2017 Cure Bowl Preview

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6-6) vs. Georgia State Panthers (6-5)

Breaking Down Western Kentucky: It was seriously a down year for WKU, in a year where they were expected to compete once again for the CUSA title. Mike Sanford's version of WKU football differed greatly from what we are used to seeing, and the overall product suffered.
QB Mike White was not who we were used to seeing, and everything started right there. He fell from 37 TD passes in 2016 to just 24 in 2017, but his yardage per game actually increased from 311 to 318. In short, he was simply less efficient this season, as his QBR dropped by nearly 40 points.
Where WKU suffered on offense was in the run game, as they averaged just over two yards per carry as a team this fall, where they rushed for 5.36 yards per carry last season. Simply put, White struggled without a run game, as teams knew that the Toppers simply could not run the football. With Taywan Taylor, Nicholas Norris, and Anthony Wales all gone, they simply struggled to make up for their production. It did not help that the offense gave up 93 tackles for loss to opponents this season.
Defensively, the Toppers stayed close to last year's number in points allowed, but they did give up more by a slight amount in 2017 than they had a year earlier. Joel Iyiegbuniwe had a big year at LB, finishing with 105 tackles, while Devon Key finished with 85 in his freshman campaign in the secondary. The toppers picked up five tackles per game behind the line, but they do not provide much pressure on QBs in the pocket, generating just 10 sacks on the season. The Toppers also only managed to pick off 10 passes as a team, as the lack of pressure allows teams to set up for solid throws.
Ryan Nuss is hardly dependable as the PK, as he hit on just 9/15 FG attempts on the season. Jake Collins also falls short as the Punter, averaging just over 39 yards per attempt.
WKU is also hardly a danger in the kick return game, averaging just 19 yards per return as a team, and just 2.79 yards per return as a team i the punt return game.
WKU lost four of the their final five games heading into the bowl, and lost their season finale to FIU 41-17.

Breaking Down Georgia State: After a season opening loss to Tennessee State at home, nobody figured that the Panthers would be in this spot. While the program still has a long way to go, they simply showed amazing resolve throughout the season to not let it get away from them in Shawn Elliott's first season as head coach.
The Panthers still struggle to score points, as they actually dropped from 19.9 points per game in 2016 to 19.7 points per game in 2017. Connor Manning showed some improvements at QB, by increasing his QBR by 12 points, but he still is not the guy that will beat you on this offense. The run game isn't going to scare anyone either in this game, as the Panthers average just 115 yards per game rushing.
Penny Hart has been a one man show on offense, as he has caught 73 passes for 1094 yards and 8 TDs. Stopping him in the receiving game will be paramount.
Defensively, GSU is fairly average in that they allow 25.5 points per game on the year. You can throw on them, as they allow 242 yards passing per contest, and they are fairly pedestrian against the run, allowing 149 yards per game. What they tend to be defensively is efficient, as they are only being forced to make 65 tackles per game. They average 4.18 tackles for loss per game, but there is a large group involved in that action. They also average 1.64 sacks per game as well. Senior Bryan Williams leads the team with four INTs, but nobody else has more than one, and they have generated just eight picks as a team this season.
If the game comes down to a FG, it will be on a wing and a prayer, as PK Brandon Wright has hit just 10/20 attempts in 2017. He is a better Punter than kicker, averaging over 44 yards per punt this fall. Oliver Holdenson also sees time at punter, averaging just over 39 yards per punt.
Glenn Smith is solid in the return game, and has one TD to his credit, as he averages over 25 yards per kick return. Penny Hart is less dangerous as a punt return man, averaging just over seven yards per return, but has done nothing that stands out in that part of his game.

Western Kentucky Wins If: They take advantage of a leaky pass defense that GSU has, and they let Mike White gun it downfield. If a run game of any kind could be found, that would be helpful. Defensively, WKU will need to create opportunities and force the Panthers out of their safe offensive philosophies.

Georgia State Wins If: Connor Manning breaks out and Penny Hart has a huge game. The defense also has to remain efficient. If they get strained beyond having to make their 65 tackles per game, the unit could wear out, and that would be a bad ending. They have to find plays from all over the field., and somehow become more dynamic in the process. If it comes to a FG to win, they could also be in trouble. They have to win this game without worrying about special teams too much.