Western Kentucky Football 2010 Preview

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football 2010 Preview, Predictions, Picks, Odds

As the 2010 NCAA Football Season approaches, we are providing season previews for every college football teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best College Football Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2010 season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Football in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2010 NCAA Football Season Previews here.

2009 Record: 0-12 Sun Belt Record: 0-8 2010 Returning Starters: 17: 9 Offense, 7 Defense, Kicker, Punter

Coach: Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky and overall: 1st year)

Offensive Coordinators: Willie Taggart Defensive Coordinators: Clint Bowen

2010 Western Kentucky Players to Watch: RB Bobby Rainey, OB Matt Pelesasa, OB Kawaun Jakes, TE Jack Doyle, MLB Thomas Majors, DE Jared Clendenin, OLB Chris Bullard, FS Mark Santoro

2010 Western Kentucky Strengths:
With 20 straight losses and the school’s worst season ever In 2009, WKU has brought In a school Hall of Famer as its new head coach. With that comes some rnuchneeded enthusiasm for the newest member in the FBS.

2010 Western Kentucky Weaknesses:
After losing 20 straight games, the bulk of this youthful squad has really no idea how to win a football game at the college level. Also, Taggart has never served as a coordinator within the FBS, let alone a head coach. Some serious growing pains could linger this season in basically every facet.

2010 Western Kentucky Offense:

New coach Willie Taggart is implementing major changes on both sides, including installing a West Coast offense – a scheme drastically different from the spread-option lookWKU ran the past three seasons. Still, the main cog will be running back Bobby Rainey, who rushed for 939 yards last year, averaging 6.5 per carry. The race for the quarterback job is between sophomore Kawaun Jakes (who threw for 1,516 yards last season) and junior college transfer Matt Pelesasa. Jakes suffered a sprained ankle and missed nearly all of spring practice, opening the door for Pelesasa to be the frontrunner. On the line, senior guards Derrick Elder and Mychal Patterson will join senior tackle Preston King and junior tackle Wes Jeffries as the mainstays. Redshirt freshman center Sean Conway figures to earn a spot in the middle to start the season. At receiver, WKU wiIllook to replace the school’s all-time leading pass catcher, Jake Gaebler, with Marcus Vasquez, Quinterrance Cooper and freshman Willie McNeal- who earned MVP honors with more than 100 all-purpose yards in the spring game. Sophomore tight end Jack Doyle was one of WKU’s most consistent pass-catching threats a year ago, grabbing 37 balls for 365 yards.

2010 Western Kentucky Defense:

The Hilltoppers will switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme under first-year coordinator Clint Bowen. Defensive end Jared Clendenin, a two-year starter, leads the way up front. Sophomore end Quanterus Smith, moving from outside linebacker, had a productive spring and has the size and athleticism to make an impact up front. The linebacker corps will be led from the inside by senior Thomas Majors, who led the team last season with 101 tackles. Majors will be joined by outside linebacker Chris Bullard and strong safety-turnedoutside linebacker Orlando Misaalefua. Bullard and Misaalefua combined for 94 tackles a season ago. The secondary is by far the biggest question mark as WKU struggled to compete athletically in the defensive backfield for most of last season. Safety Mark Santoro should be back in the starting lineup, as could cornerback Jamal Forrest. WKU signed six defensive backs, and they all could have a chance to play right away.

2010 Western Kentucky Special Teams:

Casey Tinius returns after going 14 of 19 on field goal attempts. Hendrix Brakefield will take over the punting duties for the departed Jeremy Moore, a former three-year starter. Rainey is a huge threat in the return game, as he ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in all-purpose yards last season 1,050 of them coming via kickoff return.

2010 Western Kentucky Predictions:

A new era has begun with the hiring of former WKU standout quarterback Willie Taggart, who most recently was Stanford’s running backs coach. Taggart takes over for David Elson, who was fired midway through an 0-12 campaign. It likely will be another long year for the Hilltoppers, who hold a nation-long 20-game losing streak as they embark on their second full-fledged season as an FBS member.

2010 Western Kentucky Betting Odds:

Western Kentucky Current odds to win a National Championship: OFF

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