Tyler Witt brings an extra attitude to the Western Kentucky offensive line, and doesn’t hide from it.

“I mean just finishing blocks, staying on people, finishing through the whistle and being that guy,” the right guard Witt said Tuesday. “Sometimes you come off as a tool to people, but that’s the way it’s got to be.”

Coach Mike Sanford put the redshirt freshman Witt into the starting lineup two games ago in place of Miles Pate for that very reason. WKU’s coach wants linemen who aren’t afraid to challenge the man in front of them and are willing to “strain” through blocks.

Now after a 31-17 loss Saturday at Vanderbilt dropped his team to 5-4, Sanford is challenging his players to put a more physical product on the field Saturday against Conference USA rival Marshall. Kickoff from Huntington W. Va., is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CST, with the game to be broadcast on BeIN Sports.

“My challenge to the offensive line with this final three-game season is being physical,” Sanford said. “Be physical. Finish. Strain.”

The coach’s words Monday echoed what he said Saturday after the Hilltoppers’ 14-point loss in Nashville. WKU’s offense found first-half success through the air but collapsed over the final two quarters, due to issues in both running the ball and protecting quarterback Mike White.

The running game totaled -6 yards on 30 carries – a -0.2 yards per carry average. Take out the 37 rushing yards the Toppers lost on six Vanderbilt sacks, and WKU still only rushed for 31 yards on 24 carries – a meager 1.3 yard-per-carry effort.

The rushing game woes are nothing new this season for the Hilltoppers. Their yearlong averages of 73.33 yards per game and 2.28 yards per carry both rank No. 130 – dead last – across the FBS.

WKU will also play the rest of the year without its leading rusher, Quinton Baker (33.3 ypg, 3.1 ypc), who suffered a season-ending upper-body injury Saturday.

D’Andre Ferby (29.3 ypg, 3.1 ypc) said the rushing numbers won’t improve until blockers win their one-on-one battles and he and his fellow backs break some tackles instead of going down on first contact.

“You’ve got a man in front of you, you’ve got to dominate him,” the redshirt junior Ferby said. “That’s important in the run game, just winning your one-on-ones.

“For us backs, it’s about making guys miss and getting to the second level. You look in the room with us and see the guys that are in there, it’s the $1 million question why we haven’t been able to click in the run game, because all the guys in there are talented. We’ve shown that in past years.

“I’m still very optimistic that a big run game is going to come in these next three games. We’ve just got to keep going.”

Coaches preached a need for physical play in the run game throughout an intense Tuesday practice, right tackle Cole Spencer said.

“They really were challenging us today because physicality is a big thing on the offensive line,” said the freshman Spencer, who started Saturday in place of Matt Nord. “They’re really pushing for it because they want the run game to be there this week.”

An inability to run the ball and keep defenders off-balance has led to many of WKU’s pass protection woes, Sanford said. The Hilltoppers rank No. 122 nationally in sacks allowed (3.22) and No. 126 in sack yardage allowed (214 yards).

It’s been a steep decline this year for an offensive line that was one of the nation’s best in 2016, anchored by second-round NFL Draft pick Forrest Lamp at left tackle.

Sanford has praised the QB White’s toughness for standing in some less-than-clean pockets and still making throws. But he was knocked out of the Vandy game after being tackled on a scramble attempt, and the Hilltoppers know they can’t have their best offensive player taking too many big hits.

Now the challenge is for WKU’s offense to step up its physicality as the team enters the final three games of the regular season. After facing Marshall on Saturday, the Tops will host Middle Tennessee on Nov. 17 before playing Nov. 24 at Florida International.

“I think a lot of people had a wake-up call when we watched that (Vanderbilt game) tape,” Witt said. “We looked around and said, ‘We are a lot better than what we showed on tape this past weekend.’

“I think it showed today. We had a really good practice and we’ve got to keep it going.”{&end}