{"id":18656,"date":"2025-11-02T16:32:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T16:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=18656"},"modified":"2025-11-09T15:22:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T15:22:32","slug":"slam-dancers-wku-defense-follows-tisdales-lead-as-hilltoppers-throttle-outmatched-new-mexico-state-35-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=18656","title":{"rendered":"SLAM DANCERS\/WKU defense follows Tisdale’s lead, as Hilltoppers throttle overwhelmed New Mexico State, 35-16"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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WKU QUARTERBACK RODNEY TISDALE JR.
PASSED FOR 304 YARDS AND FOUR TOUCHDOWNS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WKU LINEBACKER ANTHONY BRACKENRIDGE: ‘PASS RUSH AND COVERAGE, IT GOES HAND-IN-HAND <\/strong>…’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Western Kentucky defenders Anthony Brackenridge and Avarion Cole were bought up to the press box as Tyson Helton, the Hilltoppers’ eighth-year head coach, was finishing his presser with the assembled media on Saturday night at WKU’s Houchens-Smith Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hilltoppers had just crushed New Mexico State, to the tune of 35-16, and the mood was definitely upbeat at The Houch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brackenridge was equal parts philosphical and emphatic in explaining what had just happened, at least from the WKU defense’s perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Preparation meets opportunity,” Brackenridge said with a wide smile at the podium. “Pass rush, and coverage, it goes hand-in-hand … (The WKU linemen) made our job easier.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So there you have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WKU CORNERBACK AVARION COLE
COMES UP WITH AN INTERCEPTION
IN THE THIRD QUARTER.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WKU FRESHMAN QB RODNEY TISDALE, JR., (RIGHT)
FOUND SENIOR RECEIVER MATTHEW HENRY
FOR TWO TOUCHDOWN PASSES.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WKU redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale Jr. was making his first start with the Hilltoppers after a command performance — on the road, mind you — in the not-so-distanct past. (Last week’s 28-27 overtime victory over Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, Tisdale was quick to share the wealth after the Tops moved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in Conference USA play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was that sort of night for the HIlltoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I really have chemistry with all my receivers,” said Tisdale, a second-year WKU football player who hails from Jacksonville, Florida. “They’re my boys …”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boys went into the Hilltoppers’ final open date of the regular season with some pretty serious mojo heading toward Thanksgiving and the Conference USA championship game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“(It’s) great to be back home, and get a good conference win,” WKU coach Tyson Helton said. “Very proud of our football team. They worked extremely hard this week, and a lot of things showed up there tonight. The first thing we said was, ‘Hey, we’ve got to play great defense,’ and we did that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We got off to a little bit of a slow start, offensively, but I talked to the offense all week, and I said, ‘Guys, we’ve got out there and score in the mid-30s, and I’d be danged if we don’t hit right on the dot in the mid-30s.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE AGGIES SCORED THEIR LONE TOUCHDOWN
ON NMSU SAFETY STILTON McKELVEY’s
71-YARD FUMBLE RETURN FOR A SCORE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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NEW MEXICO STATE’s RYAN HAWK CONNECTED
ON TWO FIELD GOALS IN THE FIRST HALF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BUT THE TOPS’ MATTHEW HENRY
PUT WKU IN FRONT WITH
A 22-YARD TD RECEPTION …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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HIS WKU TEAMMATES AND
THE STUDENT SECTION ON THE BERM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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WKU COACH TYSON HELTON:
‘OUR DEFENSIVE FRONT GOT
AFTER (NMSU) PRETTY GOOD …’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Hilltoppers played like a contender for the C-USA championship, and the Aggies from Las Cruces, New Mexico, well, they basically just got played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tops’ defense didn’t allow a single touchdown, as NMSU defensive back Stilton McKelvey came up with a ‘scoop-and-score’ TD in the final 90 seconds of the game, a 71-yard fumble return to account for the final margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aggies dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Conference USA, so November figures to be a pretty long month in Las Cruces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hilltoppers, on the other hand, can take a quick break during an open date and then turn their focus to their ‘100 Miles of Hate’ rivalry with their C-USA neighbors in Murfreesboro, the struggling Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU, which is tied with Sam Houston State for last place in C-USA, gave a solid account of itself on Saturday, falling 24-16 to a stout Kennesaw State team. The Owls and Jacksonville State, WKU’s final regular-season opponent, share first place in the conference standings with 4-0 league records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WKU BACK LA’VELL WRIGHT
IS AN EFFECTIVE OPTION IN
THE WILDCAT FORMATION.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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NORMALLY RELIABLE WKU KICKER
JOHN CANNON CAME UP A LITTLE SHORT
ON THIS 53-YARD KICK IN THE SECOND HALF …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BUT THE HILLTOPPERS DEFENSE
WAS QUICK TO PICK HIM UP
WITH SOME HARD-HITTING TACKLES …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… AND THE HILLTOPPERS SAILED
TO THEIR FIRST VICTORY BY
DOUBLE DIGITS SINCE SEPTEMBER.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… AND WKU COACH TYSON HELTON
MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME
TOUGH DECISIONS AT QUARTERBACK.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Which means Western Kentucky has two C-USA opponents left on the docket, while Kennesaw State and Jax State each have FOUR.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As WKU linebacker Anthony Brackenridge put it, preparation is meeting opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Hilltoppers are quick to take it all in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re still right in the thick of this,” WKU coach Tyson Helton said. “Rodney (Tisdale) has a switch … If something bad happens, he comes back and makes plays.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a second-quarter interception that New Mexico State turned into Ryan Hawk’s second field goal of the evening, a 27-yard chip shot that put the Aggies in front, 6-0, midway through the second quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turns out, the Hilltoppers just needed a challenge on their hands, and the WKU defense was filling the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Tisdale started slinging the ball all over the yard, with precision and confidence seldom seen in college freshmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After WKU’s imported starter, Maverick McIvor, was held out of the Louisiana Tech game, Tisdale and the Hilltoppers pulled out the thrilling 28-27 victory, in overtime, on October 21 in Ruston, Louisiana. Tisdale threw into heavy traffic on a game-winning two-point conversion, finding WKU teammate Moussa Barry just past the goal line, to help put the previous week’s disaster to Florida International — a 25-6 loss in Bowling Green — in the rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tisdale and his Hilltoppers receivers were ready to chart a new path against New Mexico State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tisdale completed 30 of 38 passes for 301 yards and FOUR<\/em><\/strong> touchdowns — two to senior wideout Matthew Henry and one each to Barry and senior WKU tight end Jackson West — as the Hilltoppers controlled the clock before sending the Aggies on a long journey back to New Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of things can happen between now and Thanksgving, and it seems the Hilltoppers are ready to deal with them. Senior QB Maverick McIvor has been nursing a pectoral injury, WKU coach Tyson Helton confirmed, so the Tops would be wise to consider their options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like, McIvor or Tisdale. Or, Tisdale and McIvor. Shoot, redshirt freshman QB Tucker Parks finished the task at hand, sending the WKU Homecoming crowd into the night as a bunch of happy campers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, Helton is keeping his options open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The defensive front got after (New Mexico State) pretty good,” Helton said. “All of the defense took turns making plays … We’re evaluating where we’re at. Mav (McIvor) can play. Rodney’s proved good enough to play …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m very pleased with where this team is at … We’re going to be tested.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTSU comes to town on November 15. From most, if not all, vantage points, the Hilltoppers figure to be ready for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THIS LOADED CORVETTE WILL BE PRESENTED
TO A LUCKY HILLTOPPERS FAN DURING
THE MTSU GAME ON NOVEMBER 15 …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… MEANWHILE, THE NMSU EQUIPMENT TRUCK
WAS BOUND TO TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE
BACK TO LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… AND THE WKU DANCE TEAM
WAS QUICK TO GET IN
ON THE FUN AT HALFTIME.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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DWAYNE ‘RED’ MENDOZA, A MYTHICAL CHARACTER
FROM THE OLD WEST, IS A GREAT AMERICAN …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… TREATS, DADDY. PIPER WANTS TREATS …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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WKU LINEBACKER ANTHONY BRACKENRIDGE: ‘PASS RUSH AND COVERAGE, IT GOES HAND-IN-HAND …’ Western Kentucky defenders Anthony Brackenridge and Avarion Cole […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,1,20,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nationalsports","category-potpourri","category-thesec","category-wkusports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18656"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18874,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18656\/revisions\/18874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}