Indiana Hoosiers @ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Recap

Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 21

When Western Kentucky lost to a pair of teams – Nebraska and Kentucky – that had reached bowl games last year, one could still say that the Hilltoppers were 0-2 only because they took on the big boys of college football and were willing to play far above their pay grade.

Now, after week three, that argument waged by WKU apologists and other defenders of the program’s administration are having a harder time making the sale. It’s becoming more and more apparent that Western Kentucky’s move to the FBS, up from the FCS just a few seasons ago, has created what is – at least temporarily – an untenable situation for the Sun Belt Conference newbie.

On Saturday in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the WKU crew played its home opener against Indiana. The Hoosiers have not been a consistent winner over the past two decades. The program enjoyed some success under Bill Mallory roughly 20 years ago, and then briefly tasted a bowl game under the late Terry Hoeppner. However, Indiana failed to make a bowl game last season and is always trying to fight its way upward in the Big Ten, usually without success.

On Saturday, though, a road game posed no problems for the Hoosiers, who cruised to victory and left Western Kentucky fans wondering when a victory – any victory – will ever come along again.

Ben Chappell completed 32 of 42 passes for a career-high 366 yards and three touchdowns for Indiana, which posted a 17-point, win on Sun Belt soil. Western Kentucky suffered its 23rd straight loss, as Coach Willie Taggart once again failed to do any better than David Elson did as the Hilltoppers’ boss last season. The decision to remove Elson was based on a “quick-fix” philosophy and the view that WKU’s deficiencies could be quickly remedied. This game clearly proved otherwise, because it was supposed to be Western Kentucky’s big chance to play a Big Ten team close.

That chance came and went by the boards without much incident.

The Hilltoppers took the lead early.  After an Indiana fumble gave WKU the ball at its own nine-yard line, running back Bobby Rainey led the Hilltoppers on a 91-yard scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run to put WKU ahead 7-0. 

It was all Hoosiers after that, however.   

Touchdown passes from Chappell to Damarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss, and a Mitch Ewald field goal, gave IU a 17-7 halftime lead. Chappell ran for a one-yard touchdown to put the Hoosiers ahead 24-7 early in the third quarter, then completed an 11-yard pass to Ted Bolser to give IU a 31-7 lead.

Chappell spread the ball to several targets.  Belcher led the Hoosiers with 10 receptions for 135 yards.  Doss caught five passes for 62 yards, Terrance Turner had eight catches for 55 yards, and Duwyce Wilson caught four for 53 yards.

Indiana was successful on 10 of 12 third-down attempts.

WKU’s Kawaun Jakes completed 13 of 20 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.  Rainey ran 21 times for 105 yards.

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