WKU HILLTOPPERS (0-0) vs.
UT MARTIN SKYHAWKS (0-0)
Thursday, September 2 | 7 p.m.
Houchens-Smith Stadium | BG, KY
UT MARTIN SKYHAWKS (0-0)
Thursday, September 2 | 7 p.m.
Houchens-Smith Stadium | BG, KY
| LEARN ABOUT THE TEAM: |
| WKU Weekly Game Notes Coach & Player Interviews |
| QUARTERBACK ZAPPE LEADS NEW-LOOK OFFENSE INTO 2021 SEASON OPENER The HBU transfer – along with three teammates and his offensive coordinator – will all make their WKU debuts |
NOTING THE GAME
- WKU and UT Martin have played four times in their head-to-head series, all from 1997-2000. The Hilltoppers are 4-0 with a combined score advantage of 196-to-17. Since a 71-0 win over the Skyhawks in 2000, WKU has only eclipsed the 70-point mark once – an 87-0 victory over West Virginia Tech on Sept. 8, 2007. By the time the programs square off for their 2021 contests, it will have been 7,663 days since matching up against each other.
NUMBERS TO WATCH
- 17 — WKU vs. UT Martin will be the 17th game involving an FBS team to kick off in the 2021 season. Six games played before 9/2 and 10 before 7 p.m. CT on Thursday.
- 43 — Former WKU LB Andrew Jackson has the program's FBS Era (since 2009) record with 43 career TFL's from 2010-13. DE DeAngelo Malone currently sits second with 42.5.
- 183 — WKU lost 183 career starts each from the offensive and defense. Among those are NFL players: SAF Devon Key (49), OL Jordan Meredith (37) and CB Dionté Ruffin (25).
SEASON #103
- WKU is playing its 103rd season of football this fall. The program played its first game in 1913. The Hilltoppers celebrated their 100th season of football in 2018 and, uniquely enough, it was also the 100th season of men's basketball and baseball on The Hill. To celebrate, WKU voted on and named an All-Century Team and wore a commemorative patch on the team's jerseys.
"WHITE OUT"
- WKU will be wearing white jerseys with white pants against UT Martin for the team's annual "White Out" home game. The Hilltoppers will be wearing white cleats for the first time since Tyson Helton took over as head coach prior to the 2019 season, while also debuting a white helmet with an all-red stripe and a white "Tops" script logo with a red outline (top left of this page). Since 2013, WKU is 13-10 while wearing white jerseys with white pants, including 6-1 in home games.
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 Hudon (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.
ZERO TO 10,004
- WKU returns zero passing yards from the 2020 season. Enter graduate transfer quarterback Bailey Zappe, whose 10,004 career passing yards at Houston Baptist from 2017-20 leads all active Division I passers. The next-closest is Utah's Charlie Brewer, who had 9,700 for Baylor over the past four years and transferred over the offseason to play for the Utes.
The 2021 WKU Football season is presented by Stewart Richey Service Group. Stewart Richey is a multi-disciplined construction and service firm providing contracting, maintenance, and repair services across residential, commercial, industrial, civil and institutional markets. Stewart Richey Service Group has provided over 45 years of service!
