Jump To Top of Page
Loran Smith: On Western Kentucky
By: Loran Smith
Through the years, with a few stops made in foreign towns and communities, I learned that the respect for an American education was over the top with most everybody, especially the Europeans.
With the passing of time, I learned that it was not only the major universities that brought foreign influence to the campuses, but also the smaller schools—including Western Kentucky.
One appealing feature, of course, was the cost, and in WKU’s case it has always had a beautiful campus. Bowling Green is a very pretty area of the Bluegrass State.
When it comes to sports, the Hilltoppers are best known for their basketball program. A few Athens’ old timers will remember WKU coming to Athens for the regional tournament in 1971. The Hilltoppers defeated Kentucky in the semi-finals, 107-83, and Ohio State in the finals, 81-78.
That was stiff competition for WKU, but they were keen on the opportunity to advance to the Final Four, which came about. They were led by 7-foot center and consensus All-American Jim McDaniels.
Years later, Jack Harbaugh, who had coached for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, coached Western Kentucky to the Division 1-AA national championship in football.
Everybody knows that his sons, John and Jim, have enjoyed great success in the National Football League. John is the head coach of the New York Giants and Jim is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Each has a former Bulldog on the roster, Ladd McConkey with the Chargers and Andrew Thomas with the Giants. The Harbaughs’ sister, Joani, is married to Tom Crean, who spent time in Athens as the UGA head basketball coach.
I got to know Jack Harbaugh years ago when he was at Marquette and invited him to Athens to speak to the Athens Touchdown Club. He stayed with us, and it was fun listening to his coaching stories, including the time he spent in Bowling Green.
He naturally had a lot of interesting stories about coaching at Michigan with Bo Schembechler, who was one of the most fundamental coaching enthusiasts ever in the business.
Running the football was the best route to victory in Bo’s estimation, and he believed in running off tackle and using the run to set up timely passes—a fact which did not endear him to the Wolverine fan base.
He and Woody Hayes had some head-knocking games that were like two heavyweight fighters slugging it out for four quarters. When Bo retired from coaching, his record was just shy of 200 wins but won 13 Big Ten championships and made 10 trips to Pasadena at the time when the Rose Bowl participants were the champions of the Big Ten and the Pac 10 conferences.
Bo didn’t fare too well in Pasadena, winning only twice, and the most astounding thing about his career is that he never won a national championship.
When Western Kentucky faced a budget crisis soon after Jack Harbaugh became the coach, the school came very close to shutting down its football program. In fact, Coach Harbaugh was told not to hold spring practice in 1992. The players voted to assist with fund-raising, featuring a campaign to sell season tickets and solicit contributions. The community saved the football program.
Both of Harbaugh’s sons, John and Jim, stepped in to assist with recruiting and scouting to assist their dad in the effort to save Western Kentucky University Hilltopper football.
The community’s efforts were duly rewarded in 2002 when Coach Jack Harbaugh finally won the national championship7445cashbI-+-
Through the years, with a few stops made in foreign towns and communities, I learned that the respect for an American education was over the top with most everybody, especially the Europeans.
With the passing of time, I learned that it was not only the major universities that brought foreign influence to the campuses, but also the smaller schools—including Western Kentucky.
One appealing feature, of course, was the cost, and in WKU’s case it has always had a beautiful campus. Bowling Green is a very pretty area of the Bluegrass State.
When it comes to sports, the Hilltoppers are best known for their basketball program. A few Athens’ old timers will remember WKU coming to Athens for the regional tournament in 1971. The Hilltoppers defeated Kentucky in the semi-finals, 107-83, and Ohio State in the finals, 81-78.
That was stiff competition for WKU, but they were keen on the opportunity to advance to the Final Four, which came about. They were led by 7-foot center and consensus All-American Jim McDaniels.
Years later, Jack Harbaugh, who had coached for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, coached Western Kentucky to the Division 1-AA national championship in football.
Everybody knows that his sons, John and Jim, have enjoyed great success in the National Football League. John is the head coach of the New York Giants and Jim is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Each has a former Bulldog on the roster, Ladd McConkey with the Chargers and Andrew Thomas with the Giants. The Harbaughs’ sister, Joani, is married to Tom Crean, who spent time in Athens as the UGA head basketball coach.
I got to know Jack Harbaugh years ago when he was at Marquette and invited him to Athens to speak to the Athens Touchdown Club. He stayed with us, and it was fun listening to his coaching stories, including the time he spent in Bowling Green.
He naturally had a lot of interesting stories about coaching at Michigan with Bo Schembechler, who was one of the most fundamental coaching enthusiasts ever in the business.
Running the football was the best route to victory in Bo’s estimation, and he believed in running off tackle and using the run to set up timely passes—a fact which did not endear him to the Wolverine fan base.
He and Woody Hayes had some head-knocking games that were like two heavyweight fighters slugging it out for four quarters. When Bo retired from coaching, his record was just shy of 200 wins but won 13 Big Ten championships and made 10 trips to Pasadena at the time when the Rose Bowl participants were the champions of the Big Ten and the Pac 10 conferences.
Bo didn’t fare too well in Pasadena, winning only twice, and the most astounding thing about his career is that he never won a national championship.
When Western Kentucky faced a budget crisis soon after Jack Harbaugh became the coach, the school came very close to shutting down its football program. In fact, Coach Harbaugh was told not to hold spring practice in 1992. The players voted to assist with fund-raising, featuring a campaign to sell season tickets and solicit contributions. The community saved the football program.
Both of Harbaugh’s sons, John and Jim, stepped in to assist with recruiting and scouting to assist their dad in the effort to save Western Kentucky University Hilltopper football.
The community’s efforts were duly rewarded in 2002 when Coach Jack Harbaugh finally won the national championship.
What to Watch: A Closer Look at Georgia Against Western Kentucky
By: Greg Poole
Western Kentucky gave up 323 rushing yards at Nevada, so Georgia could put up another big number on offense Saturday without really settling every question about its blocking. After a 63-3 win over Tennessee State, it is time to look past the scoreboard and see what is actually happening on the field. There is a lot to learn by watching how the routine plays unfold before the highlight reel starts.
A good place to start is with where Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens first meet a defender. If they are getting past the line of scrimmage before anyone touches them, that is a sign Georgia’s blockers are doing their job. But if defenders are meeting them in the backfield, even if a long run later makes the stats look good, that is worth noticing. Short-yardage plays are especially telling. Can Georgia move the line when everyone knows a run is coming? Those moments say more about the blocking than whatever the final rushing total ends up being.
When Gunner Stockton drops back, pay attention to what happens after the catch. He went 15-for-16 in the opener, so there is not much room left to improve the completion rate. What matters now is whether receivers catch the ball in stride or have to slow down and reach behind them. It is also worth watching if Stockton has a clean pocket to throw from. Sometimes a quarterback makes a nice play under pressure, but that can hide a bigger issue with protection.
On defense, Ajay Allen is the player to watch first. Western Kentucky’s running back picked up 102 yards on 21 carries at Nevada, so he can do some damage if given space. The key is whether Georgia’s first defender actually brings him down or just slows him up. If a two-yard run keeps turning into five, Western Kentucky will have more options on second down. And if Allen finds a big hole, the issue probably started before the last defender got there, so it is not always fair to blame the guy who finally makes the tackle.
The pass rush will require some patience. Georgia had three sacks against Tennessee State, but how many they get this week will depend a lot on how fast Western Kentucky gets the ball out. On longer passing downs, it is worth watching if the rushers can move the quarterback off his spot and keep him from finding an easy escape.
On quick throws, look for defenders arriving promptly enough to limit yards after the catch. An untouched quarterback throwing immediately doesn’t necessarily expose a failed rush.
Keep an eye on things once the substitutions start. Georgia played 26 true freshmen in the opener, and if the game gets out of hand again, there will be more chances for the young guys. Watch if the backup linemen are giving up quick pressure or if the defense is getting set before the snap. Watch for mistakes like false starts, confusion on substitutions, or leaving a receiver wide open. If Western Kentucky scores late against the backups, it is better to look at how it happened and who was on the field, instead of assuming the whole defense is suddenly a problem.
For a simple running assessment, note Georgia’s stuffed runs, missed tackles and penalties that erase gains or extend WKU possessions. Separate the starters’ work from later rotations. These observations will not settle how Georgia matches up with its toughest opponents, but they can show whether Saturday’s advantages are producing dependable execution. A comfortable margin should leave fans with reasons for confidence beyond pointing at the scoreboard.
Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread
