WKU Set to Kickoff 2023 Football Season Against South Florida

WKU SET TO KICKOFF 2023 FOOTBALL SEASON AGAINST SOUTH FLORIDA

GAME 1

WKU (0-0) vs. South Florida (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Kickoff: 2:30.m. CT
Location: Bowling Green, Ky. (Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith 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 | South Florida
Game Day Information: Tickets | Game Day Guide | Live Stats

NOTES AND QUOTES

When WKU and South Florida hit the field on Saturday, Austin Reed and Malachi Corley will be the nation's leading returning players in passing yardage and receiving yardage from the year prior. Reed finished as the leading passer from a year ago, going for 4,746 yards through the air while Corley placed fourth in receiving yardage with 1,295 yards. The proclaimed, YAC King, led all receivers in yards after the catch with 975 in 2022 and looks to repeat in 2023.

When WKU kicks off Saturday afternoon, Tyson Helton will open his fifth season as head coach of the Tops. After finishing with at least nine wins for the third time in four years, Helton now owns the best four-year start to a coaching career in program history.

After going 0-12 against non-conference foes during its first three years in an FBS conference, WKU has turned it around against teams from Group of Five or FCS conferences, going 24-9 against them since 2012. From 2012 through the 2017 regular season, the Hilltoppers posted a 16-1 record against such teams, but since the 2017 Cure Bowl, WKU has an 8-7 mark in the past 15 such games. The Hilltoppers are 14-4 in home games against non-conference Group of Five or FCS teams in that time frame.

"We have an opportunity to play a really good opponent in South Florida. We know they have a really good staff. They do a fantastic job. They have a high-octane offense. They run the ball well. They'll run the same offense as Tennessee last year, the number one offense in the country. It's fun to watch that. It is very hard to defend. Defensively, Todd Orlando, their defensive coordinator does a great job. I have faced him before. He gives you lots of problems. It should be a great ball game."

-Head Coach Tyson Helton opening against South Florida

"Obviously really excited to start the season. The guys have been working hard during camp. We had a bunch of really good practices on both sides of the ball. I think all sides of the ball, especially special teams has been very competitive and that is kind of what you are looking for with camp. I think they are all excited to practice for a new opponent and get after somebody else after having done it for a month, so the kids are excited. There is energy in the air. You can feel it. Coaches are excited. We are ready to get through this week and get out there on Saturday.

-Offensive Coordinator Drew Hollingshead on finishing camp

"We feel like we were really able to create an identity last year with what we were doing. We do have a lot of new faces from a player standpoint and a staff standpoint. We're hoping that the identity we had last year kind of becomes a part of our DNA. We want to be an attacking defense. We want to be a smart defense at the same time, and we want to be able to play with a lot of different guys who are ready to go. We had a tremendous camp, and we feel very strongly about the men that we have in that room."

-Defensive Coordinator Tyson Summers on the defensive identity

LAST TIME OUT

The 2022 season ended on a high note for WKU as the Hilltoppers brought home a New Orleans Bowl Championship by defeating South Alabama, 44-23, to cap a successful season. Quarterback Austin Reed went out in style by throwing for 497 yards and four touchdowns to finish the season as the nation's passing yardage leader with 4,746 yards.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA

The Bulls enter the new season after going 1-11 and 0-8 in AAC play in 2022. South Florida is coached by former Tennessee offensive play caller Alex Golesh who took over the program following the 2022 season. He took a Tennessee offensive ranked no. 108 before his arrival to no. 1 this past season.

SERIES HISTORY

The Hilltoppers and Bulls have met seven times in program history with South Florida winning four of the matchups, and WKU claiming three. In their last meeting, WKU snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bulls by winning 45-35 at the Miami Beach Bowl to close the 2015 season. The Tops will look to make it two in a row over South Florida for the first time since 1997-98.

FOLLOW US

For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram and like the WKU Football Facebook page.

WKU Set to Kickoff 2023 Football Season Against South Florida

Players Mentioned

Malachi Corley

Austin Reed

Austin Reed

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