Hilltoppers facing Monarchs’ potent pass rush Friday

Published 7:12 am Thursday, October 19, 2017

Western Kentucky is set to face Conference USA’s most prolific pass rush Friday at Old Dominion.

The Monarchs lead C-USA in both sacks (20) and sacks per game (3.33). Defensive linemen Oshane Ximines (5 sacks), Miles Fox (4.5) and Bunmi Rotini (3.5) all rank among the top 10 in the league in that category, with Ximines tied for second.

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Neutralizing that pass rush will be a key for the Hilltoppers (4-2 overall, 2-1 C-USA) leaving Norfolk, Va., with a win over ODU (2-4, 0-2). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CDT Friday, with the game broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

“Watching on film, that’s the first thing that stands out is that they have a productive D-line,” WKU quarterback Mike White said. “It’ll be a good challenge for us.

“I think our O-line is ready for it. They’re preparing well. They’ve watched enough film and we have a good game plan intact.

“It’s going to come down to me getting the ball out of my hand and also the backs helping out in protection, too. It’s going to be a group effort.”

Pass protection has crept up as an issue throughout this season for the Toppers. They rank No. 113 of 130 FBS teams in sacks per game allowed (three). That figure also ranks last in the 14-team C-USA.

WKU has allowed at least two sacks in each of its first six games this season, including two Saturday in a 45-14 home victory against Charlotte. Louisiana Tech and Ball State got to White four times apiece in a Sept. 16 Bulldogs win over the Hilltoppers and a Sept. 23 WKU victory against the Cardinals.

The Tops have stuck with a starting offensive line this season of left tackle Jimmie Sims, left guard Brandon Ray, center Dennis Edwards, right guard Miles Pate and right tackle Matt Nord. That line is projected to feature the same players Friday, especially considering WKU posted season-bests of 45 points and 6.8 yards per play last week against Charlotte.

“Every game we try to improve,” the redshirt senior Sims said. “Every game we strive to do something better and improve our performance as a unit. We strive to do that every week.”

The Old Dominion game will mark another instance of the Hilltoppers facing tough pass rushers this season.

WKU squared off Sept. 16 against Louisiana Tech’s Jaylon Ferguson, who set a school record with 14.5 sacks in 2016. The Toppers neutralized him much of the night, but he got two big fourth-quarter sacks in a 23-22 Bulldogs win.

One week later, the offense was tasked with slowing down Ball State defensive end Anthony Winbush, who entered the game leading the FBS in sacks. He sacked White once Sept. 23, but WKU kept its quarterback clean on a decisive fourth-quarter drive and the Hilltoppers pulled out a 33-21 victory.

Now WKU must slow down a Monarch defensive line that’ll be aiming for the Tops’ QB. Coach Mike Sanford said he’s talked to NFL scouts who view Rotimi (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) and Ximines (6-3, 247 pounds) as “definitely one of the best tandems they’ve seen across the landscape of college football.”

Rotimi returned from a knee injury last week in a 35-3 loss at Marshall, posting three tackles and blocking a field goal. Ximines has recorded 16.5 career sacks, second most in program history.

Sanford emphasized interior linemen helping out Nord and Sims on the outside, and receivers running the right routes so White can get the ball out of his hands on time.

“We can’t change who we are as a result of a player,” Sanford said. “But it is an 11-man job.”

Ponchillia earns playing time

WKU completed passes to 15 different receivers Saturday against the 49ers, marking both a school record and a single-game high this season across the FBS.

One of the newest Hilltoppers to get in on the action Saturday was wide receiver Dalton Ponchillia, who caught his first-ever FBS pass for 15 yards. The Charlotte game marked his first action of the season.

The Nashville native Ponchillia is a graduate senior who transferred to WKU this summer from FCS program East Tennessee State, where he played the last two seasons. He also played in 2013 at Mercer.

Ponchillia (5-11, 190 pounds) totaled 59 receptions, 863 yards and five touchdowns the last two years at ETSU.

The transfer battled “soft tissue injuries” through fall camp but has healed and earned the chance for more playing time in weeks to come, Sanford said.

“Dalton’s very reliable and is talented,” Sanford said. “He’s played college football at multiple schools … and done some really good things at the FCS level.

“Dalton comes to work every single day with the right mindset and ready to play. I think he’s got some savvy and the ability to do some things for us.”

Sayner out vs. Old Dominion

Defensive tackle Evan Sayner won’t play Friday at Old Dominion after suffering a leg injury last week against Charlotte, Sanford said Wednesday.

“We’re awaiting options at this point in terms of the remainder of the season,” Sanford said of the redshirt junior.

The Paducah native Sayner has been solid up front for the Hilltoppers, recording 18 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and one sack.

Fellow redshirt junior Julien Lewis is listed behind Sayner on the depth chart at defensive tackle. The Toppers have already lost reserve Jalen Madden at that position to a season-ending knee injury suffered against Ball State.

Redshirt freshman Jeremy Darvin will likely see more time in Sayner’s absence.

“The good thing about those guys is they’ve got talent,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said of WKU’s backup D-linemen. “They’re big and they’re strong and they’ve just had better players in front of them. It’s not like they’re our fifth-string-type players.

“They can play on other teams in this league, other teams in the country. We feel very confident, still sleeping good.”

Cornerback Joe Brown is also questionable after missing the Charlotte game with an upper-body injury. Freshman Roger Cray started in his spot last week opposite DeAndre Farris.

Brown has 18 tackles through five games, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He’s also intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown against Ball State, and broken up two more throws.{&end}