NAPLES (FL) -- Western Michigan will battle Western Kentucky in Dallas, Texas on Monday, December 30 at 12:30 p.m. in the SERVEPRO First Responders Bowl. We are fortunate to have a trifecta today, featuring Elliott Pratt from the Bowling Green Daily News, Tyler Mansfield from rivals.com Inside Hilltopper Sports (https://wku.rivals.com), the counterpart to the BroncoBlitz, and Ross Shircliffe from thetowelrackwku.com, with us to share some insight into all things Hilltoppers football. Elliott and Tyler you are now on the BroncoBlitz hotseat.

BroncoBlitz: Hilltoppers Coach Tyson Helton has proven to be a hit in his first year back on The Hill. Helton turned a program that was just 3-9 a year ago around into an 8-4 juggernaut, winning Conference USA's Coach of the Year in the process. Helton was a key member of previous Coach Jeff Brohm's staff that won 12 games and reached number 24 in the national rankings in 2015. What has been the key to Helton's instant success? How do you expect him to game plan the Broncos? Do you hear any rumors about Power 5 schools trying to poach him (yet)?

Elliott Pratt: Helton being a key member of Brohm's staff is why they brought him back. Football alumni endorsed it and the current redshirt seniors knew Helton from his first stint and really bought in. Helton also retained all but one coach on the defensive staff, which was the team's strongest unit under the former coach. It's been a work in progress - losing to an FCS school at home to open the year isn't ideal. But this team became a "Helton" team more and more by the week and they're playing their best football right now. They can succeed throwing 40 times a game or 20. It's a balanced team that can throw a mix of things at WMU. There haven't been any rumors yet. If he produces like this in the next year or two, I would expect him to be a hot candidate on the coaching market.

Tyler Mansfield: To make things short and sweet: Tyson Helton is a fantastic football coach. He understands and knows the game so well and does a great job relaying his knowledge to his Western Kentucky team. Being a former WKU assistant under Jeff Brohm, the transition for Helton into becoming the Toppers' head coach was pretty simple. He was around when WKU reached unprecedented heights from 2014-2016 and knows what the program is capable of accomplishing -- and he and his club are already off to a nice start in Year 1. As far as game-planning for Western Michigan, Helton spoke to the media multiple times throughout the past couple weeks about how successful they are running the football with LeVante Bellamy. He mentioned that the Broncos are solid on both sides of the ball and that the Hilltoppers will have their work cut out for them. I'd expect the Toppers to key-in on Bellamy and also put together an offensive game plan that they think will work.

Ross Shircliffe: Helton has been night and day better than his predecessor Mike Sanford. I think most of that success can be attributed to coaching to the team's strengths and not trying to put completely implement the Brohm Ball wide-open style in 2019. He has the benefit of a defense that came into its own in 2019 and has several veterans that he's leaned on to play defensive first football. On offense, he's improved as the season's progressed and the offense scores enough to take the pressure off of the defense.I don't really see WKU doing anything widely different from a game-planning standpoint. They'll definitely try to force Wassink to beat them instead of Bellamy on defense but overall they'll try to use the defensive line to impose their will on the Broncos. Offensively they'll try to be balanced between the pass and run and may mix in a few trick plays (a hallmark of the Brohm era) since it's the last game of the season.I think Helton will invariably be linked to P5 (or the right AAC) jobs here in a few years (it's a reality at the G5 level) but I don't think he's there yet. He wasn't a hotshot assistant that quickly shot up the ranks and is a laid back guy in interviews so It doesn't surprise me that we didn't have an Eli Drinkiwitz situation after only 1 year. Helton should contend for a CUSA title next year and it wouldn't surprise me to see him mentioned then should he finish 9-3 or better. At WKU we expect our coaches to only last 3-4 years if they're successful and that's the same timeframe with Helton moving forward after a wildly successful year one.

BroncoBlitz: Gaej Walker rushed for over 1,000 yards, averaging 5 yards a carry. Ty Storey threw for over 2,200 yards and completed 70 percent of his passes and Pearson Jahcour, Lucky Jackson are two of the top seven receivers in Conference USA. In other words, the Hilltoppers appear to be loaded at the skill positions. Tell us more about the Hilltopper offense, how would you describe its style? Who are some of the unsung heroes?

Elliott Pratt: Of all those mentioned, that's not even the best position group. The offensive line has had the same starting five for two years now and that was the best position group going into the year. They'll return four starters in 2020, as well. So, Helton was able to build around that. Ty Storey is a grad transfer from Arkansas who actually didn't start until the fourth game because of an injury to the other quarterback, Steven Duncan. Storey has been quite the game manager and he's the most accurate passer among Group of Five quarterbacks. Walker is a converted defensive back that has produced solid results at his new position. Jackson is the most reliable receiver and Pearson is the quick, shifty one that can burn you if he hits the seam.

Tyler Mansfield: Western Kentucky's offense is full of playmakers. Gaej Walker emerged as the team's No. 1 running back early into the season and has been a consistent weapon each week. Ty Storey stepped in for the injured Steven Duncan after four games and has helped lead the Hilltoppers to where they are now. Storey is such a sharp quarterback and doesn't make many bad decisions while piloting the offense. As for Jahcour Pearson and Lucky Jackson, both are standout wideouts who can both get going quickly. Helton is an offensive mastermind, and his squad has been sharp entering this bowl game.

Ross Shircliffe: As I mentioned above, balanced would be the number one way I'd describe the WKU offensive style. WKU will probably do a 60/40 mix of pass to run but Helton isn't afraid to play the hot hand. If Gaej Walker and Ty Storey are successful on the ground (like they were against Arkansas) then he'll more than happy to lean on the run and use it to set up the pass. You hit the nail on the head with most of the playmakers on offense. Arkansas Grad transfer Ty Storey has improved every game since becoming the starter in week 4. He has been really efficient all year throwing the ball (70% of his passes) while limiting mistakes (12/5 TD to INT ratio). He has really developed a rapport with both Jackson and Pearson and if one isn't having a big game it probably means that the other is. Jackson is the more traditional vertical threat for the Hilltoppers while Pearson is more of the speedy slot receiver that will gain chunks on a quick slant or screen. One player that you didn't mention is Freshman Tight End Josh Simon. While his final numbers don't jump off the paper (24 catches for 325 yards), his size (6'5 235 lbs.) creates various matchup problems for linebackers and defensive backs alike. Look for WKU to go to him near the goal line. He finished second on the team with four touchdown catches on the season.

BroncoBlitz: Kyle Bailey and Deangelo Malone led the Hilltopper defense in tackles but there were many stars on this squad that led Conference USA in scoring defense giving up a mere 20 points a game. Tell us about why the Hilltoppers have been so stingy with giving up points and what are its strengths and are there any vulnerable spots?

Elliott Pratt: A lot of credit goes to defensive coordinator Clayton White. Every defensive coach except for Andy LaRussa (safeties) has been at WKU for three years now and they have a culture defensively. Malone has been one of the best defensive ends in the country all season. He's long and quick and much stronger than he looks. Juwuan Jones anchoring the other side helps Malone, too. Early in the year, they were prone to give up a ton of deep passes, but that got fixed pretty quickly and now there are hardly any weaknesses. I've seen WKU completely take away a strong passing game and eliminate teams that lean on the run. It's been special to watch.

Tyler Mansfield: WKU's defense has been the highlight of the season. The Hilltoppers have been known for having an explosive offense -- especially under Jeff Brohm -- but this team's defense has caught the attention of many. Defensive coordinator Clayton White and his staff have done a tremendous job building their unit into one of the nation's best. DeAngelo Malone is easily an NFL guy, while Kyle Bailey, Juwuan Jones, Antwon Kincade and so many others help make the defense what it is. WKU has been solid this season at stopping the run -- which could be big against WMU -- but has struggled at times containing big receivers.

Ross Shircliffe: WKU's defense has been great at creating havoc with the defensive line. Malone was the Conference USA defensive player of the year, finishing with 11.5 sacks. He is not only a pass-rushing specialist as he's active all over the field and finished second to Bailey on the team with 91 tackles. As the season wore on, Malone faced constant double teams and that opened up chances for the rest of the defense. WKU finished with 25 sacks on the season and when the pass rush is working it makes WKU tough to beat. Their low season totals has been a mix of timely turnovers, ball control on offense and defense and a mix of mediocre offensive teams on WKU's schedule. They've slowed down good offensive teams but were susceptible to bend but don't break tendencies from time to time. WKU sometimes struggles in the passing game, specifically with the deep pass. Whether it's giving up chunk plays or home run deep passes, WKU often got caught sleeping in the defensive backfield during the season. The Hilltoppers also are a mixed bag against the run. Sometimes they've shut it down completely other times they've given up plenty of yards to good running back. If WMU stays balanced like their stat sheet says they are, I'd look for them to have some success on Monday.

BroncoBlitz: John Haggerty is a real weapon for the Hilltoppers averaging over 46 yards a punt. The field goal kicking has been a little less certain with freshman Cory Munson converting just over half of his attempts. Tell us a little more about the WKU special teams units.

Elliott Pratt: Haggerty has been a quiet weapon flipping the field for WKU this year. He's got quite the boot. Munson is a freshman Helton believes can be the team's kicker for several years, so he's okay with letting him learn on the fly. He's been pretty inconsistent lately, but he CAN get it through on 40+ yards, so Helton will bet on the freshman to get better.

Tyler Mansfield: John Haggerty has been impressive in his first year with the Hilltoppers. The Australian is one of the best punters I've ever seen and really helps WKU by pinning punts deep inside opponents' territories to open drives. Cory Munson has been both good and bad at times this year, which can be understood as he is only a freshman. He is the Toppers' best option at placekicker and will continue to be the main guy at the position.

Ross Shircliffe: Haggarty is the one constant in WKU's special teams game. The Australian newcomer has a big leg and has regularly helped WKU's defense start drives in a favorable position. If the game is close he'll play a factor. Munson has a strong leg but he's faced the same problems that most freshman kickers experience with inconsistency. Helton called him Wild Thing (after Ricky Vaughn in Major League) earlier in the year because you don't know what you're going to get from him. He's capable of drilling a 48 yarder but is also capable of missing chip shots from inside 35 yards (5 misses inside 40 yards). As the season progressed, Helton tried to not lean on Munson and regularly went for it around the 30-yard line. I look for him to do the same on Monday. WKU's return game has been very poor all season. The longest return they've had was just 43 yards by Dayton Wade on a kick return. Don't look for the Hilltoppers to run one back.

BroncoBlitz: The Hilltoppers have won three of five bowl games in the last six years, while the Broncos have won one bowl game in its 114-year history. On paper, it appears to be a pretty even matchup with Vegas insiders giving the Hilltoppers about a field goal advantage. The game could be decided by a turnover here or a key penalty there. What do you think the key things that the Hilltoppers will need to do to win this game (besides scoring more points)? What is your prediction for how this one goes and what the final score will be?

Elliott Pratt: WKU is playing its best football right now. Even though it'll be a month from their last game, they've won three straight and playing well on all sides of the ball. Western Michigan being 1-5 on the road doesn't bode well in my confidence that the Broncos can stop that momentum. I'm excited to see this defense face LeVante Bellamy. It'll clearly be WKU's biggest test of the year at stopping the run, which they've done really well at this season. Quarterback Ty Storey has been great protecting the football and managing the offense and it'll be his last game in what has been a solid season for him and this offense in Tyson Helton's first season. I think it hinges on Storey's play and the Hilltoppers keep rolling and win it by a touchdown to 10 points.

Tyler Mansfield: I think this will be a great bowl game -- I really do. On paper, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan are pretty much even and both do good things on both sides of the ball. In order for the Hilltoppers to win, they'll need to take care of the football, limit Bellamy and the Broncos' offense and capitalize on drives and not let any opportunities go to waste. I think this contest goes down to the wire, but I am taking WKU over WMU by a final score of 31-27.

Ross Shircliffe: WKU will need to slow down Bellamy and make the Broncos one dimensional on offense. If they do that their offense should be able to generate enough points and yards to put them in a position to win. WKU's administration puts a big emphasis on bowl games as a gauge of program momentum and exposure so I look for Tyson Helton to pull out all of the stops in this one. Look for multiple trick plays and a team that is motivated to win and springboards themselves to a big 2020. I think WMU's offense will be able to keep them in the game but I think that WKU's offense continues its late season resurgence and WKU pulls away late with a 31-21 victory in Dallas. The Hilltoppers will get to claim the title "Best Western" (got that from twitter after the bowl was announced).