WKU (1-5, 0-2 C-USA) vs. Old Dominion (1-6, 0-4 C-USA)
Saturday, Oct. 20 | Houchens-Smith Stadium | 6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Oct. 20 | Houchens-Smith Stadium | 6:30 p.m. CT
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| HILLTOPPERS SEEKING FIRST CONFERENCE WIN AT HOME VS. ODU It will be the LIVE UNITED White Out Game on Saturday. |
The Matchup
WKU hosts Old Dominion for it's annual white out game. The Monarchs and Hilltoppers are both seeking their first C-USA victories of the season.
The game marks WKU's 1,000th in program history as well. Over the years, the Hilltoppers have compiled a 571-397-31 overall record for a winning percentage of 58.7 percent. The 1968 team, the first to play in Smith Stadium, will also be recognized during the game as part of their 50th reunion. Jimmy Feix' first team, the 1968 Hilltoppers were 7-2-1 overall, runner-up in the Ohio Valley Conference, and the last team in the nation in 1968 to surrender a point -- opening with five straight shutout victories.
Old Dominion and WKU have had some barnburners in the short series with an average score of 54-34. Last year's game in Norfolk was the closest as WKU escaped with a 35-31 victory in a back-and-forth affair.
The Hilltoppers are seeking their first home victory of the season after dropping their first two home games by a combined six points. On the calendar, it would be the latest WKU has gotten its first home win since the 2011 team beat UL-Lafayette on Oct. 22 in the fourth home game of the year.
How to Watch
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Subscription to the service is $4.99/month, but fans may sign up for a free trial HERE.
Scouting Old Dominion
The Monarchs, like WKU, are seeking to pick up their first conference win of the season and are coming off a 42-20 loss at home against Marshall. Old Dominion may be 1-6 on the year, but their lone victory is the biggest upset of the 2018 season - that coming at home against No. 10 Virginia Tech, 49-35.
Quarterback Blake LaRussa, who entered the season as the backup to Steven Williams, leads the Monarchs through the air, averaging 269 yards per game. ODU averages 406 yards of total offense per game, and running back Jeremy Cox leads the ground game with 323 yards.
Defensively, edge rusher Oshane Ximines is the headliner of the group. A future NFL draft selection at defensive end, Ximines has tallied 12.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks through seven games. He's also forced a pair of fumbles and intercepted one pass. ODU is allowing 521 yards of offense per game including 240 yards rushing per game.
2018 Team Captains
WKU's season-long team captains were voted on at the end of fall camp, entirely by the players. In 2018, the Hilltoppers will have just two captains, both from the defense: senior DB DeAndre Farris and junior LB Ben Holt Holt's older brother, Nick, was a 2015 team captain at linebacker and both played for their father, Nick Holt, during his time as WKU's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2013-16.
Holts on The Hill
When Ben Holt was voted a team captain, he and his brother, Nick, joined a very unique and exclusive group as one of just two sets of brothers to both serve as WKU captains.
Elmer (1965) and Lee Murray (1962) also served as captains and for over 50 years were the only sets of brothers to both serve as captains until the Holt's in 2018. Lee enjoyed a Hall of Fame career on The Hill in various roles as an assistant coach under Jimmy Feix and administrator as well as color analyst on WKU's radio broadcasts in the early 2000s.
Youth Movement
WKU is in the midst of a youth movement and rebuilding a roster which lost multiple three- and four-year starters at a number of positions after the 2016 Conference USA Championship season.
Last season, 24 players earned their first career start as Hilltoppers on offense or defense, the fourth-most nationally, and 11 true freshman saw game action. WKU trailed only Ball State (33), Illinois (31), Baylor (27), and Coastal Carolina (25) for the most first-time starters. On the 2018 roster, 66 percent of the roster is comprised of underclassmen.
| CLASS | # ON ROSTER | O/D STARTS |
|---|---|---|
| Seniors | 10 | 91 |
| Juniors | 21 | 90 |
| Sophomores | 27 | 95 |
| Redshirt Freshmen | 10 | 7 |
| True Freshmen | 27 | 0 |
Rebuilding Up Front
WKU's 2018 starting five entering the season was also one of only three offensive lines in the nation to have all five position starters earning their first career starts at their position (UTSA, Fresno State).
LT Cole Spencer started five games at RT to close the 2017 campaign while Tyler Witt started the final six at RG. Both have now swapped to the left side while center Seth Joest and RG Jordan Meredith earned their first career starts at any position at Wisconsin. RT Miles Pate has been primarily a guard during his time on The Hill but bumped outside this fall under the direction of new offensive line coach TJ Woods.
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