The Chippewas of Central Michigan will be going up against a high-octane Western Kentucky offense that puts up points among the nation’s best, averaging almost 45 points per game this season. Western Kentucky is led by Senior QB Brandon Doughty, the C-USA MVP who had thrown for 44 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, including 3 games of over 490 yards passing.
What Western Kentucky has on offense, Central Michigan hopes to match with its strong defense, which ranks an impressive 15th in the FBS in total defense. However, Central Michigan will be without their workhorse back Thomas Rawls out for academic reasons. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out. Here are a few players to keep an eye on in this bowl game.
By: Matt Vahey
Western Kentucky
Cam Thomas – CB #19, 6-1, 190
Thomas has good size for the position, both tall and possessing a long frame. This bodes well for him in both press coverage and against the run. Plays with good effort and is a more than willing tackler who isn’t afraid to back down. His temperament and competitive are one of the first things that jumps out on tape as he plays with a passion for the game. Thomas needs to learn to disengage against the run, as he too often gets locked up to make consistent plays in run defense. If he refines his technique and plays better assignment football, he will be an NFL starter in time. Thomas will likely hear is name on Day 2.
Brandon Doughty, QB #12, 6-3, 209
Doughty quietly had a record breaking season at Western Kentucky. He possesses good size, though he could probably add some bulk to help better prepare him for the rigors of an NFL season. Doughty has a gunslinger mentality, who is the beneficiary of the offense around him, but it’s clear he’s willing to take chances downfield and has a real command within the huddle and grasp of his offense. Doughty was recently just awarded a 6th year of eligibility, but it’s unclear whether the Conference USA player of the year will return or declare for the draft. At this point, while he’s on the NFL’s radar due to his eye-popping stats, he’s a bit of a dark horse to be drafted.
Central Michigan
Titus Davis, WR #84, 6-2, 190
Starting the year off on a low, Davis was injured and missed the teams first three games and the Chippewas definitely missed him in the lineup. When inserted into the lineup for week 4, Davis showed his explosiveness and why he could be the most dynamic player in the MAC and earned First Team All-Conference honors which was his second in a row and landed him his 4th all conference honors during his career. Davis has great route running abilities and excellent speed. Sometimes will take his eye off the ball when making an easy catch but make no mistake he is playmaker and has the ability to score on any play. He is definitely a prospect who could hear his name called during the mid-rounds of the draft.
Leterrius Walton, DT #56, 6-5, 300
Coming into the season, there was all the buzz about Walton in spring practice and how he had shed weight and was nearly unstoppable. It translated to the field this season and he gathered First Team All-Conference honors to show for it. One on one, Walton showed he was hard to block and is extremely disruptive in the run game. He was constantly double teamed as the season went on as more teams were seeing how easily he can negate a play. Some critiques in his game would be when being double teamed, learning how to split those double teams on a more consistent basis. Overall Walton will be a focus for Western Kentucky going into this game, and if they don’t account for him it will be a long game for the opposing offense.
Others to Watch:
Western Kentucky
Cameron Clemmons, OT #52, 6-6, 305
Mitchell Henry, TE #80, 6-4, 245
Central Michigan
Andy Phillips, OG # 66, 6-3, 306, 306
Justin Cherocci, LB #46, 6-0, 231
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