WKU (3-1, 1-0 C-USA) vs. Troy (2-2, 1-1 Sun Belt)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 1
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Bowling Green, Ky. (Houchens-Smith Stadium)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WKLX (SAM 100.7 FM) and WWKU (ESPN Radio 102.7 FM) in Bowling Green
Social: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
Game Notes: WKU | Troy
Game Day Information: Tickets | Game Day Guide | Live Stats
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NOTES AND QUOTES
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- After opening its Conference USA slate with a dominant, 73-0 victory over Florida International, WKU will return to nonconference play for one week when it welcomes Troy to town on Saturday night. Other than the COVID-19 interrupted 2020 season, the last time WKU started conference play and reverted to nonconference play was in 2019 when the Hilltoppers defeated FIU before playing Louisville the following week. WKU will also play at Auburn later in the season.
- WKU and Troy will meet again for the first time since 2013 when the Hilltoppers and Trojans were Sun Belt Conference rivals. The two schools met every year from 2007-2013 as conference foes with Troy winning five of those games and WKU winning two.
- WKU has scored 30 points or more in 18-straight contests dating back to the 2021 season opener. WKU's highest scoring game during that stretch is last week's 73-0 victory over FIU. The Hiltoppers' active streak of 18 games is the most in the entire country, and 11 more than the next-closest team. UCLA has scored 30 or more in seven-consecutive games, Georgia has scored 30 or more in six-straight contests, and Coastal Carolina has an active streak of five games.
- Saturday's contest against Troy will mark the first time WKU has played consecutive home games this season. Under Tyson Helton, the Hilltoppers are 13-6 at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Since 2019 when Helton took over the program, WKU has won every two-game homestand it has played. In 2019 the Tops defeated Army and Charlotte in consecutive home games, and in 2020 it was Southern Miss and FIU. Last year, WKU took down Charlotte and Middle Tennessee in its lone homestand of the year. The Hilltoppers will play back-to-back home games again later this season against UAB and North Texas.
"Troy this week; really, really excited about them. I really want to thank our fans last week had a great atmosphere last week. Need them to show up and show out at home again. Got a great opponent coming in in Troy, real good football team, very competitive team. I've been really impressed with them. I think our team knows it's going to be a highly competitive game. And so, we're looking forward to the contest."
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-Tyson Helton on this week's matchup
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"I think they're a tough nosed football team. I think they're well-coached. I think coach Sumerall has done a fantastic job with them. I mean, you don't just go to App State; you know, technically in my mind, they're supposed to win that game, you know. And for them to bounce back like they did, kind of like us against Indiana. You know, it says a lot about their football team. Their defense gets after you, you know, they line up and play. They're good tacklers. They run to the football. They do what they do. They run their scheme extremely well. Offensively, they've got some playmakers and their skilled players. Quarterback is a good game manager, offensive line does a good job, running back's a physical runner. I think they just complete, you know, they're a complete football team, and they're playing good football. And when I look at them, I see a lot of similarities to us. You know, they look like they're competitive. They enjoy the game. They like the competition piece. So, I expect a really good football game."
-Coach Helton on the scouting report for Troy
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"Well, like you said, it starts with stopping the run. We got to stop the run. And then we can't give up the explosive plays in the passing game. Last week, their game against Marshall, they had some explosive plays in the passing game. You know, they'll go the distance, you know. It's nothing for this team to have long drives and their seven-minute drives and they try to limit your possessions and so we got to get off the field defensively. And then offensively, we've got to play fast; we've got to start fast and, you know, got to be explosive and try to make it to where they've got to try to catch up, but you know they match up, but you know they match up well with us, we match up well with them. I think it's two very similar football teams going to play each other this week."
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-Helton on WKU's keys to the game
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W-CLUB TO HONOR 1963 HILLTOPPERS
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Special guests at the October 1Troy game include members of the 1963 Hilltopper Football Team who will be recognized as a WKU Athletic Hall of Fame Team on Jimmy Feix Field at halftime. A member of the inaugural class of the great teams in WKU history, the '63 Toppers remain the only undefeated team in the WKU record books, going 10-0-1 (7-0-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play) and shutting out the Coast Guard Academy 27-0 in the Tangerine Bowl (now known as the Citrus Bowl). They set 29 team and individual school records, including four that still rank among the best-ever on The Hill here nearly 60 years later. Three members of that team are on the elite list of Hilltopper All-Americans – Jim Burt, Dale Lindsey and John Mutchler.
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LAST TIME OUT
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Austin Reed tossed five touchdowns, including an electric 76-yard pass to Malachi Corley, as WKU recorded its first shutout since 2011 in a dominant 73-0 win over FIU. WKU's 73 points were the second-most in school history and most during the program's FBS era. It was the most points the Hilltoppers have ever scored against another FBS opponent. WKU scored in all three phases of the game with nine touchdowns on offense, one on defense via an Aaron Key fumble recovery for a touchdown, and on special teams thanks to a Brayden Narveson field goal.
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ABOUT TROY
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The Trojans visit Bowling Green fresh off a 16-7 win over Marshall, lifting them to 2-2 overall for the season. Gunnar Watson is Troy's starting quarterback and has thrown for 1,249 yards and five touchdowns against five interceptions. DK Bilingsley and Kimani Vidal are Troy's threats out of the backfield with 162 and 149 yards on the season, respectively. Defensively, Carlton Martial leads Troy with 33 tackles on the season. The Trojans are coached by Jon Sumrall who is in his first season at the helm of the program.
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SERIES HISTORY
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Troy owns the series lead between the Hilltoppers and Trojans with a 9-2-1 advantage all time. The two sides last met in 2013 when Troy invaded Bowling Green and took home a 32-26 victory. WKU won the previous two contests, giving them two wins in the last three games.
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