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Remember the name: Non-SEC players to watch this weekend
By Steve Barnes
Published:
There is no doubt Western Kentucky will be a big underdog when it visits LSU Saturday, but a couple of weeks ago, the Hilltoppers may have garnered a second look.
Last week, WKU senior tight end Tyler Higbee went down with a sprained knee against North Texas and that literally hurts the Hilltoppers. Higbee, who has received a lot of looks from NFL scouts, had 31 catches and six touchdowns prior to the injury.
Running back Leon Allen went down in the second game of the year and is lost for the season.
But don’t feel too sorry for Western Kentucky. It is 6-1 with the lone loss a three-point defeat at Indiana. The Hilltoppers have had this success for a simple reason: they still have talent on the roster.
Here are five players to watch for Western Kentucky this week as LSU is the only SEC team stepping out of conference:
Brandon Doughty, QB, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, senior: Despite the loss of Higbee, Doughty is having an outstanding season.
The Davie, Fla., native currently ranks second nationally in passing efficiency, second in passing yards, third in passing yards per game, fifth in total offense and fifth in touchdowns responsible for.
He has completed 197-of-266 passes this season, with 24 touchdowns. Doughty has thrown for 2,709 yards and 387 yards per game.
He is on the watch lists for the Maxwell, Camp, Manning and O’Brien Awards.
Forrest Lamp, OT, 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, junior: Lamp moved to left tackle this season, but projects to be a guard at the next level because of his footwork and speed.
But the move to tackle has not hampered him at all this year. While in the game, the Hilltoppers have dropped back to attempt 248 passes. Lamp has allowed his man to hit the quarterback once and has allowed just three hurries. He has not surrendered a sack.
He is on the Lombardi Award watch list.
Taywan Taylor, WR, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, junior: Taylor has grabbed 45 passes this season for 835 yards. He does most of his damage once the ball is in his hands. He leads the nation in yards after catch with 392.
His 835 yards ranks fourth in the NCAA.
Taylor has scored 10 touchdowns and averages 18.3 yards per catch and 117.9 yards per game.
Prince Iworah, CB, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, senior: Iworah has burst onto the scene this year in Bowling Green. He is a walk-on from the WKU track team who runs a legitimate 4.3-second 40-yard dash.
Although he is still learning to play cornerback – he was a running back in high school in Nashville – he has 24 tackles on the season and three interceptions.
He has defended a total of 13 passes.
Garrett Schwettman, K, 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, senior: The Murray, Ken., native does not have a huge leg, and he is consistent inside 40 yards.
He has made 9-of-10 field goals this year with a long effort of 46 yards. Schwettman is a perfect 39-of-39 in extra points this season.
Steve Barnes is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football.
