BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football is heading to the Conference USA Championship Game after Lucas Carneiro made a 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining to give the Hilltoppers a 19-17 win over Jax State on Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
The make was Carneiro's fourth of the game, and sends WKU (8-4 overall, 6-2 CUSA) to its first CUSA Championship Game since 2021. The Hilltoppers will face Jax State for the title next Friday, Dec. 6, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- WKU scored first with a 21-yard reception by Elijah Young off a pass from Caden Veltkamp with 8:48 to go in the first quarter.
- Jax State got on the board with 3:19 to play in the opening quarter with a 46-yard field goal.
- The Gamecocks took the lead with 3:42 to play in the second quarter on an 8-yard run.
- Lucas Carneiro made his 12th consecutive field goal – a 50-yard attempt with 41 seconds left in the second quarter – to tie the game going into halftime.
- Carneiro added a 21-yard field goal with 7:31 to play in the third quarter, giving WKU a 13-10 lead over the Gamecocks that lasted through the remainder of the quarter.
- WKU extended its lead to 16-10 with a 35-yard field goal from Carneiro with 11:37 remaining.
- Jax State took a 17-16 lead on the ensuing possession with a 17-yard scoring run with 9:44 to play.
- Carneiro made a game-winning, 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to give the Hilltoppers the 19-17 victory over the Gamecocks.
NOTABLES
- WKU caps off the regular season with an 8-4 overall record, a 6-2 record in CUSA play and a 5-1 record at home in 2024. It is WKU's best home record since 2016 and the best home record under Tyson Helton.
- The game was a win-and-get-in opportunity for the CUSA Championship Game, which will be WKU's fourth CUSA Championship Game appearance. The Hilltoppers hosted and won the title in 2015 and 2016, and fell at UTSA in the final in 2021.
- WKU's team captains were Trevor Borland, Anthony Johnson Jr. and Nate Griffin.
- WKU recorded 426 yards of offense in the win, with 321 through the air and 105 on the ground.
- Quarterback Caden Veltkamp threw for 301 yards and a touchdown on 28-47-0 passing.
- Seven different WKU players caught passes in the win, led by eight catches for 51 yards from Kisean Johnson and seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown from running back Elijah Young.
- Young led WKU on the ground with 91 yards on 19 attempts, and finished with a team-high 169 all-purpose yards.
- Easton Messer had 165 all-purpose yards, with 84 receiving, 79 on kick returns and 2 rushing.
- Lucas Carneiro's four made field goals was a career high. His 50-yard field goal in the second quarter was his 12th consecutive made field goal attempt, which set a program record. The two makes from 50 yards makes Carneiro a perfect 5-for-5 from 50-plus yards this season. He is now 15-for-16 on field goals this season and 39-for-39 on PATs. Carneiro also kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime of the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl to defeat Old Dominion.
- WKU's defense allowed 328 yards, with just 99 through the air. It marks the fourth game this season where WKU's defense has not allowed an opponent 100 yards passing.
- WKU did not allow any passing yards in the first quarter for the second straight game. The Hilltoppers have allowed an average of just 13.5 yards passing in the first quarter in the month of November and 30.25 yards passing in the first quarter against CUSA teams.
- Twelve different Hilltoppers recorded multiple tackles in the win, led by eight from Devonte' Mathews.
- WKU recorded one sack from Devon Lynch and five tackles for loss.
- Demarko Williams' interception in the first quarter was the second of his career.
- Announced attendance at Houchens-Smith Stadium was 6,547.
QUOTABLES
- "Like I say, celebrate all wins. We're very happy to be able to represent WKU in the Conference USA Championship Game. What a great way to win. It definitely was not easy. There was a lot of adversity and a lot of things that makes you want to pull your hair out, to be quite honest with you, but we overcame it and that's what good teams do. Our guys fought and battled. I'm very proud of them for what they did. The work is not done. We've got to now go find a way to go win this championship. I know we're excited to go do that. Got some bumps and bruises and injuries and all those things, but we're really excited to go be in this conference championship game." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the 19-17 win over Jax State on Saturday.
- "The heaters were my best friend tonight, just standing around them to keep my body warm. At the end of the day, I've got to treat every kick the same, so I just kept everything the same from before going on the field and when I was running out there, I was like, 'This is what I do,' so I go out there and execute." – WKU Football kicker Lucas Carneiro, on his game-winning kick against Jax State.
- "I think we found something in the second half. We started to move the ball a little better. We've got to finish drives. We didn't finish drives in the second half, but playing them once, now we kind of understand and we've felt them out now and we're going to have to come out next week swinging because they're going to have a good game plan." – WKU Football quarterback Caden Veltkamp, on the win over Jax State.
- "A lot of emotions, a lot of emotions. I feel great, especially where I come from playing in my career, from DII, to FCS DI, to FBS DI. It feels great, and I've just been praying about situations about this in my life and God giving me opportunities and I'm just taking advantage of them." – WKU Football defensive back Devonte' Mathews, on the win over Jax State.
- "We're so big on the next play that we've got to keep our head low and our eyes high and be where our feet are at, because, in reality, it was early, so we had to play all four quarters." – WKU Football defensive back Demarko Williams, on his early interception in the win over Jax State.
NEXT UP
- WKU will face Jax State in the CUSA Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 6, in Jacksonville, Alabama. Kickoff at AmFirst Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on CBSSN.
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