GAME AND TEAM NOTES
• WKU's team captains for the game were A.J. Brathwaite, Jr., Ta'Corian Darden and Miles Pate.
• There was an attendance of 7,589 in Houchens-Smith Stadium for the 1:05 p.m. CT kick off. The game ended at 4:09 p.m. CT for a total game time of 3:04. WKU's average game time for the season is 3:05.
• WKU won on Senior Day/Night for the 9th consecutive season and sent their 13 seniors out with a victory. The Hilltoppers have not dropped their final home game of the season since 2010.
• WKU improved to 33-35-1 all-time against Middle Tennessee, including a 20-15 mark in Bowling Green. The Hilltoppers have won 4 of the past 5 matchups in the series.
• WKU held Middle Tennessee to 26 points, the fewest by the Blue Raiders in the series since 2008 in a 21-10 Hilltoppers' loss.
• WKU had 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception, improving to 6-1 this season when forcing at least 1 turnover. The Hilltoppers are 2-3 when forcing 0 turnovers.
• The WKU defense held Middle Tennessee to a 5-of-15 mark on third downs. For the season, Hilltoppers' opponents are 46-of-157 (29.3%) on third downs.
• WKU improved to 8-2 while wearing red jersey tops and black pants, dating back to 2013. The Hilltoppers wore the combo earlier this season in a 38-21 loss vs. Louisville.
PLAYER NOTES
TY STOREY• Completed 23-of-30 attempts for 294 yards passing, with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His scores were a 64-yard pass to Lucky Jackson in the third quarter and a go-ahead 3-yard pass to Quin Jernighan in the fourth frame.
• Completed a collegiate career-high 76.7% of his passes, over the 66% mark for the 8th straight game.
• Carried 12 times for 62 yards (73 gain, 11 lost) and 1 touchdown. The 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was a collegiate career-high. Ranks 2nd on WKU with 7 rushing scores this season.
GAEJ WALKER
• Had 14 carries for 119 yards and 1 touchdown. The 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the eventual game-winning score.
• Leads Conference USA with 7 100-yard rushing performances this season and stands 2nd in the league with 1,115 yards. Also leads WKU with 8 rushing scores this season.
• His 47-yard rush in the second quarter was his longest since the opening carry of the season, a career-long 68-yard touchdown vs. Central Arkansas.
• Eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on a 4-yard carry on WKU's first offensive play of the game. Finished the regular season with 226 carries for 1,115 yards – along with 20 receptions for 100 yards.
QUIN JERNIGHAN
• Had 4 receptions for a season-high 76 yards and 1 touchdown, the 7th of his career.
• After WKU denied a Middle Tennessee fake punt try on the 36 yard line with 8 minutes left in the game while trailing 20-17, Jernighan made a 33-yard catch over a Blue Raider defender that put the Hilltoppers at the 3 yard line, then grabbed a pass in the end zone to put WKU ahead 24-20, a lead that the Hilltoppers would not relinquish.
• Also had a 26-yard reception in the first quarter, giving him 5 "chunk" catches on the season.
LUCKY JACKSON
• Had 8 receptions for 110 yards and 1 touchdown. The 64-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was his 2nd-longest catch of the season, trailing only his 69-yard score vs. Charlotte.
• Ranks tied for 2nd in Conference USA with 4 100-yard receiving performances this season. Leads C-USA with 77 receptions and stands 2nd in the league with 985 yards.
• Had 52 receptions for 772 yards and 3 touchdowns in the second half of the season, after recording 25 catches for 263 yards and 0 scores in the first half of his senior year.
• With 192 career receptions and 2,532 career yards, ranks 3rd on WKU's all-time charts. Nicholas Norris (194 and 3,091) stands 2nd in program history.
CLAY DAVIS
• Had a career-high and team-high 13 tackles (7 solo, 6 assisted), including 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack.
• Also added a pass breakup in the end zone to hold Middle Tennessee to a field goal at the end of the first half, and a forced fumble that led to WKU's eventual game-winning score in the fourth quarter.
KYLE BAILEY
• Had 11 tackles (8 solo, 3 assisted), giving him a team-high 99 (48 solo, 51 assisted) for the season.
DeANGELO MALONE
• Had 7 tackles (3 solo, 4 assisted) to rank 3rd on the team.
• Added his 11.5th sack of the season, an 8-yard loss in the fourth quarter, to move into 3rd place in WKU's single-season sack list.
• Also leads the Hilltoppers with 21 tackles for loss this season, he has at least 1 TFL in 11-of-12 games.
JUWUAN JONES
• Had 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 assisted), including a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.
• Ranks 2nd on the team with 12 tackles for loss and 6 sacks on the season.
ROGER CRAY
• Had 1 interception in the third quarter, his 2nd of the season and 3rd of his career.
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