SPRINGFIELD — Two desperate teams meet on Thursday, Oct. 8. Missouri State (1-3) heads to face Western Kentucky (1-4, 0-1) in its Conference USA opener at 7 p.m.
Missouri State has no time to lose. They want a quick start in league play. Casey Woods has consistently said the goal is to play meaningful games in November. To do that, the Bears must win road games in October.
“We have a great opportunity against a team that has been the class of our league for the better part of 10 years,” Woods said. “This is an enormous game for both of us.”
Western Kentucky has endured one of the toughest schedules in the nation. During non-conference play, the Hilltoppers faced No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Indiana, hardly challenging national contenders.
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The team’s only win is against FCS Mercyhurst, similarly to Missouri State’s win over Lindenwood. Last week, the Hilltoppers struggled in a loss to New Mexico State in its conference opening game.
The Hilltoppers were poor on third-down conversions and went 0-for-3 on fourth down. Missouri State’s defense has a chance to impose its will on an offense averaging just 11.8 points per game, ranking fifth-worst in the country.
“I do think that we have a relatively confident football team,” Woods said. “I think that they know we can be good. They know that we have to produce, we can't just talk about being good.”
Missouri State’s offense will try to find a spark as it did against Lindenwood and Marshall at home. In those two games, the Bears went for over 500 total yards.
It all starts on the ground for Missouri State. In the two games that the Bears looked the best, the rushing attack thrived. The Bears ran for over 180 yards against Lindenwood and Marshall.
Western Kentucky is the seventh-worst rush defense in the nation. The one-two punch of Breezy Dubar and Ramone Green Jr. will have to start strong.
“They (Missouri State) have a good football team,” Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton said. “I see a team that is getting better and better and better each game.”
This will be a game featuring tons of desperation. The Bears want to play at the top of Conference USA and need a win to reach bowl eligibility.
After a nightmare start to the season, Western Kentucky will be desperate to defend its home turf and get back into the win column.
“We have a football team that is hungry to win,” Helton said. “This is a game that we have to play at a high level.”
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Previewing Missouri State's 'enormous game' with Western Kentucky football
