The Toppers didn’t win a game this season and haven’t in their last 20 contests dating back to September 2008, but former Head Coach David Elson said he is convinced he built a foundation for them to build on for next year.

Elson chose to recruit high school seniors over junior college transfers as Western went through a multi-year transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision. That led him to put together a roster that this season consisted of 57 freshmen and sophomores out of 85 scholarship players.

After a 24-20 loss to Arkansas State last Thursday, Elson said he reassured the team that Western is only going to get better.

“I told those young guys, I said, ‘Look, you’ve got a great example of leadership through adversity, and you’ve got a lot of great experience this year as football players through 12 games, and that’s going to do nothing but help you in the future,’” Elson said. “This stings, and it’s going to sting for a little bit, but it’s going to be time to turn that page here soon enough and start getting ready for next year.”

Based on the Toppers’ depth chart against the Red Wolves, Head Coach Willie Taggart should inherit 18 returning starters for his first season at the head of the program. That includes Western’s leading passer, redshirt freshman Kawaun Jakes; top rusher, sophomore running back Bobby Rainey; and leading tackler, junior linebacker Thomas Majors.

Getting young players through a tough season and allowing them to see the passion it takes to win FBS football games was important to next season’s success, senior linebacker Taurean Smith said.

“Them guys, they’re young,” Smith said. “They’ve got experience now. They’re going to win games next year.”

Along with returning a winning attitude to Western, Taggart said he expects to match the academic standards set forth by Elson, whose teams have had 100 percent graduation rates every year since 2002.

Taggart had his first meeting with the team on Friday afternoon, and he said one of his messages to players was for them to finish the semester strong academically.

Taggart spent the last three seasons as running backs coach at Stanford, his first collegiate coaching experience outside Bowling Green. He said there’s little contrast between the goals there and at Western.

“The only difference is that they don’t settle for anything,” Taggart said. “So we’re not going to settle for anything. We’re not just going to settle for being average — not on the football field and not in the classroom. I don’t want to deal with just average kids. I don’t want to deal with lazy kids. I want kids that want to be the best.”

Head Coach David Elson learned on Nov. 8 that he wouldn’t be retained after the Toppers’ season ended.

But he maintained a “business as usual” approach to the season’s final three games, barely acknowledging the team might be dealing with any external distractions.

Elson said he adopted the mentality from advice he received from former Western coach Cap Boso.

“’When times get tough, there’s only one thing you can do, and that’s work and keep working,’” Elson said. “When you really think about it, what that really does is keeps you from letting your mind wander places it doesn’t need to and affect your attitude in the way you’re looking at things.”

Senior wide receiver Jake Gaebler said the businesslike mentality wasn’t anything new for the Toppers, but he admires the coach for continuing that approach.

“He’s preached that since day one, just approaching every day like a business,” Gaebler said. “Even with the circumstances that happened with him and that whole situation, he still took the same approach, and that’s another thing I respect about him. He didn’t change who he was or the way he approached this team.”

Though Western carried an 18-game losing streak into Thursday night’s game against Arkansas State, the Toppers have continued to hold their coach in high regard.

Senior center Cody Hughes said Elson’s influence has meant far more to him than Western’s record.

“The way he told us to do things and the way he wanted things done — the morals and the values and the traditions that he’s put in us — I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Hughes said during Tuesday’s practice. “I’d rather be 0-11 at this point going into my last game with what that man’s taught me than playing for a bowl game right now.”

Hughes said he realizes fans might judge the Toppers based on wins and losses, but he hopes Elson is remembered as a man who instilled the players with the desire to be perceived as “men of great character.”

“That’s exactly what coach Elson has put in us for our five years,” Hughes said. “No matter what, you always do it right and you always do it to the best of your ability.”

Elson said his main priorities were that players leave Western as better people, with meaningful degrees and having gained the experience of competing at a high level.

Though he took a career 39-42 record into Thursday’s game, Elson said he has no regrets about his 14 years with the Toppers.

“I think any time you leave someplace, to me, you ask yourself a question — is it better than when I got here?” he said. “And I think I can look in the mirror and say, ‘Yes it is. It is better in a lot of ways.’”

Head Coach David Elson was fired Sunday night in his seventh year as head coach of the Toppers and 14th with the program. But if players and coaches are dwelling on the situation, they aren’t showing it.

With three games left to play, Elson said “the plan is business as usual,” and senior receiver Jake Gaebler said the team is on board with that message. This week, the Toppers got back to work and will continue to control what they can — playing football.

“I think the main thing is to not take this week any differently than we’ve taken every other week,” Gaebler said. “We’ve talked about it as a team. We’re just going to go there and give it everything we have. We’ve been doing it all season, and hopefully it works out well for us these last three weeks.”

That doesn’t mean the Toppers haven’t felt the impact of Elson’s impending departure from the program.

Athletics Director Wood Selig suggested at Monday’s press conference announcing Elson’s firing that players might “go out and prove President (Gary) Ransdell and Wood Selig wrong.”

Senior offensive lineman Cody Hughes declined to comment on Selig’s words but did say the situation is fueling motivation for this Saturday’s game at Louisiana-Monroe.

“I personally want to win this game for coach Elson,” Hughes said. “He’s my coach. He’s my leader. He’s the reason I’m here today. I owe that man a lot. I owe him my college degree when I get it.”

Elson said he didn’t notice any difference from practice this week compared to game weeks of the past.

“The only thing I’m aware of that’s happened is that we turned the page from Troy to Louisiana-Monroe, and so I’m not sure what’s different as far as any of that’s concerned,” Elson said.

Elson added that the players shouldn’t have to concern themselves with anything other than preparation for their next game, which will take place six days after the firing.

Had Sunday night’s events occurred a week later, the Toppers would have spent a bye week mulling over what freshman tight end Jack Doyle called a “surprise” before facing Florida Atlantic on Nov. 28.

Being able to bounce back and return to the regular routine has been an advantage in overcoming emotions, Doyle said.

“Football is a great outlet for just being out here and practicing, taking that attitude away,” Doyle said. “On Monday, I was just thinking a lot. Really, right now we’re just going to play one game at a time.”

Hughes said he looks at Western’s coaching situation as another obstacle to overcome in a senior season gone awry. The Toppers are 0-9 and carry a 17-game losing streak into the game with Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

That’s not to say that the team has given up on its season — or its coach.

“It’s something we’re looking past,” Hughes said. “The way this season’s gone, we’ve had to shake a lot of things off, and we’ve had to overlook a lot of circumstances. This is just another bump in the road. We control what we can control, and this is not something we can control.

“I’m focused on three victories to end the season and sending coach Elson out the way he needs to be sent out.”

Brandon Smith:

Senior quarterback Brandon Smith stepped into the spotlight when he was named Western’s starting quarterback in August. Unknowns surround Smith’s abilities, as the fifth-year senior has played in only 12 games in his Western career, but head coach David Elson said Smith was the most consistent, precise quarterback among four candidates during summer camp.

Jake Gaebler:

Senior wide receiver Jake Gaebler is 25 catches from a school record in career receptions, entering the 2009 season with 125 after tallying 54 in 2008. Gaebler will lead Western’s receiving corps this season as the only senior wideout, and he said he expects a more seasoned bunch of Toppers to fare better against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents than in years past.

Thomas Majors:

Junior linebacker Thomas Majors fills the hole left by linebacker Blake Boyd, who was dismissed from the team in June. Majors has two years of junior college football under his belt, and while he hasn’t faced anything close to FBS competition, he’s expected to anchor a defense that expects to start six freshmen and sophomores.

Jack Doyle:

Redshirt freshman tight end Jack Doyle’s talent has expanded Western’s offense with additional two tight end sets in 2009. While massive true freshman Ed Hazelett figures to be the long-term solution at tight end, Doyle carries a year of experience over the newcomer.

Running back by committee:

A running back by committee commands the Topper backfield this season. Seniors Tyrell Hayden and Marell Booker and sophomores Bobby Rainey and Braxston Miller expect to split carries, with Hayden handling most of the workload. Miller is a recent convert from linebacker, and Rainey and Booker suffered injuries late in camp, but Elson said all three should contribute at Tennessee.