MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Sophomore defensive end Jared Clendenin paused. He shrugged, and then his eyes welled up.
“Where’s the morale?” he asked, after a 62-24 loss to Middle Tennessee.
Clendenin couldn’t bring himself to say anything about the morale of the Toppers, who have now lost a Football Bowl Subdisivion-leading 15 straight games. But he did note the continuing efforts put in by a team that’s simply trying to win a game.
“It’s real hard because we’re working so hard all week,” Clendenin said. “We get closer every week, and then this happens. It hurts us.”
Western’s latest loss came like the rest. The Toppers were close, but as the game drew to a close, the Blue Raiders poured it on and the deficit became insurmountable.
Coach David Elson said that knowing Western should have played MTSU tight, this loss stings.
“If (the team is) not hanging their heads, then they’re not human because we just got beat pretty bad today,” Elson said.
The Toppers closed the first quarter tied with the Blue Raiders at three but walked into halftime down 31-10. Without the aid of a 42-yard touchdown on the final play of the second quarter, Western would have closed the half without finding the end zone.
That familiar path to losing can’t be attributed to a lack of trying by the players, according to Elson, who said MTSU just plain beat the Toppers.
“Our guys kept playing hard,” Elson said. “Our guys fought until the bitter end, but the score says it well enough. It got away from us.”
Senior receiver Jake Gaebler, who caught six passes for 100 yards Saturday, said the path to winning is still a work in progress, and that Western hasn’t packed it in for the season yet.
“We’re working hard and that’s the thing,” Gaebler said. “It’s not like guys aren’t working hard and we don’t care. We’re doing everything we can. Eventually it will click for us, and right now it’s not.”
According to Elson, seeing how the players respond to their second-worst loss of the season will speak volumes.
“Today is an absolutely miserable, awful day for WKU football,” Elson said. “There’s no two ways about it, but every week is different.
“Our M.O. This year has been play bad one week, and then play better the next week. We played really bad today, so we’ve got to look forward to playing better next week and trying to going on the road and get this thing on track.”
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Sophomore defensive end Jared Clendenin paused. He shrugged, and then his eyes welled up.
“Where’s the morale?” he asked after Saturday’s 62-24 loss to Middle Tennessee.
Clendenin couldn’t bring himself to say anything more about the morale of the Toppers, who have now lost a Football Bowl Subdisivion-leading 15 straight games. But he did note the continuing efforts put in by a team that’s simply trying to win a game.
“It’s real hard because we’re working so hard all week,” Clendenin said. “We get closer every week, and then this happens. It hurts us.”
Western’s latest loss came like the rest. The Toppers (0-7, 0-3 Sun Belt Conference) were close, but as the game progressed, the Blue Raiders poured it on and the deficit became insurmountable.
Head Coach David Elson said the loss stings since he knows Western should have played MTSU tight.
“If (the team is) not hanging their heads, then they’re not human, because we just got beat pretty bad today,” Elson said.
The Toppers closed the first quarter tied with the Blue Raiders at three but went into halftime down 31-10. Senior receiver Jake Gaebler caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Brandon Smith on the last play of the half.
Elson said that familiar path to losing can’t be attributed to a lack of effort by the players and that MTSU just plain beat the Toppers.
“Our guys kept playing hard,” Elson said. “Our guys fought until the bitter end, but the score says it well enough. It got away from us.”
Gaebler, who caught six passes for 100 yards Saturday, said the path to winning is still a work in progress, and Western hasn’t packed it in for the season yet.
“We’re working hard and that’s the thing,” Gaebler said. “It’s not like guys aren’t working hard and we don’t care. We’re doing everything we can. Eventually it will click for us, and right now it’s not.”
According to Elson, seeing how the players respond to their second-worst loss of the season will speak volumes.
“Today is an absolutely miserable, awful day for WKU football,” Elson said. “There’s no two ways about it, but every week is different.
“Our M.O. this year has been play bad one week and then play better the next week. We played really bad today, so we’ve got to look forward to playing better next week and trying to go on the road and get this thing on track.”
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