2016 Western Kentucky
11–3 (7–1 Conference USA), coached by Jeff Brohm, then Nick Holt (interim, bowl game). Share
Schedule and results
- Biggest winBeat Marshall 60–6Nov 26
By 54 points, its widest win.
- Most excitingLost to Vanderbilt 30–31Sep 24
The win probability swung the most, by CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1 | vs Rice | W 46–14 | 81% |
| Sep 10 | at 1Alabama | L 10–38 | 23% |
| Sep 17 | at Miami (OH) | W 31–24 | 80% |
| Sep 24 | vs Vanderbilt | L 30–31 | 81% |
| Oct 1 | vs Houston Christian | W 50–3 | 96% |
| Oct 6 | at Louisiana Tech | L 52–55 | 54% |
| Oct 15 | at Middle Tennessee | W 44–43 | 51% |
| Oct 22 | vs Old Dominion | W 59–24 | 78% |
| Oct 29 | at Florida Atlantic | W 52–3 | 82% |
| Nov 5 | vs Florida International | W 49–21 | 90% |
| Nov 12 | vs North Texas | W 45–7 | 87% |
| Nov 26 | at Marshall | W 60–6 | 76% |
| Dec 3 | vsLouisiana TechConference USA Championship Game | W 58–44 | 69% |
| Dec 20Bowls & playoff | vs MemphisBoca Raton Bowl | W 51–31 | 64% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
How it ended: Beat Memphis 51–31 in the Boca Raton Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; Conference USA champions.
In program history: The best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 56 on file).
Conference USA champions7–1 in the conference, won the Conference USA Championship Game
Led the nationKylen Towner: kickoff return average (40.3); Anthony Wales: rushing touchdowns (27 TD), points (174 pts)
- Record
- 11–3
- Conference
- 7–1 shared first in Conference USA
- AP final
- Unranked
- Points
- 637–344
- Coach
- Jeff Brohm, then Nick Holt (interim, bowl game)
- Elo
- 1713 +82 this season
- SP+ rating
- 15.5 No. 19 of 128; offense No. 9, defense No. 45, special teams No. 41
- SRS
- 7.8 No. 31 of 128 in FBS
- Returning
- 39% of last season’s EPA, No. 108 of 128
- Recruiting class
- No. 101 roster talent No. 95 in FBS
- Offensive coordinators
- Brian Brohm and Tony Levine
- Defensive coordinator
- Nick Holt
- Offense
- Spread
- Defense
- 4–3
How good, play by play
| EPA per play | Success | Explosiveness | FBS rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | 0.29 | 51% | 1.26 | 6th of 128 |
| Defense | 0.09 | 40% | 1.36 | 56th of 128 |
| Opponent-adjusted | 0.23 off 0.09 def | 48% off 40% def | — | 11th off 57th def |
How these are measured
Play-weighted averages over games against FBS opponents; raw numbers, not adjusted for the strength of the opponent. EPA (expected points added) measures how much each play changed the expected score; success rate counts plays that kept the offense on schedule; explosiveness is the average EPA on successful plays. Lower is better on defense. Ranked by EPA per play among teams that were FBS that season. The opponent-adjusted row (offense / defense) is CollegeFootballData.com’s WEPA, which accounts for who each team played.
Drives and havoc
| Points per trip inside the 40 | Average start | Havoc | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | 4.2 | own 35 | 15% allowed |
| Defense | 3.4 | own 27 | 20% caused |
CORE rating 14.5, 12th of 128 (offense 12.5, defense -2.1).
A trip inside the 40 is a drive that reaches the opponent’s 40-yard line; points per trip is how many it scored on average (allowed, on defense). Average start is where drives began (the defense’s line is where its opponents started). Havoc is the share of plays ending in a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception or a pass broken up. CORE is CollegeFootballData.com’s context- and opponent-adjusted rating (points better than an average team; lower is better on defense). From CollegeFootballData.com.
Leaders
| Passing yards | Mike White QB | 4,363 yds |
| Passing touchdowns | Mike White QB | 37 TD |
| Rushing yards | Anthony Wales RB | 1,621 yds |
| Rushing touchdowns | Anthony Wales RB | 27 TD |
| Receiving yards | Taywan Taylor WR | 1,730 yds |
| Receiving touchdowns | Taywan Taylor WR | 17 TD |
| Tackles | Keith Brown LB | 130 tkl |
| Sacks | Nick Dawson-Brents DL | 7 sacks |
| Interceptions | Keith Brown LB | 2 INT |
Top recruits in the 2016 class
| Quinton Baker APB | ★★★ | No. 992 |
| Jeremy Darvin DT | ★★★ | No. 992 |
| Xavier Lane WR | ★★★ | No. 1071 |
| Chris Cotto WR | ★★★ | No. 1642 |
| Dee Cain ATH | ★★★ | No. 1741 |
247Sports composite rankings via CollegeFootballData.com; national rank in the class.
The 2016 class by position
| Signed | Stars | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | 1 | 2.0 | 0.784 |
| Running backs | 2 | 2.5 | 0.808 |
| Receivers | 4 | 2.8 | 0.816 |
| Offensive line | 3 | 2.3 | 0.794 |
| Defensive line | 3 | 2.7 | 0.808 |
| Linebackers | 1 | 2.0 | 0.789 |
| Defensive backs | 1 | 2.0 | 0.788 |
| Athletes and specialists | 2 | 2.5 | 0.799 |
| Whole class | 17 | 2.5 | 0.803 |
High-school signees by position group, with their average stars and 247Sports composite rating (out of 1), via CollegeFootballData.com. Athletes are signees with no set position.
Drafted in 2017
The 2017 draft| Rd 2 | Forrest Lamp OG | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Rd 3 | Taywan Taylor WR | Tennessee Titans |
Roster 103
The 2016 roster103 players, with numbers, heights, hometowns and each player’s 2016 line; 60 have a stat line. See the roster
2016 Conference USA standings
Conference page| Team | Conf. | Overall | AP final |
|---|---|---|---|
 Western Kentucky | 7–1 | 11–3 | |
| Old Dominion | 7–1 | 10–3 | |
| Louisiana Tech | 6–2 | 9–5 | |
| Middle Tennessee | 5–3 | 8–5 | |
 UTSA | 5–3 | 6–7 | |
 Southern Miss | 4–4 | 7–6 | |
| Florida International | 4–4 | 4–8 | |
| North Texas | 3–5 | 5–8 | |
 Charlotte | 3–5 | 4–8 | |
 UTEP | 2–6 | 4–8 | |
| Marshall | 2–6 | 3–9 | |
| Florida Atlantic | 2–6 | 3–9 | |
| Rice | 2–6 | 3–9 |
Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.