The Hilltoppers from Western Kentucky invade the Louisiana Tech nation this Thursday, October 6th at 8:00 p.m. ET. The match-up between the two schools can be seen on the CBS Sports Network. Western Kentucky is a slight favorite, penciled in at -2.5 and the over/under is 68.
Coach Skip Holtz continued his dominance over UTEP after a 28-7 home victory last week. The prodigal son improved to 7-0 against the Miners in his career. Louisiana Tech does sport three losses in 2016, but all three have been tightly contested affairs. In last year’s contest between these schools, Brandon Doughty led the Hilltoppers to a wild 41-38 Thursday night win, which was their seventh straight victory.
Western Kentucky (3-2):
Western Kentucky rebounded from their discouraging home defeat to Vanderbilt with an a 50-3 pounding of Houston Baptist on Saturday night. The Hilltoppers scored on their first eight touches and the game was over before it even started.
Quarterback Mike White is a big reason why. This year, the talented player has completed 87 balls for almost 1,400 yards with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions.
The Hilltoppers like to stay balanced and their ground game has seen its share of action this season. Anthony Wales and Quinton Baker have pooled together over 100 carries for over 550 yards and six scores.
Two wide receivers are certainly getting noticed by the Hilltoppers opposition. Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris have collected almost 60 catches for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdown nabs. Both seniors went over the century mark in last week’s contest against Houston Baptist.
The Hilltoppers have been a little better than average this year on the defensive side of the football. Against decent teams they have yielded their share of yards and points. Overall, they bend but try not to brake. Western Kentucky relies on their 15th ranked run stopping crew to keep other teams in low percentage third down situations.
Louisiana Tech (2-3):
Senior quarterback Ryan Higgins threw for over 190 yards and a couple of scores last week against the Miners. He also ran for over 40 yards and another trip to the end zone. This season, he has amassed 1,415 yards through the air. He has connected on 109 different throws, that have resulted in 12 scores and only two picks.
Jarred Craft is the go-to guy out of the Bulldog’s back field in 2016. The running back has scuttled for over 550 yards on 77 carries and has scored three touchdowns. The multi-talented back also has 13 catches and another touchdown catching the rock.
Trent Taylor has been a touchdown machine for Louisiana Tech in the first five contests. Taylor has accumulated 53 catches for 753 yards and eight scores through the air. On the other side, Carlos Henderson has 22 grabs for over 300 yards and another two touchdowns.
Louisiana Tech has had trouble stopping teams that like to toss the ball around. Texas Tech and Middle Tennessee State proved that. They rank 111th in the country giving up almost 300 yards a game. Unfortunately, the weak pass defense has them ranked at 29.8 points allowed a game (81st).
Trends and Notes:
The Hilltoppers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 conference games.
The Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
The Over is 5-2 in the Hilltoppers last 7 road games.
The Over is 4-1 in the Bulldogs last 5 home games.
Game Prediction:
The Hilltoppers should have bested the Commodores, as they put up 501 yards of total offense against a good SEC defense. Nevertheless, three turnovers and 11 penalties later they ended up in the losing column.
The Bulldog’s air-raid offense is a handful for any FBS defense to have to deal with. Now throw in the confines of their home stadium and it could be lights out for Western Kentucky.
Western Kentucky is averaging 44.3 points per contest and are well on their way to defending their conference championship from last season. Louisiana Tech isn’t offensively shy, putting up 37.5 points per game. Last year’s tightly contested affair was decided late in the fourth quarter.
This year’s game should be no different. The Hilltoppers will find a way to have the ball last, which will be just what they need to get by a competitive Louisiana Tech squad. Take the over 68 in another all out offensive battle and we here at GMS think Western Kentucky is a field goal better.
Take the over 68 or the Hilltoppers to cover the -2.5.
