Western Kentucky football seeks return to form in Helton’s first season

When Western Kentucky’s 2018 football season, an abysmal 3-9 campaign, ended with a win against UTEP with less than 7,000 people in the stands, Athletics Director Todd Stewart knew that he had to make a change. Head coach Mike Sanford was relieved of his duties, and he was replaced by Tyson Helton, who had previously served as WKU’s offensive coordinator under Jeff Brohm, Sanford’s predecessor.

Helton promised a return to the offensive system favored by Brohm’s 2015 and 2016 Conference USA champion squads, one that involves taking risks and throwing the ball. At WKU’s media day on July 30, Helton said that the team had adjusted well during spring practice, allowing him to shift focus during fall camp.

“We’ve taken a big step there,” Helton said. “So really it’s about getting the guys ready for all the situations they’re going to be in. There’s so many things that come up during the season. Making sure that we leave no stone unturned and that our guys are well trained.”

One key to Helton’s offense will be finding the right starting quarterback. Redshirt junior Steven Duncan, graduate transfer Ty Storey and redshirt sophomore Davis Shanley all have experience at the position. Helton said it “was a very close battle” and he chose Duncan.

“Both him and Ty Storey were pretty even to be honest with you,” Helton said, according to a report in the College Heights Herald. “Told both of those guys I’m going with my first instinct and that was to run out Steven out there.”

Also, in the backfield, Helton has maintained throughout the offseason that it will be especially important to have running backs who can pass block. Helton was non-committal at media day, but he indicated that the Hilltoppers might not have one feature back and that carries might be split between the likes of sophomore Gino Appleberry and redshirt sophomore Joshua Samuel.

“We got four or five guys that we feel good about,” Helton said. “That are solid guys. Again they all have different skill traits too. We don’t have the, kind of that workhorse right now.”

On defense, the Hilltoppers have benefited from continuity, with Helton retaining most of Sanford’s coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Clayton White. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Juwuan Jones said that not having to learn a new scheme has made the offseason much easier for the defense.

“It was a relief to know that we’re going to be on year three,” Jones said. “The same system and we can just expand and build on what we already built last season and the season before and it just makes it easier to have the same defense.”

Scouting report

Head coach: Tyson Helton (first season).

Last season: 3-9 overall, 2-9 in Conference USA.

Returning starters: 10 on offense, six on defense and three on special teams.

Outlook: The ESPN Power Index ranks WKU 94th nationally out of 130 teams with a prediction of a 6-6 record (6.2-5.9, to be exact). That’d be a step in the right direction, but there would still be more work to do to get the program back to where it was when Jeff Brohm’s squads averaged 10 wins per season.

Question marks: Quarterback, or quarterbacks? Helton didn’t rule out using more than one QB this season. “It doesn’t mean, hey, this is absolute, this is the rest of the season,” Helton said of picking a starter. “I’ve had a lot of seasons where (I) had to play multiple guys. I’d like to not have to do that right out of the gate, I want the quarterback to feel pretty good that he is the guy.”

Game of the year: Western Kentucky vs. Louisville in Nashville, 4 p.m. Sept. 14. Both Kentucky programs have new coaches and are looking to return to form.

Herald-Leader Staff Report