 Fresh off signing four JUCO players the previous day, the Hilltoppers kept on rolling by receiving a verbal commitment from Vestavia Hills (AL) defensive back Marcus Ward. Ward is a two-star prospect who possesses the proper size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) to get in the grill of opposing receivers and victoriously engage in press coverage. Ward also held offers from Air Force, Louisiana-Lafayette, South Alabama, Memphis, and UAB. Hankering for visual imaging? You got it. Ward Highlight Video
National JUCO signing day has passed us by and WKU head football coach Bobby Petrino was able to reel in four quality signees, let's take a moment to meet the newest Hilltoppers:  Maurice BennettDefensive Lineman, 3-Star 6-foot-3, 290 pounds East Mississippi Community College (Madison, MS) - Collected 11 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and one forced fumble in nine games of action in 2012. Highlight Video
 Connor Popeck
Offensive Lineman, 3-Star
6-foot-4, 280 pounds
Itawamba Community College (Fulton, MS)
- Anchored the offensive line on an Indians team that went 6-3 team in 2012.
 Lonnie TurnerWide Receiver, Not Rated 5-foot-10, 170 pounds Los Angeles Harbor College (Los Angeles, CA) - Nabbed 25 balls for 485 yards and one touchdown for the mighty Seahawks. Highlight Video
Dalton PattersonDefensive Back, Not Rated 6-foot-3, 188 pounds Arkansas Baptist College (Little Rock, AR) - Had 25 tackles with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup in 2012. Highlight Video
 Former Arkansas DT coach Kevin Peoples Apparently, there was a Bobby Petrino sighting at Buffalo Wild Wings last night! While that's not necessarily alarming news, the unknown gentleman sitting at the booth with Petrino ended up making news. Turns out it was former Arkansas defensive tackles coach Kevin Peoples, who the university confirmed is now a part of Petrino's staff. Peoples and Petrino soaked in Tuesday's practice from the stands, no doubt dissecting the ability of the players and the flavor of boneless honey barbeque wings. By: Sean Williams www.toppertalk.comWill work for followers: SeanWilliams_33
 It may be the first, but it probably won't be the last. On Friday, Kyle Bennett of 247sports.com reported three-star offensive/defensive tackle Joe Fennell shrugged off his verbal commitment to WKU and decided to follow former Hilltopper head coach Willie Taggart to South Florida. And so the typical domino effect that comes when a head coach changes area codes begins. It's likely we'll see more WKU recruits, particularly the Florida kids, jump ship to "Cigar City" and join Taggart and...DAH BULLS! Especially with reigning Sun Belt Conference Recruiter of the Year, Raymond Woodie, leaving WKU to join Taggart's staff at South Florida. No worries Topper fans, while losing a three-star commit might feel like a sucker punch to the kidneys, Bobby Petrino is on the recruiting trail looking to land some counter-punches of his own. By: Sean Williams www.toppertalk.comWill work for followers: SeanWilliams_33
 Bobby Petrino wasted no time in corralling his first recruit at Western Kentucky, two-star offensive lineman Kyle Jones confirmed his commitment on Twitter by saying, "just got off the phone with Coach Petrino!! I am now a Hilltopper!" The senior from Mulberry (FL) High School measures in at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds and judging by the picture, I'd say he enjoys playing some football. Jones was originally committed to Florida International. There are also conflicting reports that WKU has received a commitment from Devante Lee, a two-star defensive end from Simeon High School in Chicago, Illinois. Regardless, Petrino seems to be hitting the recruiting trail with all-out force. By: Sean Williams www.toppertalk.comWill work for followers: SeanWilliams_33
 Heard any juicy coaching news lately? It seems WKU athletics director Todd Stewart pulled a David Copperfield over the weekend and swooned the biggest head coaching free agent on the market in the controversial Bobby Petrino.
I share the same opinions about the hire as my TopperTalk cohorts do...it's a great move by WKU. Someone was going to give Petrino a second chance, might as well be the Hilltoppers.
True, this marriage will probably be short-lived, but WKU is getting an excellent head coach that will be on his best behavior and highly motivated to succeed in order to achieve his ultimate goal of coaching for a BCS level school again. If that means one or two seasons of 8-10 wins and multiple bowl appearances for Western Kentucky football, I think most fans will take that.
Let's look at the financial genius of the hire. As we all know, Petrino signed a 4-year deal with a $850,000 annual salary and a $1.2 million dollar buyout upon breaking the contract. Another factor to consider is the $500,000 that WKU is receiving from Willie Taggart's buyout after he bolted to South Florida. Let's assume that Petrino will stay no longer than two seasons at the most, here are some financial scenario's for you:
Year 1 (2013)
$850,000 (Petrino's salary)
- $500,000 (Taggart's buyout)
= $350,000 (WKU actually pays)
If Petrino leaves after his first year ($1.2 million buyout), WKU could actually make a $850,000 profit. Year 2 (2014)
$850,000 (Petrino's salary)
+ $350,000 (paid from 1st year)
= $1.2 million (WKU actually pays)
If Petrino stayed for a 2nd season, it only costs WKU $1.2 million. If he bolts after year two, WKU breaks even in the bank account. While the marriage will be a flash in the pan, the money value is tremendous for WKU, and the free publicity and marketing that goes along with hiring Bobby Petrino...that's priceless! By: Sean Williams www.toppertalk.comWill work for followers: SeanWilliams_33
The divorce is final. Willie Taggart has bolted out of Bowling Green, Kentucky to be positioned in the prosperous, fertile recruiting grounds of Tampa, Florida and the University of South Florida. WKU athletics director Todd Stewart was willing to make Taggart the highest paid football coach in the Sun Belt Conference, but in the end, the opportunity to return to home was much too appealing for Ol' Coach T.
So, toss out the Willie Taggart t-shirts and phase out the catchphrases. It's time to move on. The football team has one more game to win this season. And an important job search to conduct.
- Reaction from WKU AD Todd Stewart, interim head coach Lance Guidry, and team captains Jack Doyle and Jamarcus Allen can be found below: WKU AD Todd Stewart's Statement Regarding former WKU head coach Willie Taggart: Stewart answers questions regarding Taggart leaving WKU for South Florida: Interim head coach Lance Guidry, team captains Jack Doyle and Jamarcus Allen react:
 The private jet has more than likely touched down on the tarmac in Tampa, Florida where former WKU head coach Willie Taggart will appear out of the airplane door eagerly waiting to greet his new employers, the University of South Florida.
Yes, Hilltopper fans, the inevitable happened on Friday evening, "The Thrill on the Hill" has officially left. It's safe to say the majority was neither surprised, nor shocked.
For the last two seasons Taggart has been classified as "a coach on the rise," having guided the Hilltoppers to back-to-back 7-5 seasons and a Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl berth this season. If their was ever a job that could take him away from his alma mater after three seasons, it was the South Florida job.
Taggart is now lodged in an area he knows very well, having grown up in Palmetto, Florida and being a star quarterback at Manatee High School before playing at Western Kentucky. He also recruits the state of Florida very well, something that former South Florida head coach Skip Holtz struggled with and it ultimately sealed his doom.
I told you the plane has touched down in Tampa, here is what Willie had to say about his new gig:
And if you're worried about the focus of the WKU football team as they prepare for the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl among all the coaching carousel ruckus, don't be. WKU has the ultimate bowl game interim head coach in defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, who will likely be named to that position on Saturday morning. If you don't believe me, just look at what he did for Miami (OH) back in 2010:
 WKU's "All-Everything" Antonio Andrews Records are made to be broken. And on Wednesday, December 26th, Antonio Andrews gets his shot to break Barry Sanders' single season all-purpose yardage mark that was set back in 1988.
Andrews currently ranks third on the single season all-purpose yards list, he needs 274 to surpass Sanders and be etched in the college football record books.
If your wondering how many times Andrews has surpassed 274 all-purpose yards this season? Just look at the last four games:
vs. Middle Tennessee - 392 all-purpose yards
vs. Florida Atlantic- 340 all-purpose yards
@ Louisiana-Lafayette - 342 all-purpose yards
vs. North Texas - 323 all-purpose yards
If you do the math, that's 1,397 total yards to cap off the regular season. You have to admit, those numbers are worthy of Xbox 360 video game lore.
On Wednesday, December 26th, the Hilltoppers will be making history by appearing in their first ever bowl game since transitioning to the FBS level at the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl in Detroit, Michigan. At the same time, Antonio Andrews will be looking to make a little history of his own. They call him "Mr. Everything" but by the time the final whistle blows inside Ford Field, we could be calling him "Record Breaker."
 It's only natural that the nation's leading sack-master be named the Defensive Player of the Year in his conference. So is the case for WKU's Quanterus Smith, who received that honor on Wednesday.
Six Hilltoppers graced the first-team All Sun Belt Conference team that included Antonio Andrews, Jack Doyle, and Adam Smith on offense. Smith, Andrew Jackson, and Jonathan Dowling earned defensive first-team honors.
In other un-shocking news, Antonio Andrews also made first-team on the special teams front.
Player of the Year
Ryan Aplin (Arkansas State, Sr., QB)
Offensive Player of the Year
Kolton Browning (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Jr., QB)
Defensive Player of the Year
Quanterus Smith (WKU, Sr., DL)
Freshman of the Year
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Fr., WR)
Coach of the Year
Todd Berry, Louisiana-Monroe
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Ryan Aplin (Arkansas State, Sr., QB)
David Oku (Arkansas State, Jr., RB)
Antonio Andrews (WKU, Jr., RB)
Brent Leonard (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Sr., WR)
Anthony Amos (Middle Tennessee, r-Sr., WR)
Chip Reeves (Troy, WR, Sr.)
Jack Doyle (WKU, Sr., TE)
Zack McKnight (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)
Micah James (Middle Tennessee, Sr., OL)
Aaron Fortenberry (North Texas, Sr., OL)
Kyle Wilborn (Troy, Sr., OL)
Adam Smith (WKU, Sr., OL)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Ryan Carrethers (Arkansas State, Jr., DL)
Tourek Williams (FIU, Sr., DL)
Emeka Onyenekwu (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DL)
Quanterus Smith (WKU, Sr., DL)
Nathan Herrold (Arkansas State, Sr., LB)
Jake Johnson (South Alabama, Sr., LB)
Andrew Jackson (WKU, Jr., LB)
Johnathan Cyprien (FIU, Sr., DB)
Jemarlous Moten (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DB)
Brynden Trawick (Troy, Sr., DB)
Jonathan Dowling (WKU, So., DB)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Special Teams
Brett Baer Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., K)
Brett Baer Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., P)
Reggie Whatley (Middle Tennessee, r-So., Return Specialist)
Antonio Andrews (WKU, Jr., All Purpose)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Kolton Browning (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Jr., QB)
Benny Cunningham (Middle Tennessee, Sr., RB)
Shawn Southward (Troy, RB, Sr.)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Fr., WR)
William Dukes (Florida Atlantic, So, WR)
Harry Peoples (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., WR)
Nexon Dorvilus (Florida Atlantic, Jr, TE)
Caylin Hauptmann (FIU, Sr., OL)
Leonardo Bates (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., OL)
Jonathon Gill (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Sr., OL)
Andrew Huval (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., OL)
Josh Allen (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., OL)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Tim Starson (Arkansas State, Sr., DL)
Omar McLendon (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL)
Alex Page (South Alabama, Jr., DL)
R.J. Young (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Sr., LB)
Tony Davis (Troy, Sr., DL)
Zach Orr (North Texas, Jr., LB)
Kanorris Davis (Troy, Sr., LB)
Brent Harstad (Florida Atlantic, Sr., DB)
Isaiah Newsome (Louisiana-Monroe, r-Jr., DB)
Kevin Byard (Middle Tennessee, r-Fr., DB)
Zac Whitfield (North Texas, Fr., DB)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Special Teams
Brian Davis (Arkansas State, Jr., K)
Will Atterberry (North Texas, Sr., P)
Deon Anthony (Troy, Jr., All Purpose)
Antonio Andrews (WKU, Jr., RS)
*Kawaun Jakes and Jamarcus Allen received honorable mention.
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