WKU HILLTOPPERS (1-2) at
#16/17 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (4-0)
Saturday, October 2 | 6:40 p.m. CT
Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Mich.
#16/17 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (4-0)
Saturday, October 2 | 6:40 p.m. CT
Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Mich.
| LEARN ABOUT THE TEAM: |
| Game 4: PREVIEW STORY WKU Weekly Game Notes Coach & Player Interviews |
| HILLTOPPERS FACE OFF AGAINST UNDEFEATED SPARTANS ON HOMECOMING Keys for WKU will be stopping FBS' leading rusher Kenneth Walker III, as well as the MSU defensive line |
NOTING THE GAME
- WKU and Michigan State have never met in football.
- The Hilltoppers are 9-5 all-time against the Spartans in other head-to-head sports: 4-0 in baseball, 2-1 in softball, 1-0 in women's tennis, 1-1 in men's basketball, 1-2 in women's basketball, 0-1 in men's soccer and 0-2 in women's volleyball.
- WKU is seeking its first win in program history over a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Hilltoppers are 0-9 all-time (0-4 vs. Indiana, 0-2 vs. Illinois, 0-2 vs. Wisconsin and 0-1 vs. Nebraska) against teams currently in the Big Ten.
NUMBERS TO WATCH
- 408 — Bailey Zappe ranks second in FBS with 408 pass yards per game, behind only Virginia's Brennan Armstrong (426.3). Zappe ranks third in FBS with a 192.2 pass efficiency rating, behind only Armstrong and Pitt's Kenny Pickett.
- 22 — WKU already has 22 "chunk" passing plays (20+ yards) with seven going for scores. In 12 games in 2020, WKU had 15 "chunk" passing plays with three going for scores.
- 22-3 — Bailey Zappe's TD-INT ratio in eight career games vs. FBS teams. He has completed 240-of-373 passes (64.3%) for 2,978 yards (372.5) in those games.
- 1-11 — Since 2007, WKU is 1-11 against ranked opponents, most recently a 41-10 loss at #10/11 BYU in 2020.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
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Hosting Indiana last weekend on the 288th game in Houchens-Smith Stadium history, WKU fans showed out in record numbers to set the program's all-time attendance record of 25,171, breaking the previous high of 23,674 on September 24, 2016, vs. Vanderbilt. A capacity crowd at Spartan Stadium this weekend (74,866) would rank as the 14th-highest crowd the Hilltoppers have ever played in front of.
STAFF SHUFFLE
- Of WKU's 10 full-time assistant coaches, only one (special teams coordinator and safeties coach Andy LaRussa) has the same role as last season. Four have new roles: Maurice Crum (linebackers –> defensive coordinator), Bryan Ellis (now co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach), Kenny Baker (defensive ends –> defensive line) and Stephen Hamby (quality control –> offensive line). Five are new faces: Zach Kittley (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks), Pat Bastien (linebackers), Josh Crawford (outside receivers), Keynodo Hudson (cornerbacks) and Carlos Locklyn (running backs).
THE PORTAL
- Of the 108 players on WKU's 2021 roster, 28 of them (26%) are incoming transfers. Of the 28, 16 are coming directly from FBS programs –10 from Power Five programs and six from Group of Five teams. Of the 28, eight are from FCS programs – including four from the Houston Baptist offense. Of the 28, four are from the JuCo ranks, however three of those spent a year on Power Five teams. WKU defensive back Davion Williams – a Belleville, Mich., native – appeared in 23 games for Michigan State from 2018-to-2020 before transferring in January.
ZERO TO 10,004
- WKU returned zero passing yards from the 2020 season. Enter graduate transfer quarterback Bailey Zappe, whose 10,004 yards at Houston Baptist from 2017-to-2020 led all active Division I passers to begin the season. Now at 11,228 yards after 424 vs. UT Martin, 435 at Army and 365 vs. Indiana, Zappe still tops the list.
A DOZEN DIMES
- On two occasions already this season, Zappe has had a string of 12 straight completions – vs. UT Martin and vs. Indiana – tying for the second-best mark in WKU history. Mike White had 14 straight in a game vs. MTSU in 2017.
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