Western Kentucky head football coach Bobby Petrino speaks during an interview at the Sun Belt NCAA college football media day in New Orleans, Monday, July 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Western Kentucky football team officially begins preparations for the 2013 season today as fall practice begins at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

Veteran players begin workouts at 5 p.m., while newcomers will practice at 2 p.m. The former session is open to the public.

Under first-year coach Bobby Petrino, WKU has many questions to answer and areas of concern before starting its opener Aug. 31 against Kentucky in Nashville. Here are five things to watch before toe meets leather at LP Field.

1. The quarterback position

Petrino’s high-scoring, quick-moving, multiple offensive attack needs a consistent signal caller. Five quarterbacks are on the opening-camp roster, and only one has played a game for WKU – redshirt junior Brandon Doughty, who has been in only 27 plays.

Doughty is the favorite to take the job after separating himself in the spring from redshirt sophomore DeMarcus Smith and the now-transferred James Mauro. The Davie, Fla., native has thrown for 113 yards on 25 attempts during his two active seasons on the Hill.

His main competition will be Smith, more of a dual-threat QB who hasn’t played in a game since Nov. 5, 2010 – his final contest as a senior at Louisville’s Seneca High School

Petrino also signed junior college transfer Nelson Fishback, a 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound sophomore who threw for 1,482 yards and 12 scores in 11 games at Butte College in Oroville, Calif.

Todd Porter from O’Fallon High School in Illinois and Spencer Sumpter – a walk-on from Pleasure Ridge Park in Louisville – are the position’s two freshmen.

2. The defensive line

Western Kentucky’s defense has the chance to be one of the best in the Sun Belt Conference in 2013. But if Petrino and new defensive coordinator Nick Holt can’t find four new faces on the defensive line to contribute, those expectations could diminish greatly.

The Tops lost 129 tackles, 19 sacks and 36 ½ tackles for loss after starters Quanterus Smith, Rammell Lewis, Jamarcus Allen and Cole Tischer graduated following the 2012 campaign.

There isn’t much experience or productivity to choose from on the roster. Senior Calvin Washington, sophomore Julian Leslie and linebacker hybrid T.J. Smith will compete for time at defensive end, while sophomore Bryan Shorter and sophomore Maurice Bennett from East Mississippi Community College led the attack from the interior during spring ball.

The Hilltoppers ranked 13th in the nation in tackles for loss, 31st in sacks and 34th against the run in 2012. It appears those numbers will be hard to replicate with the youth and inexperience Petrino has been dealt on the defensive line.

3. Wide receivers

It’s no secret Petrino and offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm will prefer to throw it much more than predecessor Willie Taggart. At Arkansas in 2011, Petrino’s wide receivers – not including tight ends or backs – made 201 catches for 2,844 yards. Last year, eight WKU wide receivers made 90 grabs for 1,231 yards.

There are pieces to work around. Junior Willie McNeal is the No. 1 target with 69 career catches for 916 yards and eight scores, while sophomore Austin Aikens had an impressive freshman campaign, making eight catches for 217 yards. Redshirt junior Joel German made eight catches for 87 yards in 2011, but missed 2012 with a nagging shoulder injury.

So without much depth, Petrino brought in six new receivers to his corps – five of whom are true freshmen. They’ll be called into action early and often and their chemistry with WKU’s starting quarterback will be key along the way.

4. Leadership

Western Kentucky had 20 seniors in 2012 intent on getting their team to the program’s first Football Bowl Subdivision bowl game and leaving their mark. Names like Jack Doyle, Rammell Lewis, Kawaun Jakes and Adam Smith are all gone, leaving a void in the leadership department.

Petrino said last month that the team will vote on captains today. The Hilltoppers need new faces to step to the front of the pack and lead WKU through a season that comes with with higher expectations and heavier scrutiny. Will now-seniors like linebackers Andrew Jackson and Xavius Boyd be able to lead vocally rather than by example? Will star running back Antonio Andrews be able to rally his offensive troops? Or will an unexpected name emerge?

5. Bobby Petrino

All eyes will be on the former Louisville, Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas coach as he ventures into his first season with the Hilltoppers.

Petrino’s fall from grace at Arkansas, his year off in 2012 and his emergence back to the coaching scene in December has been well-documented. Now, not only will Kentucky be watching his every move, but so will much of the nation’s college football fans.

The first-year coach’s biggest task is bringing an already good football team back together and readying them for an important rivalry game against Kentucky and a daunting trip to Tennessee. Petrino is 8-0 in season openers in his college coaching career.

— Chad Bishop covers Western Kentucky University athletics for the Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MrChadBishop or visit bgdailynews.com.