During this year’s preseason camp, the players came up with a “smart” goal for this year: If they won seven games, they would all receive rings for their achievement of a winning record in their first season as a transition Football Bowl Subdivision team.

If the Toppers are able to emerge victorious this Saturday, then a call to the jeweler will have to be made.

The Toppers (6-4) suit up against Morehead State (7-3) in a 4 p.m. kickoff Saturday in Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.

While this goal served as motivation for the team earlier in the season, it has not capped their intentions.

There is a general consensus among players that their ultimate goal is to win as many games as possible, not attain seven and then quit.

“It’s always great when you accomplish your goals,” senior linebacker Dusty Bear said. “We expect to win more games. When we accomplish that goal (of seven wins) we’re going to look forward to eight.”

For Western’s 17 seniors, it will be the last time they will don the Topper red and white in uniform at home.

At the helm of the program, coach David Elson has seen many players come and go, and has participated in many senior days in his 11 seasons as an assistant and head coach at Western.

Elson said this a special group because these are the players he recruited out of high school as head coach of the program.

“There are 17 different stories,” Elson said. “It’s a lot of good memories. But we have to keep our focus on what’s important. We want that last memory to be a positive one.”

Bear’s chance at a positive memory on senior day was almost crushed Oct. 13 at Ball State when he suffered an ankle injury on a late hit out-of-bounds, threatening his playing status for the rest of the season.

“It was tough having an ankle injury,” Bear said. “It kind of felt like, ‘there’s my season, I’m done (with) my senior year.’ I came out well, though. I came out on top and recovered.”

Western is 40-7-2 against Morehead State all-time, winning the last eight meetings.

Although the Toppers have only beaten one FBS opponent (Middle Tennessee State) this season, they have not lost a game to a non-FBS school.

Aside from the advantage on paper, the Toppers will have the driving force of motivated seniors.

“There’s going to be a lot of emotion, a lot of passion in this game,” Bear said. “It’s going to be our last time to really strap it up and take Jimmy Feix Field.”

This makeup of this year’s senior class could have looked a lot different.

Last spring, there was a group of seniors that planned on redshirting this season so they could play in a completed stadium in 2008. When decision time came however, a majority of the seniors decided to play this season.

“No doubt in my mind that was the right decision,” senior defensive back Bo Smith said. “I’m proud to be a part of this transition team, playing with the guys I came in with my freshman year. It’s like a band of brothers out there (on the field).”

Smith said he will not only miss the interaction with his teammates on the gridiron, but off the field as well.

“You don’t find quality guys like that every day,” he said.

Reach Will Perkins at sports@chherald.com.