BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Just two days away from their first-ever meeting with Big Ten foe Illinois, the WKU Hilltoppers hit the practice field for two hours under relatively cool temperatures on Wednesday.
Following the practice, defensive coordinator Nick Holt talked about his defense's performances last Friday against Bowling Green and his expectations as they look to contain talent Illini signal-caller Wes Lunt who threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-17 victory over Youngstown State in week 1.
"He can really throw the ball," Holt said of Lunt. "He has a ton of arm, and I think he's a big league passer. Offensively, they're good. I'm really impressed with a lot of their guys on offense."
Freshman defensive end Tanner Reeves, who contributed his first career sacks in the BG game, said the team wasn't satisfied surrendering 31 points and will need to improve against a physical Illinois squad on Saturday.
"If they don't beat you deep, they are going to try to pound the ball," Reeves said of the Illini front. "I think we did well (on Friday), but in my opinion (31 points) is too much. But, as our first game with a lot of young guys I thought we did good."
The game will be nationally broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 11 a.m. (CT), with Chris Denari, Jeremy Leman and Rebecca Haarlow calling the action. The game can also be streamed live via BTN2Go.com. Saturday's game will mark the 30th straight televised contest for the Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers return to the gridiron on Thursday as they continue their preparation for their first-ever meeting with Illinois. For the most up-to-date information on WKU Football, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUFootball or on Facebook by liking `WKU Football.'
