Hilltoppers

Earlier this week, Western Kentucky University football coach Willie Taggart criticized students in Bowling Green who like to wear blue and white University of Kentucky attire. Regardless of the reasoning, Taggart wasn't happy. Maybe he was trying to get students in Bowling Green to show pride in their school. Maybe he was fired up about his team's contest against Kentucky Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. For whatever reason, Taggart voiced his concern over his next opponent's uniform color and students who chose to wear Kentucky attire on campus during game week in Bowling Green.

West Jessamine's Lindsay Williams won't have to make many adjustments to her warddrobe. Williams signed with Western Kentucky University last Wednesday to play soccer for the Hilltoppers. Willaims helped anchor a team that won a regional title last year. "Couldn't happen to a better person, she's earned it," West Coach Kevin Wright said. "She'll go down there and do a great job. From the get-go, I think she'll fit right in. " The Hilltoppers are coming off a regular season conference championship.

Veteran Western Kentucky offensive line coach Walt Wells knows plenty about the importance of the Hilltoppers’ seasonp-opening game against Kentucky in Nashville Sept.1 and also has some interesting insights on new UK defensive coordinator Rick Minter: Question: How excited are Western Kentucky fans about opening the season against Kentucky in Nashville at the home of the Tennessee Titans? Wells: “It is a big deal for us at Western. Technically, it is a home game for us with the University of Kentucky.

The first meeting on the football field between the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University proved one the Hilltoppers from Bowling Green would probably soon want to forget. The UK defense continued its standout play, and the offense overcame a sluggish start in the first half for a 41-3 victory, with Kentucky tailback Tony Dixon notching two rushing touchdowns. "Overall, I was pleased with our performance," said Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks in the post-game press conference.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith bowed his head and clasped his hands after Western Kentucky lined up to go for two in what turned out to be the game-winning conversion in overtime Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. The gamble by the Hilltoppers paid off in the form of a 32-31 upset of the Wildcats and overshadowed Smith's performance at the end of regulation. The successful conversion gave the Hilltoppers their first-ever victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent in 17 attempts and left the Wildcats in desperation mode going into Saturday's conference opener at Florida.

BOWLING GREEN - Senior outside linebacker Brandon Smith of Lincoln County highlighted Western Kentucky's mini-scrimmage Tuesday with an interception he returned 45 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the practice session, giving the Hilltoppers' first-team defense as many scores as the first-team offense. Smith finished the mini-scrimmage with five tackles, two quarterback sacks, one interception and one pass breakup. Former Boyle County quarterback Brandon Smith, a freshman, was 3-for-5 passing for 51 yards in his first scrimmage.

Boyle County's Brandon Smith will be one of four game captains for Western Kentucky when the Hilltoppers open the season Saturday at Tennessee. Running back Tyrell Hayden and linebackers L.J. Harbison and Taurean Smith will be the other game captains. Smith will be making his start at Western against the Vols. The fifth-year senior won the starting quarterback job early in fall camp. Smith has played in 12 games during his career, completing 18 of 38 passes for 12 yards and a touchdown.

Vinny Zollo is back on the recruiting trail. Zollo, who just completed his freshman campaign at Western Kentucky University, was granted his release this week by Hilltoppers coach Ray Harper and plans to transfer to another school next season. Zollo said Friday he spent the past two weeks evaluating his future. “It was a long process that took about a week and a half,” he said. Zollo said the whirlwind of change within the athletics department impacted his decision.

RICHMOND - Within the cold concrete of the visitors' locker room at Roy Kidd Stadium, Brad Cloud wore the same face as his Western Kentucky teammates. But beyond the steely faces of disappointment that followed their loss at Eastern Kentucky Saturday, both Cloud and the Hilltoppers have much to look forward to in their remaining nine games. The Boyle County High School product, who is in his first season as Western's starting strong safety, said there will be many good days ahead this fall despite Western's 0-2 start.

Western Kentucky gave Darius Baughman an early Christmas present the Danville senior was glad to accept. After being offered a scholarship by the Hilltoppers during a visit the weekend of Dec. 18, Baughman gave an oral commitment to play football at Western Dec. 21. "They offered Sunday before I left, but I wanted to take a little time to think about it," Baughman said Wednesday. "I see a good future there. They've got a lot of young talent coming in. I feel I can fit in well down there, and that made me go ahead and decide.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith bowed his head and clasped his hands after Western Kentucky lined up to go for two in what turned out to be the game-winning conversion in overtime Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. The gamble by the Hilltoppers paid off in the form of a 32-31 upset of the Wildcats and overshadowed Smith's performance at the end of regulation. The successful conversion gave the Hilltoppers their first-ever victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent in 17 attempts and left the Wildcats in desperation mode going into Saturday's conference opener at Florida.

Earlier this week, Western Kentucky University football coach Willie Taggart criticized students in Bowling Green who like to wear blue and white University of Kentucky attire. Regardless of the reasoning, Taggart wasn't happy. Maybe he was trying to get students in Bowling Green to show pride in their school. Maybe he was fired up about his team's contest against Kentucky Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. For whatever reason, Taggart voiced his concern over his next opponent's uniform color and students who chose to wear Kentucky attire on campus during game week in Bowling Green.

LEXINGTON - From what Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart has seen of Kentucky, he's convinced “their offense is a lot better” than last year and that “people are not giving Joker (Phillips)” enough credit for the team he's put together this year. “I think they are a good football team,” said Taggart. The biggest reason is UK¿sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith.  “He understands the offense. I think the no-huddle has really helped them. He is efficient with the ball.

Kentucky's 47-14 victory over Kent State included a lot of impressive numbers for the Wildcats as UK had the Southeastern Conference passing yardage leader (Maxwell Smith, 354), rushing yardage leader (Raymond Sanders, 115) and receptions leader (Aaron Boyd, 11) in games played Saturday - something that I can never remember happening before. However, those numbers won't likely scare Western Kentucky, and not just because the Hilltoppers had a great chance to beat UK in Nashville last season before falling 14-3 despite having 234 total yards to UK's paltry 190. Two of Western's last five games have been played against the No. 1 team in the country.

Vinny Zollo is back on the recruiting trail. Zollo, who just completed his freshman campaign at Western Kentucky University, was granted his release this week by Hilltoppers coach Ray Harper and plans to transfer to another school next season. Zollo said Friday he spent the past two weeks evaluating his future. “It was a long process that took about a week and a half,” he said. Zollo said the whirlwind of change within the athletics department impacted his decision.

LOUISVILLE - Vinny Zollo is ready for a break. The Western Kentucky freshman and former George Rogers Clark standout will spend the next few days reflecting on a roller-coaster ride following the Hilltoppers' 81-66 loss to top-seeded Kentucky Thursday night at KFC Yum! Center. What a ride it was. In a span of nine days, the Hilltoppers captured the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and defeated Mississippi Valley State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss to the Wildcats ended a three-day tour in the Big Dance for the Hilltoppers, who rallied in the final four minutes with President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron looking on at the Dayton Arena Tuesday night in Dayton.

Veteran Western Kentucky offensive line coach Walt Wells knows plenty about the importance of the Hilltoppers’ seasonp-opening game against Kentucky in Nashville Sept.1 and also has some interesting insights on new UK defensive coordinator Rick Minter: Question: How excited are Western Kentucky fans about opening the season against Kentucky in Nashville at the home of the Tennessee Titans? Wells: “It is a big deal for us at Western. Technically, it is a home game for us with the University of Kentucky.

BOWLING GREEN (AP) — Funny how ending the nation’s longest losing streak can make the coffee taste better. Western Kentucky football coach Willie Taggart stopped into a local coffee shop on Monday morning and overheard another customer talking about his team, which ended a 26-game losing streak with a victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. “The lady was like ’He’s the most popular guy in Bowling Green right now,”’ Taggart said.

One official visit to Bowling Green was enough to convince Vinny Zollo to plan his college future. The George Rogers Clark senior standout verbally committed to Western Kentucky University Monday, three days after he attended the school’s “Hilltopper Hysteria,” a yearly event that ushers in the start of basketball season at Western. Zollo also visited Bowling Green twice before making an official visit last weekend. “It was great,” he said. “(Coach)

LEXINGTON — Depending on whether you are an optimist or pessimist, Kentucky’s 63-28 win over Western Kentucky could be viewed differently. For the optimist, there was a 42-point first-half scoring explosion that featured touchdowns by six players — receiving by Moncell Allen, Chris Matthews and LaRod King, rushing by Derrick Locke and Mike Hartline, and punt return by Randall Cobb. The Wildcats also did not incur a penalty — a sign coach Joker Phillips’ team was mentally focused against a team it knew it should beat — in the first half and had only two for the game.