OSM{Western Kentucky}: A long season

I think the Hilltoppers would prefer that I be short on the details of their 2009 season. It was their first as a full fledged member of I-A, having been a reclassifying member the last two seasons, and the first playing football in the Sun Belt Conference.

After losing their first three games, the rest of the year went like this.

September 27--Lost 38-22 at Navy.

October 10--Lost 37-22 to Florida International.

October 17--Lost 30-22 to Louisiana Lafayette.

October 24--Lost 62-24 at MTSU.

October 31--Lost 68-49 at North Texas. The game was tied 49-49 at the end of the third quarter.

November 7--Lost 40-20 to Troy.

November 14--Lost 21-18 at Louisiana-Monroe. WKU led 12-7 thanks to four second quarter field goals by Casey Tinius.

November 28--Lost 29-23 at Florida Atlantic.

December 3--Lost 24-20 to Arkansas State. The Hilltoppers started strong with two long touchdown drives to open the game, and after recovering a fumble kicked a field goal on the final play of the first half to go to the locker room leading 17-3. They took the opening kickoff of the second half and got another field goal to lead 20-3. Arkansas State scored a touchdown at the very end of the third quarter, but then midway through the fourth, they missed a field goal. So WKU gets the ball back leading 20-10 with 7:02 to play. After two 2-yard runs, WKU's QB Kawaun Jakes throws an interception that was returned to the 4 yard line, and punched in for a touchdown on the next play. No problem. WKU still has a three point lead with 5 minutes left. After Jakes rushes for 3 yards, he was sacked for a 9-yard loss, and he fumbled. It was thankfully recovered by the Hilltoppers. However, on the next play, he was sacked again, but this time, his fumble was recovered by Arkansas State's Alex Carrington, who returned it 27-yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:49. Jakes tried to lead them back, but in their last two drives, he was only 3-6 for 14 yards and a sack for a 6-yard loss.

However, Jakes is only a freshman, and he was second on the team in rushing. And he had a higher passer rating that UNC's T.J. Yates. Perhaps they have something to build on in the offseason.

Western Kentucky ends the 2009 season with a 20-game losing streak, the nation's longest. Their two victories in 2008 were against I-AA teams, and so they have lost their last 24 games against I-A opponents with their last win over a I-A opponent coming on September 20 at MTSU.