Tag: western kentucky

Western Kentucky scores first TD of college football season

Western Kentucky scores the first touchdown of the college football season

It is the day — Saturday — everyone has been waiting for in 2022.

College football is back and there is a touchdown on the scoreboard.

The first six-pointer of the season goes to Western Kentucky.

Malachi Corley caught a 16-yard TD pass from Austin Reed.

And we’re off …

Former Auburn head baseball coach now stepping down at C-USA program

Former Auburn coach John Pawlowski set to step down as head baseball coach at Western Kentucky.

On Wednesday, D1Baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers reported that Western Kentucky head baseball coach John Pawlowski is stepping down after the conclusion of the season. Pawlowski served as the head baseball coach at Auburn from 2009-2013. He had a record of 167-126 over the course of those five seasons on the Plains.

After being hired as the head coach of the Hilltoppers, he would go 136-189-1. His only winning season with the program came in 2020 when he went 10-6. That is largely due to the fact that the season was canceled because of COVID-19.

After the news became public, here is what Western Kentucky Director of Athletics Todd Stewart had to say on behalf of Pawlowski:

“We appreciate John’s dedication to our baseball program over the last seven years. His professionalism and work ethic were a daily fixture of his leadership as our head coach, and we wish him well as he pursues new endeavors.”

His tenure in Bowling Green wasn’t ideal by any means. However, he was able to remain with the program for six seasons. In regards to why he resigned, here is what he had to say:

“After evaluating everything from a personal and professional level, I realized it was time to resign my position here at WKU and pursue other opportunities. I appreciate the commitment and dedication from our players and coaching staffs that have been part of this journey. I am grateful for having this opportunity and all the special relationships that have been built along the way.”

It is unclear what Pawlowski’s next step may be. The long-time baseball coach will now look elsewhere to pursue future opportunities.

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Twitter reacts to Patriots drafting Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe

Bailey Zappe threw for 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season for Western Kentucky.

The New England Patriots used their final pick in the fourth round to draft Western Kentucky quarterback, Bailey Zappe.

Brian Hoyer is 36-years-old, Jarrett Stidham is on the final year of his contract and the Patriots need quality depth behind Mac Jones. Zappe began his career at Houston Baptist and then transferred to Western Kentucky — where he threw for 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2021.

He’s someone who can be a trustworthy No. 2 option after Hoyer departs from the team in the future. Zappe is known as a player who loves ball and his ability make good decisions on the field.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the pick.

One QB for the Eagles in every round of 2022 NFL Draft

2022 NFL draft: One quarterback in every round for the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles organization fancies itself as something of a quarterback factory, and with Howie Roseman drafting a quarterback every other year since taking over in Philadelphia, the 2022 selection process offers another opportunity for development.

The Eagles have Gardner Minshew as the primary backup to Jalen Hurts, and Reid Sinnett is a promising developmental prospect as well.

If Philadelphia stands pat with Minshew and views Sinnett as a player to develop, then this month’s draft could be centered on surrounding Hurts and Jonathan Gannon with the proper pieces for improvement.

Howie Roseman has been doing his due diligence on 2022 signal callers and has a top-30 visit scheduled with Ole Miss star Matt Corral.

If Minshew does eventually get moved, here’s one quarterback in every round for the Eagles to consider.

Tennessee State’s all-time records against FBS programs

Get to know the Irish’s 2023 home opener opponent a bit.

Notre Dame has announced that its 2023 home opener will be played against Tennessee State, a Historically Black College and University. On the surface, it’s a great opportunity for a lesser-known program to receive national exposure. However, it also will be the first time the Irish have played a Football Championship Subdivision opponent. The reaction to this news within the fan base mostly has been lukewarm at best and outright negative at worst.

Notre Dame presently is the only Football Bowl Subdivision opponent the Tigers have scheduled for the future. That makes the decision either more of a headscratcher from the Irish’s point of view or it merely makes the Irish an outlier. Either way, the Tigers don’t get to play FBS schools very much, so you better believe they will be hyped for the opportunity. In the spirit of that, let’s take a look at how they have done against teams from college football’s top level:

Ohio State hires new recruiting director, what it teams to Notre Dame

Time will tell if the Irish take advantage of this hire

For the first time in Ryan Day’s tenure at Ohio State, he did not lead his team to a berth in the College Football Playoff. Day needed a makeover on his staff, as he has hired a new defensive coordinator and now replacing his recruiting director who left for USC with Zach Grant.

This move is viewed around the country as a good one, one that obviously has an impact on Notre Dame. The Irish, along with the Buckeyes and a handful of other schools have a national brand and recruit that way. The Midwest powers rosters each have players from all across the country, often pitting against each other in those recruiting battles.

The hiring of Grant could be seen as an advantage for the Irish, as he will have to establish relationships with a new set of recruits. Western Kentucky, his old employer, doesn’t recruit at the same level as OSU, so Grant is going to have to make new impressions.

Marcus Freeman may be the “new” head coach for the Irish, but his Midwestern roots along with being on the staff for a season prior give him and his staff, who for the most part stayed with him, a leg up. Yes, Ohio State has been one of the best recruiting schools in the country, but Notre Dame needs to take advantage of any chink in the Buckeyes recruiting armor.

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Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Source: Former Notre Dame captain Maurice Crum hired at Ole Miss

Another former Irish standout is moving up the college coaching ranks.

Former Notre Dame linebacker and captain Maurice Crum has been a sought-after college coach over the past decade. Many see him as having a bright future, including Lane Kiffin. We know Kiffin thinks highly of him because Krum reportedly has been hired as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Ole Miss. This comes after he’s spent the past five years at Western Kentucky, most recently as defensive coordinator:

Crum played for the Irish from 2005 to 2008. Over 38 career games, he had 248 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, eight sacks and six forced fumbles. His lone touchdown came via fumble return in the Irish’s 2007 road win over UCLA. He returned to the Irish as a graduate assistant in 2015 before taking off for his lone season on the staff at Indiana State.

Congratulations to Crum for landing his most high-profile coaching job yet. Here’s hoping this is the next stop on his way to leading his own program.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 77 DeAngelo Malone

Western Kentucky OLB DeAngelo Malone is up next in Unpacking Future Packers, a countdown previewing the 2022 draft for Packers Wire.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The 2022 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge rushers that have general managers salivating.

DeAngelo Malone is one of those twitched-up edge rushers. The Western Kentucky product checks in at No. 77 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

Malone came to Western Kentucky as a three-star recruit out of Georgia. Malone enjoyed a breakout season in 2018, recording 60 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks, and one interception.

Malone earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. The Georgia native recorded 99 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. He was tied for fourth in the FBS with his 20.5 tackles for loss.

In 2020, Malone recorded 71 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Malone earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for a second time this past season. The Hilltopper edge rusher recorded 94 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.

Miller is one of the most productive edge rushers in this class. Over the last four seasons, Malone has a pair of Conference DPOY awards under his belt to go along with 57.5 tackles for loss and 32.5 sacks.

Malone is a lengthy and explosive edge rusher that’s been a terror off the edge for Western Kentucky. That explosive first step is a big reason why Malone is why he was listed on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freak’s list.

“His 10-yard split is 1.58 seconds. He broad jumped 9-10 and his vertical is 35 inches. He’s also got a 6-8 wingspan.”

That 10-yard split shows just how explosive Malone is off the snap. He quickly wins the corner with his explosiveness and quickly closes on the quarterback with his long strides and burst.

A big concern with Malone is his weight (234). It’s worth noting that Malone has put on 24 pounds since arriving at Western Kentucky. There’s no reason to think that Malone can’t pack on 15 more pounds to get closer to the 250 range. Even if he doesn’t add 15 pounds, you can’t coach that kind of athleticism. 

Despite being undersized, he is able to convert speed to power. He explodes off the edge like a rocket, but also can mix in a bull rush, which was on display during Senior Bowl week.

“He’s athletic that wins with speed to power conversions,” Nick Price, a contributor for RiseNDraft.com, said. “He has enough bend to rip and dip around the edge. He’s also gotten better with his hands this year too which is great. I’ve seen a more balanced move set out of him.”

Malone finished his career with 60 tackles for loss and 349 tackles. With his quickness, he’s able to burst through gaps to consistently make plays behind the line of scrimmage. If a team runs away from him, he has the speed to chase down plays from the backside. He’s not overwhelming at the point of attack but competes with a nonstop motor. 

“Versus the run, he’s largely deployed as a gap penetrator that allows him to use his athleticism to make plays in the backfield,” Price said. “He’s smart too, rarely have I seen him get baited by misdirection. He plays with great gap integrity.”

Malone proved that he belonged by having a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl. During the game, Malone earned the American team Player of the Game after recording six tackles, a half-sack, and two pressures.

Fit with the Packers

With a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the future of both Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith following the 2021 season, the Packers will likely be looking to address the edge rusher position early and often in the 2022 NFL draft.

If the Packers miss out on the first wave of edge rushers Malone is a player that Gutekunst could target early on day three of the draft.

“A good range for Malone is an early-round four to late-round five target,” Price said. “Those athletic traits and pass rush upside plus his football IQ are really great. You could get him on the field early as a designated pass rusher ( DPR) and potentially look to drop him into coverage in underneath zones. Some general managers may feel bold enough to get him in late round three due to upside.”

Malone explodes off the edge like a rocket. He’s got NFL-ready quickness and could be a dynamic subpackage pass rusher early in his career.

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2022 Senior Bowl: 4 potential Chargers DL/EDGE that stood out from Day 3

A look at some standout defensive linemen and edge defenders on Day 3 of the Senior Bowl that could’ve caught the Chargers’ attention.

The last day of practices at the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl ended on Thursday.

While media access was limited to NFL teams, digital staff, local and broadcast media, I was still able to watch the film afterward and spot some players who made themselves some money in the trenches.

Here are four interior defensive linemen and edge defenders that stood out:

EDGE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky

After flashing on Days 1 and 2, Malone continued his momentum into the final day. Not only did he display a quick first step, lower-body twitch, and looseness in his rushes, but he showed some power on a rep against Braxton Jones to bully him into the backfield. Keep in mind that Malone is only 234 pounds, making this even more impressive. With the explosiveness and length, Malone is the ideal mid-round edge defender that Brandon Staley should covet.

EDGE Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

After posting four sacks, 45 pressures, 16 quarterback hits, and the highest pass-rush win rate among SEC defensive linemen (25.8%) in 2021, Enagbare flashed that type of dominance on the practice field. In college, he won primarily with his length (35-inch arms) and power, but Enagbare dug into the toolbox to show more variety with his rushes. Most notably, Enagbare beat Max Mitchell with a well-executed cross-chop. He is a player who possesses the ability to play inside and outside.

DT Neil Farrell Jr., LSU

Overshadowed by other SEC interior defensive linemen, Farrell did not get as much buzz throughout the season. However, his efforts were always noticed. Farrell finished with the fifth-most run stops (24) and the second-highest run-stop percentage (11.4), per Pro Football Focus. On almost every rep, Farrell was either controlling the point of attack to allow second-level defenders to roam freely or he was in the backfield, winning with the quickness to invade gaps, leverage in the team session or brute strength & powerful limbs to push blockers back and heavy hands to swat jab attempts in one-on-ones. Farrell is a strong candidate for a Day 3 selection.

DT Eric Johnson, Missouri State

Johnson’s dominance from the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl was recognized by scouts, so they requested him to be sent to Mobile. After making the leap, Johnson showed that he belongs here with the cream of the crop. Boasting an NFL frame with great length, Johnson used that coupled with explosiveness to extend and lockout. From there, it was pure power to jolt guys back. Further, he flashed impressive agility and balance through contact.

Perfect mid/late-round QB fits for Eagles in 2022 NFL draft

Jalen Hurts is firmly entrenched as #FlyEaglesFly starting signal-caller but the QB factory must continue and so we’ve listed the perfect mid/late-round QB fits for the #Eagles in the #NFLDraft #NFLDraft2022

Jalen Hurts has done enough to warrant becoming the Eagles franchise quarterback going forward, so the 2022 NFL Draft process should be all about surrounding the dual-threat passer with weapons on both sides of the ball.

Philadelphia considers itself a quarterback factory, so even as the organization appears comfortable moving on with Hurts, Howie Roseman is still likely to add a young signal-caller during the draft process.

Gardner Minshew wants to be a starter and could be the subject of trades talks in March, while Reid Sinnett could remain on the roster and be subjected to waivers in a salary-cap move.

If Roseman does target a quarterback in the draft, the hope is that Philadelphia’s general manager has learned from the Carson Wentz saga, and will instead look to the mid or late rounds for his next project or asset.

Here are several mid to late-round quarterback prospects that the Eagles could look to target.