Interviews: OC Adams | QB White
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU and Vanderbilt conclude their three-year, three-game set Saturday and it is the ultimate rubber match situation with the first two matchups being decided by three total points. The Hilltoppers won in 2015 in Nashville by a score of 14-12, then the Commodores came up to Houchens-Smith Stadium in 2016 and returned the favor with a 31-30 victory in overtime.
"This has been just two good football teams going at it and this should be a good one," quarterback Mike White said. "It's cool that we're so close, within 70 miles away. We get hyped for the game and I think after the first year we went down there and played them hard, they kind of got hyped for the next matchup last year."
The 2015 game ended when defensive back Joe Brown tackled Nathan Marcus shy of the end zone on a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt. Then the 2016 contest was decided when WKU decided to go for a game-winning two-point conversion in overtime and a White pass fell incomplete.
Vanderbilt's quarterback in last year's matchup was Kyle Shurmur, who will also set up behind center Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. between the white lines. White and Shurmur actually met this past summer at the Manning Passing Academy and developed a friendship on and off the field, which is based on mutual respect for one another.
"I'm looking forward to meeting up with him and going at it," White said. "Whenever you can go up against someone you know it's always fun. He's going to bring his 'A' game, he's a great player, so hopefully I can compete with him."
Offensive coordinator Junior Adams and the Hilltoppers will look to cut down on four turnovers - which led to 22 points for Florida Atlantic - in the team's 42-28 loss Saturday. WKU is at its best, he says, if the team is able to limit mistakes.
"We want to make sure we take care of the football, we preach that every day," Adams said. "If we could take 7-to-10 plays away from that game as a team, we're in a better position ... Still, offensively I thought we attacked their secondary and we were really good on third down."
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