GAME 2
WKU (1-0) vs. Houston Christian (1-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Bowling Green, Ky. (Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WKLX (SAM 100.7 FM) and WWKU (ESPN Radio 102.7 FM) in Bowling Green
Social:Â @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
Game Notes: WKU Notes | HCU Notes
Game Day Information:Â Tickets | Game Day Guide | Live Stats
ÂNOTES
• WKU Football came away with two honorees for Conference USA Players of the Week, presented by Blenders Eyewear, from Week 1. WKU junior linebacker JaQues Evans, the CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, was named the Week 1 CUSA Defensive Player of the Week and redshirt freshman kicker Lucas Carneiro was named the Week 1 CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week.Evans helped the Hilltoppers close out a 41-24 season-opening win over South Florida on Saturday by stripping the USF quarterback, recovering the ball and returning it 27 yards for a touchdown. Evans finished with seven tackles – which was tied for the game high – and also had a sack and pass breakup. WKU held USF to just 10 points over the final three quarters, including a single touchdown in the second half. In his first game at the college level, Carneiro made both field goals he attempted and was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs. His field goals were from 41 and 42 yards, and helped the Hilltoppers overcome an early double-digit deficit in Saturday's opener. • Austin Reed took over as WKU's starting quarterback after Bailey Zappe was selected by New England in the 2022 NFL Draft and didn't miss a beat. Reed led the nation in passing yards (4,746) and tallied 40 touchdowns in 2022. QB1 kept up his solid play to start 2023 in last weekend's 41-24 win over South Florida, throwing for 336 yards and two touchdowns on 29 of 50 passing with no interceptions. Reed also rushed for 27 yards and a touchdown on three attempts. Â
• WKU's 2021 season was a success in large part because of transfers from HCU. Zach Kittley, Bailey Zappe, Jerreth Sterns and Josh Sterns all arrived in Bowling Green from the FCS program and made their mark at WKU. Kittley coordinated an offense that finished second nationally in scoring with 44.2 points per game and first in passing with 433.7 yards per game. Zappe set FBS single-season records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62), and Jerreth Sterns led the nation in receptions (150), receiving yards (1,902) and receiving touchdowns (17). Josh Sterns is a redshirt sophomore receiver now for WKU. Â
• 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 25-9 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 a 9-7 mark in the past 16 such games. The Hilltoppers are 15-4 in home games against non-conference Group of Five or FCS teams in that time frame.
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QUOTES
• "Good football team and they've had some good players. I think back to Bailey Zappe and Jerreth Sterns – two elite college football players that came from there. They've got a good staff and they do a great job and they had a big win in their opener, so it should be a good game."
            – WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton on Houston Christian.
• "I thought we started a little slow – a couple of dropped passes hurt us at the beginning – but once we kind of stood our ground with the initial force they had, especially with offense and defense being the way they play and their tempo. We kind of settled into the game and I thought they played really, really well, especially in the second half and to tie it going into halftime. Really proud of the guys and the way they fought. A bunch of those skill guys stepping up and making plays later in the second half – really proud of them. Coming away with a W against a team like that, it's hard to do, hard to win in college football and I'm just excited about the way they played."
            – WKU Offensive Coordinator Drew Hollingshead on WKU's offense against USF.
• "They put up 66 points the other night. They're a talented group and I think the offensive coordinator does a great job. He's a guy, obviously very seasoned, and he's knowledgeable."
            – WKU Defensive Coordinator Tyson Summers on HCU.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hilltoppers opened the 2023 season last Saturday with a 41-24 victory over South Florida at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers fell behind early, but outscored the Bulls 34-7 to close the game and come away 1-0.Â
ABOUT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
The Huskies opened the season at home on Saturday by rolling over Arkansas Baptist 66-0 in the first game under head coach Braxton Harris. The 66 points scored is the third-highest mark in a single game in program history and the most since scoring 68 points in a victory over Texas Southern in the 2019 season, when Zappe and Sterns were with the program. HCU went 2-9 overall and 1-5 in Southland Conference play in 2022.Â
SERIES HISTORY
The Hilltoppers and Huskies have met just once before – a 50-3 WKU victory on Oct. 1, 2016, at Houchens-Smith Stadium, when Houston Christian was called Houston Baptist. Hilltopper great Mike White threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns on 11 of 13 passing in that win, with 146 yards and a touchdown going to Taywan Taylor on seven receptions. Anthony "Ace" Wales led the rushing attack with 87 yards and a score on seven attempts. The Hilltopper defense didn't allow any points over the final three quarters.
