| GAME 4: WKU (3-1, 1-0 C-USA) at Rice (2-2, 1-0 C-USA) | ||
| Game Notes | ||
| WKU Notes | Rice Notes | C-USA Notes |
| Purchase Tickets | ||
| Buy Tickets | 1-713-348-OWLS | |
| Going to the Game? | ||
| Parking | Tailgating | Seating Chart |
| Watch/Listen | ||
| TV: FSN | Radio: IMG Network | Listen Live |
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The Matchup:
WKU at Rice
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, 2:30 p.m. CT
Rice Stadium (47,000), Houston, Texas
TV: Fox Sports Networks
Brendan Burke (Play-by-Play)
Ben Leber (Analyst)
Christian Steckel (Sideline)
Radio: IMG Sports Network | WKU Gameday App (Google | iPhone | TuneIn)
What to Watch For: WKU Game Notes | Rice Game Notes
- WKU is in its 96th season of football and second under head coach Jeff Brohm, who became the school's 19th head coach on Jan. 10, 2014.
- WKU is one of the newest members of the FBS, entering just their seventh year of membership in college football's highest classification.
- In sixth-year QB Brandon Doughty, the Hilltoppers returned the nation's leader in passing yards (4,830) and touchdowns (49) from 2014. Doughty, the 2014 C-USA Most Valuable Player, was granted a sixth year of eligiblity for injuries suffered across the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
- Last season, WKU became the first program in NCAA history with a 4,500 yard passer and 1,500 yard rusher. They were also the first program in 17 years to break their league's single-game passing (Doughty, 593, at Middle Tennessee) and rushing record (Allen, 345, vs. Army) in the same season (Kent State, MAC, 1997).
- WKU's six interceptions through the first four games are the quickiest the Hilltoppers have reached that mark in the FBS era and fastest since doing it back in 2008. Of the six picks, five are the first interceptions it the player's career.
- With their win at Vanderbilt, WKU became the first C-USA team to defeat an SEC opponent since UCF's win over Georgia in the 2010 Liberty Bowl. WKU is 3-1 against the SEC since 2012.
About the Game:
- WKU will be seeking to move to 2-0 in conference play for just the second time in the FBS era and first since 2012 when WKU began Sun Belt play 2-1. A 4-1 start would also be WKU's best start to a season since the 2012 team went 5-1 through their first six games.
- WKU hasn't played many games against teams from the Lonestar State, but when they have, they make them count. Since 2009, the Hilltoppers are 5-2 against Texas-based schools and have won five straight (UTSA, 2014; UTEP, 2014; Texas State, 2013, North Texas, 2012; North Texas, 2011).
- The Hilltoppers will travel over 800 miles to Houston for this week's contest - their longest regular-season road trip since going to FAU last season. Since 2013, WKU is 4-1, including the bowl game, when traveling more than 700 miles away from Bowling Green (Texas State, 2013; Army, 2013; Navy, 2014; Central Michigan, 2014).
- Rice and WKU will square off for the first time this week, and it is the second week in a row WKU will play a first-time opponent. Since 2013, WKU is 8-2 when facing an opponent for the first time.
- The Hilltoppers and Owls also share the distinction of being Conference USA's most consistent winners as they are the only programs with at least seven wins in each of the last three seasons.
- 1 - The nation's best pass-catching tight end through Week 4 is WKU's Tyler Higbee. Higbee leads all tight ends in receptions and receiving yards with 26 for 354.
- 2 - Brandon Doughty has had two games with at least 450 passing yards and six touchdown passes. Every other FBS quarterback has a combined zero such performances.
- 297 - Even just four games into the season, with 297 passing yards, Brandon Doughty would pass Jeff Cesarone's record of 1,887 passing yards for the 1987 season for 10th-most in a year.
2014 Team Captains:
WKU's season-long team captains are voted on by the team at the first team meeting of the fall. On offense, QB Brandon Doughty, OL Forrest Lamp and TE Tyler Higbee. On defense, DB Wonderful Terry, LB Nick Holt and DL Gavin Rocker. Doughty is a three-year captain while Rocker is a two-year captain.
In Conference Road Openers:
WKU will be looking to snap a two-game slide in road conference openers, losing by a single possession in the first conference game away from home in 2013 and 2014. Since moving to the FBS, WKU is 2-4 in road conference openers and 7-7 overall since 1999, WKU's first season back from independent status that stretch from 1982 to 1998.
Experienced Team + Experienced Coaching Staff
Contrary to the youth of the 2014 team, the 2015 Hilltoppers return nearly 73-percent of their letterwinners, 87-percent of their total yards, and 73-percent of their total tackles, marks that have the Tops as the No. 16 most experienced team in the country heading into 2015, according to Phil Steele.
To go along with an experienced team in 2015, head coach Jeff Brohm's staff is also the most experienced coaching staff in Conference USA, combining for 206 years of collegiate coaching experience. North Texas is next on the list with 183 years.
| Conference USA Coaching Staff Experience | ||
| Team | Head Coach | Comb. Years of Experience |
| WKU | Jeff Brohm | 206 |
| North Texas | Dan McCarney | 183 |
| Middle Tennessee | Rick Stockstill | 182 |
