WKU-Rice: Storylines, players to watch, more
Western Kentucky and Rice are set to kickoff a new season Thursday evening in one of just three conference matchups on college football’s opening-week slate.
The Hilltoppers -- winners of 12 games, a Conference USA title and the Miami Beach Bowl a season ago -- welcome the Owls to Smith Stadium for the second all-time meeting between the programs.
WKU was selected to finish second in C-USA's East Division in this year’s preseason coaches poll behind rival Middle Tennessee, while Rice was picked third in the West Division. The Hilltoppers return 55 letterwinners, including 14 starters. Rice returns 52 letterwinners and 19 starters, including nine on defense.
More on Thursday’s game:
MATCHUP
Rice at WKU
Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Ky., 8 p.m. ET
RECORDS
WKU enters off a 12-2 record last year. The Hilltoppers ended the season at No. 24 in the AP poll. Rice went 5-7 in 2015.
ON THE AIR
TV: CBS Sports Network
Internet radio: WKUSports.tv
FAVORITE
WKU by 17 (Bovada)
SERIES
WKU beat Rice 49-10 on Oct. 3, 2015 in the teams' only meeting.
COACHES
Former Trinity High School and University of Louisville standout and assistant coach Jeff Brohm owns a 20-7 record in his third year with the Hilltoppers. David Bailiff is 53-60 in his 10th year at Rice.
STORYLINES
► Redshirt junior Mike White, a two-year starter at South Florida, will assume duties at quarterback for the Hilltoppers following the departure of accomplished signal-caller Brandon Doughty. White, who sat out a year due to NCAA transfer requirements, completed 122 of 242 attempts as a sophomore in 2014 for 1,639 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
► The WKU defense boasts a wealth of experience despite returning just four starters. Seniors Marcus Ward and Branden Leston return in the starting safety slots while juniors Derik Overstreet and T.J. McCollum return at defensive end and linebacker, respectively. Of the other 32 players with at least three games of experience from last season’s team, 21 return in 2016. That’s not including linebacker Keith Brown and defensive end Nick Dawson-Brents, Louisville graduate transfers and starters at their respective positions on the Hilltoppers’ depth chart.
► WKU will take the nation’s longest active conference winning streak (13) into its season opener with Rice. San Diego State owns the second-longest mark at 11 in the Mountain West Conference. The Hilltoppers are looking to tie C-USA’s all-time mark of 14 straight league wins set by Southern Miss from 1998-2000.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Taywan Taylor, WKU: A Pleasure Ridge Park product, Taylor set single-season program records for receiving yards (1,467), receptions (86) and touchdowns (17) as a junior last season. Taylor’s 2015 receiving tally ranks second all-time in C-USA single-season history while his touchdown total ranks fourth. The Louisville native had six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in last season’s meeting with the Owls.
Darik Dillard, Rice: Dillard is the Owls’ leading returning rusher, going for 698 yards and five touchdowns on 135 carries in 2015. The senior’s 1,746 career rushing yards rank 13th in program history. Dillard carried the ball 10 times for 21 yards in the Owls’ loss to the Hilltoppers last season.