HC Helton and AD Stewart Press Conference 12-14-20
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Football will play in its seventh bowl game in the past nine seasons, with the Hilltoppers (5-6) set to face Georgia State (5-4) in the 22nd annual LendingTree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday, December 26.
The bowl game, to be played in Ladd-Peebles Stadium, is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be aired nationally on ESPN. The contest will mark WKU's 30th postseason game in program history, where the team owns an 18-11 all-time record.
Prior to this year, WKU reached the six-win mark eight times in the previous nine seasons, while making six previous bowl game appearances during that span. The Hilltoppers have compiled a 4-2 record in those contests, collecting wins over Central Michigan [Bahamas Bowl; 2014], South Florida [Miami Beach Bowl; 2015], Memphis [Boca Raton Bowl; 2016] and Western Michigan [First Responder Bowl; 2019].
The matchup between WKU and Georgia State will mark the teams' third all-time meeting. The Panthers most recently defeated the Hilltoppers, 27-17, in the 2017 Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Previously, WKU defeated Georgia State by a score of 44-28 in 2013.
The Hilltoppers and UTSA are the only two teams in Conference USA that have been able to play 11 games this season; while WKU is only 1-of-19 teams in FBS that played 11 games in the regular season. WKU and the Roadrunners are the only two teams in C-USA who ended their regular seasons on a three game win streak.
Tickets for the 22nd Annual LendingTree Bowl are $45 each and available through the WKU Ticket office starting on Monday, December 14. Fans are encouraged to order tickets before Tuesday, December 15. A very limited number of tickets are available to WKU fans because of current COVID-19 capacity restrictions. Please call the WKU Ticket Office at 270-745-5222 for more information.
The Mobile, Alabama, based bowl game was founded in 1999 and has built a reputation of fielding some of the most competitive and exciting games of the bowl season, including record-breaking performances by future NFL standouts. The LendingTree Bowl is committed to showcasing the city of Mobile providing educational and athletic opportunities to the community and providing a cultural and exceptional bowl experience to collegiate student-athletes administrators and fans.
Director of athletics Todd Stewart quote: "The fact that we were able to play 11 games, one of the few teams in the country to do that. To fight through the adversity and to have the success that we've had, especially finishing the way that we did, you really can't overstate, in my opinion, the job that our coaches and players have done. From an overall program standpoint, we're now doing this for the seventh time in the last nine years. That's something that we're very proud of, the fact that postseason play has become the norm for our program. A lot of our players and coaches have played a part in that and we have appreciated every opportunity we've had."
WKU head football coach Tyson Helton quote: "Playing in the postseason, that's always our number one goal. We want to be playing in the postseason. To be able to go to the LendingTree Bowl and have one more opportunity to try and get a win and send our guys off right, that's pretty special. We're excited for that opportunity, our guys are excited for that opportunity, and it's the result of all the hard work everybody has put in this year... It means a lot. All of the things we fought through to get to today, we're proud this year to be in a bowl. A lot of people were asked to step up to the plate and we took a lot of pride in that.
WKU head football coach Tyson Helton quote: "I look right now at the bowl scenarios and our team is happy and excited to have another opportunity to go represent Western Kentucky University. That says a lot about who those kids are, it says a lot about our university, says a lot about our coaches. I'm extremely proud to be a part of that. For us, the goal has always been to get to the postseason and then try to go win that game at all costs. In a year that we're having and what we're living in, it's great to have the opportunity to do that and we embrace that challenge and hopefully we get this last one. Looking forward to it."
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