Western Kentucky soccer coach Tyson Helton spoke to the media on Monday forward of the Hilltoppers’ highway journey to Bloomington, Ind. in Week 3. Western Kentucky is off to a 2-0 begin this yr with a 38-27 win over Austin Peay, a 49-17 victory at Hawaii and a bye week final weekend.

Final yr’s sport between Indiana and Western Kentucky in Bowling Inexperienced, Ky. was a highly-contested matchup that led to a 33-31 Indiana win. 

Here is what Helton stated about Indiana on Monday.

Q: You performed these guys final yr in an in depth sport right here at house, how a lot do you’re taking away from that? Trying on the stat sheet right here, there’s plenty of completely different guys from final yr.

Helton: “It is a new season. Each groups have a brand new workforce with new guys taking part in for them. They seem to be a good soccer workforce. They’re doing a extremely good job. When you take a look at all three phases, they appear fairly stout and fairly sturdy in all three phases, so it may take our greatest sport for certain to go win. However our guys are excited concerning the alternative. We had an in depth one final yr. If we will play nicely, I believe we’ll match up nicely with them. I say on a regular basis it is a four-quarter sport and we have to play all 4 quarters, play a superb, clear sport and hopefully within the final 5 minutes attempt to go win.”

Q: With the bye week, did you’ve gotten an opportunity to look at Indiana’s sport towards Idaho, and in that case, did you’ve gotten any impressions or takeaways from that sport?

Helton: “I’ve watched each video games they’ve performed, and once more, they are a good workforce. They’re doing a pleasant job. They scheme you up fairly good. They have playmakers on each side of the ball, so will probably be difficult for us for certain, however we’re excited concerning the alternative.”

Q: Earlier within the week, we talked to [quarterback Austin Reed] about taking part in towards Indiana, and he stated one of many causes he transferred right here [from Division II West Florida] was to play towards good groups like this. Have you ever seen that perspective in apply?

Helton: No, I imply he is his regular self going by the traditional procedures in the course of the week. We do not speak a lot about opponents, we simply give attention to ourselves from week to week and as long as you try this, normally issues end up nicely for you. However he is performed a extremely good job thus far, Austin has, from a preparation standpoint. I have been actually impressed along with his preparation within the early a part of the season. Our guys, once more, they do not actually strive to consider, ‘Hey, it is a large sport.’ They simply need to go on the market and play nicely and attempt to win the sport. I like the place we’re at proper now.”

Q: Your offensive line has been strong by these first two video games, clearly everybody talks concerning the Massive Ten being robust, bodily soccer. What have you ever seen from [Indiana’s] protection, six sacks on the yr, the strain they bring about and the challenges they current and the right way to guard it?

Helton: “They will rush 4 and get to the quarterback. They do not should carry strain. And once they do carry strain, they do a pleasant job disguising the blitzes to match the safety scheme. They scheme you up fairly good. Their entrance 4 is doing a reasonably good job, and if you may get house with simply your entrance 4, it helps you in protection. That is going to be a giant problem for our offensive line this week is a few of these one-on-one matchups out on the perimeters and inside with their three methods and all these issues. Our guys have performed a pleasant job the primary two video games, however this might be an actual check for our offensive line for certain.”

Q: Whenever you take a look at their offense and quarterback Connor Bazelak, what have you ever seen from him and the way does he examine to a few of the different quarterbacks you have confronted?

Helton: Good participant, correct quarterback, has good timing, understands the place the ball is meant to go, appears to have full command of the offense. The final sport they performed towards Idaho, it was raining in that sport, so it is robust when the ball is moist however I nonetheless suppose he threw the ball extraordinarily nicely. Will probably be a problem for our secondary, for certain. We have got to get strain on the quarterback and attempt to get him off his spots and attempt to get the ball out. [Bazelak] is an effective participant and I am impressed with him within the first two video games.”

Q: Are you excited to see how your workforce responds to taking part in in entrance of a Massive Ten crowd?

Helton: Good query, I believe that’s one thing that is all the time good to see as a result of crowds do play right into a sport, so we should be not centered on the gang by any means, however to be in that environment will assist us down the highway for certain in a few of the convention video games we play in and different video games all through the season. Any time you get a chance to play in entrance of an awesome crowd like Indiana has, that is a enjoyable sport to be part of, so simply the setting generally, I believe, might be good for us.”

Q: Are you going to be pumping in crowd noise this week in apply to organize?

Helton: No crowd noise this week. For what we do and the way we function, we normally do not give attention to that. I count on their crowd – I have been up there a pair occasions and it is an awesome stadium, nice environment, they’re nice followers, so it must be a extremely good Massive Ten setting for certain. I am certain their crowd will certainly be up for the sport. 

Q: As a way to beat Indiana or any Energy 5 workforce, you’ve gotten to have the ability to cease the run and so they’ve obtained a man in [Shaun] Shivers who had 150-plus dashing yards final week. What do you count on from him and the way are you anticipating to cease him?

Helton: Yeah, I have been impressed with their complete working again corps. Irrespective of who’s in there, they’ve performed a pleasant job. They run with energy, they have good pad degree, the road’s obtained good push up entrance. They’ve performed a extremely good job, and so they’re doing a pleasant job of blending the run with the go. They’ve modified a bit of bit, they’re a bit of extra unfold you out and tempo and people sorts of issues, however once they hand the ball off they’re very productive with the run, in order that’s undoubtedly one thing that we have got to have the ability to do, cease the run, and we’re working arduous on that piece, however they’re doing a extremely good job of holding groups off steadiness proper now and we have simply obtained to attempt to hold them behind the chains. You do not need to find yourself in third-and-2, third-and-3 situations. It is higher in the event you’re getting third-and-6, third-and-7, now it is a bonus in your protection, and if you find yourself in plenty of third-and-short situations, it may be a bonus for his or her offense for certain. 

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• INDIANA DEFEATS IDAHO Indiana confronted a 10-0 halftime deficit at house towards Idaho, however the offense discovered a rhythm within the third quarter to safe a 35-22 win. “We simply can’t wait till halftime to start out taking part in soccer,” Indiana coach Tom Allen stated. CLICK HERE
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