Hilltoppers Conclude Regular Season at Florida Atlantic

Game #13

WKU (7-5, 5-2 C-USA) at Florida Atlantic (5-6, 4-3 C-USA)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 26
Kickoff: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Boca Raton, Fla. (FAU Stadium)
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: WKLX (SAM 100.7 FM) and WWKU (ESPN Radio 102.7 FM) in Bowling Green
Social: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
Game Notes: WKU | Florida Atlantic

NOTES & QUOTES

A spot in the Conference USA Championship game will come down to two games on Saturday. WKU will make the championship game at UTSA with a win over Florida Atlantic and a North Texas loss to Rice. The Hilltoppers can not make the championship game without a win on Saturday.

Quarterback Austin Reed is currently second in all of college football in passing yards with 3,839. He trails Washington's Michael Penix Jr. by just 30 yards for the top spot in college football. Entering the final week of the regular season, Reed will look to make up those 30 yards to become the top passer in college football in 2022. It would mark the second-consecutive season WKU sported the nations top passer with Bailey Zappe leading college football a season ago. Zappe threw for 5,967 in 2021, setting a new single-season FBS record.

Wide receiver Malachi Corley surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the season with his 99-yard performance at Auburn on Saturday. Corley set a WKU record for freshman receiving yards last year, and now owns the record for sophomore receiving yards this season.

Joshua Simon found the end zone twice against Auburn, giving him his first multi-touchdown performance of the season. Simon scored two touchdowns in last year's season-opener against UT Martin.

After returning from injury two weeks ago against Rice, junior running back Markese Stepp has added another dimension to the WKU backfield. Stepp has led the Hilltoppers in rushing each of the last two weeks with 64 yards at rice and 33 yards at Auburn.

Saturday's game between WKU and Florida Atlantic will be the last one for a while with the Owls set to depart for the American Athletic Conference next season, and Western Kentucky's nonconference slate filled out for the next few years.

"We have to control the things we can control, and I know we're about to play a highly motivated FAU team coached very well by coach Taggart. It is a tough place to play, FAU, and I know they will be ready for us, and it should be a really, really good, competitive game. You want these kinds of games in late November, to be playing for something. We have something to play for, as do they. Should be a really good game."

-Tyson Helton on the stakes of Saturday's game at Florida Atlantic

"You know, there were a lot of good things, obviously, but the second half offensively we just kept stalling out. I thought they played good defense the second half and did some things that kept us moving the football. I think our defense held on and did a really solid job for most of the game, but if you're not scoring offensively, it gets hard on the defense. They get worn out. So, we learned a lot from that game. They're a good football team and we have to rebound this week and go back on the road this week. I expect FAU is just as good as Auburn. I've watched them on film, and they are very a talented football team, and it will take everything we have to go win the game. So, we can take away a lot from this loss at Auburn and try to fix the problems that we had and hopefully make them right at FAU."

-Helton on the takeaways from Saturday's game at Auburn

"We've never had that problem here. Our guys have a lot of pride and honor, and they always play hard. I spoke to them after the game and said, 'I'm proud of you. You competed hard.' We know the mistakes and problems and I'm looking in all my players' eyes and staff's eyes and they are right there with me. They get it. So, there's really nothing more you take away than the lessons you take away from the game, the mistakes that you made. You learn from those and hopefully you fix them."

-Helton on the team not dwelling on the loss at Auburn

LAST TIME OUT

After falling behind 17-3 early in the game, WKU came storming back to tie things up at 17 apiece before halftime Saturday at Auburn. That would unfortunately be the end of WKU's scoring on the night as Auburn dominated the second half to win 41-17. Joshua Simon caught two touchdown passes for the Hilltoppers on the night.

SERIES HISTORY

The Hilltoppers and Owls have met 13 times since 2008 with Florida Atlantic winning nine of the matchups, and WKU claiming four. In last season's meeting, WKU snapped a four-game losing streak to the Owls by winning 52-17. The Tops will look to make it two in a row over Florida Atlantic for the first time

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Players Mentioned

Malachi Corley

Austin Reed

Joshua Simon

Markese Stepp