKU tight end Mitchell Henry said.
With the Spring Game coming up on Saturday, the Hilltoppers will have one more practice on Thursday at 7:00 PM (CT) before Henry and the Hilltoppers will finally have the opportunity to wrap up five weeks of practices with a game day experience.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Henry said. “We can’t wait to get out there. All of these weeks, we can’t wait to get out there and show what we have.”
The 2013 WKU Spring Game will be April 20 at 2:00 PM at Houchens-Smith Stadium in Bowling Green. The event is open and free to the public and will wrap up five weeks of spring practice for WKU football. The first 1,000 fans to the Spring Game will receive a free WKU football shirt, along with an opportunity to win tickets to see Beyonce in concert, along with a special fan package to the WKU-Kentucky game in Nashville, Tenn., on August 31. Fans can also enjoy tailgating prior to the game, along with a 1:00 PM pep rally on South Lawn.
Season tickets, along with tickets to the season opener against Kentucky on August 31 in Nashville, Tenn., are on sale now through WKUSports.com, or by calling 1-800-5 BIG RED.
