Western Kentucky enters the 2023 season as the favorite to win the Conference USA

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - Western Kentucky v South Alabama

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have been one of the best programs in the Conference USA. They finished the 2022 season in second place with a 9-5 (6-2) record.

The program has a lot of upperclassmen on its roster, specifically at the key positions. Head coach Tyson Helton is in his fifth season with the team and has established his culture.

Let's break down the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and see if they should be the favorites.

#1. Western Kentucky's offense

The Western Kentucky offense have nine of their 11 starters returning this season, so they are in tune with one another. Their offense averaged 36.4 points on 497.1 total yards per game.

Western Kentucky will expect senior quarterback Austin Reed to shoulder their offensive responsibility. Last season, he finished going 389-of-602 (64.6% completion percentage) for 4,744 yards with 40 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Two of their three starting wide outs also returned, with redshirt senior Blue Smith transferring from the Cincinnati Bearcats.

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This offense has the ability to lead the way for the program and should be absolutely dominant in 2023.

Western Kentucky Defense/Special Teams

As a whole, looking at the peripheral numbers, the defense did pretty well themselves. They recorded 13 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, 47 pass deflections and 19 interceptions during the 2022 season.

They retained majority of their defense, with nine of their eleven starting players returning.

The biggest question mark on the roster is freshman kicker Lucas Carneiro. Last season, the team went 18-of-24 (75.0%) on field goal attempts. If Carneiro replicate that, it will be a plus for the Hilltoppers.

Can they win the Conference USA Championship in 2023?

This team has all the makings to be a top team in the conference. Their toughest competition in the 2023 season seems to be a non-conference road game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This program feels like a 10-11 win team, and that should be enough to make the Conference USA Championship Game.

With how the other rosters in the Conference USA look, the Hilltoppers have a great shot of winning the conference title.

About the author

Vincent is a College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with close to 6 years of experience. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sport Business from Saint Leo University, and has worked with Pasco News Publications and Pro Football Focus.

Vincent's education has helped him approach sports writing from the understanding of what it takes to run a program/team and the business side of it. He has interviewed dozens of players, coaches and analysts and believes he asks the questions readers are interested in.

He ensures that the source is credible and cross-checks information before reporting to ensure accuracy and relevance in his articles.

Vincent doesn’t have a favorite team or player, as he tries to remain unbiased. However, he considers John Wooden the greatest coach of all time and the 1990 “Fifth Down Game” between Colorado and Missouri the most iconic College Sports moment.

For Vincent, College Sports is on par with the pro leagues as it is a professional pipeline with media rights deals and a free agency of sorts. He plays video games and hangs out with friends and family when he’s away from his keyboard.

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Edited by Debasish