What Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton said about the Buckeyes

COLUMBUS — Tyson Helton took over as Western Kentucky head coach in 2019. That season, the Hilltoppers hammered a reeling Arkansas team, 45-19. Two years later, they sniffed an upset against Indiana and, by the way, put up not one but two good fights against a 12-win UTSA squad. Last season, WKU posted its third nine-win campaign in the last four years and lost one-score games to Indiana, Sun Belt champion Troy and repeat Conference USA champion UTSA.

The Hilltoppers (2-0) are no pushover under Helton.

They score a boat load of points by airing the ball out and stressing an opponent’s defense. WKU has had the nation’s passing leader each of the last two seasons: Bailey Zappe in 2021 and Austin Reed in 2022. Reed is still piloting the offense, and he has Biletnikoff Award candidate Malachi Corley at his side.

The Hilltoppers have ranked top 15 in scoring offense the last two years. They’re tied for 14th with 46.5 points per game right now.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was asked Tuesday what impresses him most about this WKU team.

“Probably that they work off of each other,” Day said. “You can clearly see there’s a plan on both sides of the ball and what they want to do. They want to throw it and score a whole bunch of points. And the defense kind of works with the offense the way that they’re set up.

“So, impressed with that. They have an identity.”

That’s what Day said. But what about Helton? He spoke to the media Monday, previewing WKU’s Week 3 matchup at No. 6 Ohio State (2-0, 1-0 Big Ten).

Lettermen Row has the rundown of what Helton said.

Playing Ohio State makes for an exciting atmosphere…

HELTON: “Yeah, really excited for this week. Get to play in a great arena at Ohio State. Can’t think of a better place to go play a college football game. I’ve been in the Horseshoe several times. It’s a fantastic place to play. Definitely going to be a tremendous challenge but a challenge our team is excited to play in and excited to be in that arena. It’s what college football is all about. And looking forward to the opportunity to play a really, really good Ohio State team, extremely well coached football team. And this is something that every college football player looks forward to because it’s such a great place to play, such a great arena. I know our team will be excited to play there.”

It also makes for a great opportunity…

HELTON: “I think Todd Stewart, our athletic director, does a great job with the non-conference schedule. If you look at the four teams that you play, you’re always going to have a major Power Five in there. Sometimes two. But you’re always going to have a very competitive group of five team like like ourselves to play against. I think of South Florida, you’re always gonna play somebody like that, or a Troy. Very, very good group fives and the FCS. So it gives you an opportunity in your non-conference to really, really see where your football team’s at. But, at the same time, it gives you an opportunity to come out of your non-conference hopefully in the win column and now you’re getting in conference play and feeling good about yourself. So yes, we love playing in these games and love being on this stage. You know, we talk about all the time being part of the national conversation. If you want to be a part of that conversation, you got to go to places like Ohio State and show out. That’s why our guys look forward to these games.”

How do you simulate the environment that is the ‘Shoe?

HELTON: “We don’t change anything that we do from an operation standpoint, We’ll add some crowd noise throughout the week, just to make sure — that will be a factor in the game. That’s over 100,000 fans there. We’ll practice for that piece just to make sure the operation’s good. But, other than that, we don’t change much of what we do.”

What does Ohio State bring that Western Kentucky hasn’t seen this year?

HELTON: “Well, they’re a big, physical offensive line. You talk about the receivers and the skill and all that but two really, really good running backs that are very physical. Big, physical offensive line. You gotta be able to contain the run. They’re gonna make some yards in the run game, just because of how big and strong they are. But we got to be able to contain the run. And then they’re gonna take their shots like anybody else, so when they do, we can’t let the ball get over our head and really, from a defensive standpoint, that’s what it comes down to. They’ll do a great job with their schemes.

“Coach Day does a great job, great offensive football coach. He’ll try to create the matchups that gets his best players on our guys that he thinks he can try to take advantage of. We got to defend that and make sure that those big plays don’t happen. They’ll make their fair share of their plays, but, again, we just want to be in the game in the last five minutes. If we can be in the game in the last five minutes with an opportunity to go win it, that’s what these games are all about. Is going there, playing hard. Game has ups and downs throughout the whole game. But try to be in the game in the last five minutes and then go win it.”

Will Ohio State try to overpower Western Kentucky?

HELTON: “I think they’ll do whatever it takes to win the game. I think naturally just the size and the skill level that they have. Again, Coach Day is a really good offensive coach. So he’s gonna have a great game plan, and I’m sure in that game plan it’s ‘Hey, we’re gonna run to win. ‘ But he’s going to get the ball in his best players’ hands and so I’m not I’m not really focused on what they’re gonna do. We got to focus on us and how we match up with them and how we give ourselves the best opportunity to try to go win the football game.”

What has Helton learned from past matchups vs. Big Ten opponents?

HELTON: “I love Big Ten football. What I love about Big Ten football is they don’t try to trick you. They line up, they’re who they are, you know what they’re gonna do, they know what you’re gonna do. They just say, ‘Hey, we’re better. We’re stronger. We’re going to line up and kick your butt basically.’ That’s what I love about Big Ten football. And this Ohio State football team, they certainly can do a lot. Like anybody else, they got all the razzle dazzles and all the different things that they can do. But when you play those teams, it’s pretty cool to see that, you know, they can just line up and get after you and not have to worry about all the tricks and all the scheme deals. So that’s probably with a Big Ten experience. We’ll see how this game goes. We never get what everybody else gets, you know. From an offensive standpoint, they always change it up on us, but that’s fine, too. That’s why they call us coach, we got to make adjustments as the game progresses.”