2013 Western Kentucky
College Football
Betting Preview
Schedule and Odds
Western Kentucky is coming off back-to-back seven-win seasons and now has former Arkansas coach leading the way in Bobby Petrino. While the Hilltoppers are losing some key players, Petrino is confident he can bring them back to another bowl Game.
The biggest question for the offense is at quarterback where a few guys are fighting for the job. The problem is that none of them have all that much experience, and to make matters more difficult, Petrino is switching to his usual pro-style attack. Antonio Andrews returns to the backfield where he was one of the most intriguing players in the nation in 2012. He finished with the second-most all-purpose yards in NCAA history. Offensively, he finished with 2,116 yards and 14 TDs, with 1,684 of those yards coming on the ground. A lot of receivers graduated, but the leader of them is Willie McNeal who made 43 grabs a year ago.
The defense is all set except for one spot on the field, their line. The best ranked defense in the Sun Belt loses Four senior linemen which means there are new starters across the board. If they can stop run and get to the QB much like they did a year ago, WKU will be fighting for the Conference title. All starters return in the back seven, including one of the best players in the Conference in linebacker Andrew Jackson who finished with 122 tackles last year.
2013 Western Kentucky Football Schedule
Aug. 31 vs. Kentucky (LP Field)
Sept. 7 at Tennessee
Sept. 14 at South Alabama
Sept. 21 vs. Morgan State
Sept. 28 vs. Navy
Oct. 3 at LA-Monroe
Oct. 15 vs. LA-LAfayette
Oct. 26 vs. Troy
Nov. 2 at Georgia State
Nov. 9 at Army
Nov. 23 at Texas State
Nov. 30 vs. Arkansas State
If the Hilltoppers can get another early season win over Kentucky, that can really get them going for another nice season. OUtside of their road Game at Tennessee, their non-Conference matchups aren’t all that difficult and may be some of the friendliest in the conference.
The focus for Western Kentucky in Sun Belt play will come in their back-to-back Games against the two Louisiana schools, Monroe and LAfayette. From there, they’ll get a nice Four-Game stretch against lower level teams which includes a road Game at Army. To finish the season, a home Game with previous Conference winners Arkansas State awaits.
The two major concerns for WKU is at quarterback and along the defensive line. If they can figure out those two areas, just a little bit, it shouldn’t be that difficult to find at least seven wins. However, with the ease of their Schedule, they should be able to get more than that.