WKU HILLTOPPERS (1-1) vs.
INDIANA HOOSIERS (1-2)
Saturday, September 25 | 7 p.m.
Houchens-Smith Stadium | BG, KY
INDIANA HOOSIERS (1-2)
Saturday, September 25 | 7 p.m.
Houchens-Smith Stadium | BG, KY
| LEARN ABOUT THE TEAM: |
| Watch: #BlackOut Hype Video WKU Weekly Game Notes Coach & Player Interviews |
| HILLTOPPERS HOST BIG TEN TEAM INDIANA FOR SATURDAY NIGHT "BLACK OUT" A victory over the Hoosiers would give WKU its first-ever win over a Big Ten opponent in program history |
NOTING THE GAME
- WKU and Indiana have played three times in their head-to-head series and the Hoosiers are 3-0. Indiana has a 107-to-69 scoring advantage over WKU in the three games. The Hilltoppers are seeking their first win in program history over a member of the Big Ten Conference. WKU is 0-8 all-time (0-3 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
- 429.5 — Bailey Zappe ranks second in FBS with 429.5 passing yards per game, behind only Virginia's Brennan Armstrong (432.7). Zappe and Armstrong each have two 400-yard games, accounting for four of the 10 such efforts in FBS.
- 5 — Zappe has five 400-yard passing performances in his past six games dating back to 2020. He has four straight 400-yard passing efforts against FBS opponents.
- 17 — WKU already has 17 "chunk" pass plays (20+ yards) with six going for scores. In 12 games in 2020, WKU had 15 "chunk" pass plays with three going for touchdowns.
- 10-3 — WKU is 10-3 in its past 13 games (dating back to 2012) following a bye week. The Hilltoppers' overall record in games following a bye week since the program moved to FBS 2009 is 10-7.
HOSTING POWER FIVE
- Indiana will be the third Power Five opponent that WKU has ever hosted at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Previously, the Hilltoppers lost to the Hoosiers on Sept. 18, 2010 by a score of 38-21 in front of a crowd of 20,772, which is the seventh-highest attendance in Houchens-Smith Stadium history. Also, WKU lost to Vanderbilt on Sept. 24, 2016 by a score of 31-30 in overtime. The Commodore-Hilltopper matchup attracted 23,674 fans, which is the all-time attendance record in 53 seasons (287 games) at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
"BLACK OUT"
- WKU will be wearing back jerseys with black pants against Indiana for the team's annual "Black Out" home game. The Hilltoppers will match the fit with their famous chrome helmets. Since 2013, WKU is 4-3 while wearing black jerseys with black pants, with all seven games coming at home
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.
ZERO TO 10,004
- WKU returned zero passing yards from the 2020 season. Enter graduate transfer quarterback Bailey Zappe, whose 10,004 passing yards at Houston Baptist from 2017-to-2020 led all active Division I passers to begin the season. Now at 10,863 after 424 passing yards vs. UT Martin and then 435 at Army, Zappe still tops the list.
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