BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football will look for its third consecutive win and to keep a perfect record in Conference USA play when it travels to Delaware for a 6 p.m. CT game against the Fightin' Blue Hens on Friday. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
GAME INFO
- WKU (4-1 overall, 2-0 CUSA) at Delaware (3-1 overall, 1-0 CUSA)
- Friday, Oct. 3 | 6 p.m. CT | Delaware Stadium | Newark, Del.
- Watch: CBS Sports Network (PxP: John Sadak | Analyst: Kyle Long | Analyst: Patrick Peterson)
- Listen: BG 100.7 FM/Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Terry Obee | Reporter: Jared Holland)
- Social: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
- Live Stats: wku.statbroadcast.com
- Game Notes: WKU | Delaware | CUSA
ABOUT THE TOPS
- The Hilltoppers are coming off of a 27-22 win at Missouri State on Saturday. For the second week in a row, WKU got two second-half touchdowns from running back La'Vell Wright to help secure the win. With the victory, WKU improved to 4-1 overall this season and 2-0 in CUSA play. Head Coach Tyson Helton improved to 36-13 in regular-season CUSA games with the win.
- WKU is one of two teams in CUSA that enters the week with a 2-0 record in CUSA play, with the other being Louisiana Tech. No other teams have played multiple league games leading into the week. Delaware, Kennesaw State and Jax State each hold 1-0 records in conference play entering the week, while the remaining seven teams in CUSA are 0-1 in league play.
- Running back La'Vell Wright was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week and left tackle Marshall Jackson was named the CUSA Offensive Lineman of the Week, the conference announced Monday. The awards are the seventh and eighth CUSA weekly awards WKU has received this season. Wright's Offensive Player of the Week recognition marks the third time a Hilltopper has received the nod – quarterback Maverick McIvor received it after Week 0 and Week 1 – and Jackson's Offensive Lineman of the Week honor is the second time WKU has received that award, following Laurence Seymore's recognition after Week 0.
- WKU has seen tremendous success offensively throwing the ball under Tyson Helton. The Hilltoppers have led CUSA in passing offense each of the last four seasons and have finished in the top 25 nationally each year during that timeframe, including leading the nation in passing offense in 2021. Helton also found success through the air as WKU's Offensive Coordinator in 2014 and 2015, finishing first in CUSA in passing offense both years and second and fourth nationally, respectively. QB Maverick McIvor and Offensive Coordinator Rick Bowie have helped keep that trend going so far this season. Through five games this season, McIvor has thrown for 1,474 yards and 11 touchdowns on 128-192-2 passing and rushed for another score. McIvor enters the week ranked fifth nationally in passing yards and tied for ninth nationally in passing touchdowns. McIvor is one of just six quarterbacks in the country that has thrown for at least 1,400 yards this season.
- WKU has outscored opponents 55-9 in the fourth quarter this season. The plus-46 point differential is the second-highest in the fourth quarter by any FBS team in 2025, behind only Missouri's plus-47.
- WKU punter Cole Maynard enters the week ranked second nationally in punting average, booting the ball 50.82 yards on 22 attempts this season. He has a long of 71 yards.
- WKU is one of just 11 teams in the country, and one of three G5 programs, that has played in a bowl game or College Football Playoff game in each of the last six seasons.
- WKU is the only non-Power Conference program to have a player selected within the first three rounds in each of the last four NFL Drafts.
QUOTABLE
- "Very excited to go on the road to play an excellent Delaware team. Kicking off the Conference USA midweek games. Love that it's on a Friday. The exposure that both teams will get playing on a Friday will be great, so that's awesome. Very good football team we're about to play in Delaware. Have tremendous respect for them and their coaching staff. They've done a fantastic job. I know our guys will be excited to go up there and play them. Never been up there before – hear it's a great spot – so a lot of good things to look forward to. Short week, got a lot to do. Had a good win last week on the road. If you want to be a good football team, you've got to go on the road and win, and we've got to turn around this week on a short week and go get it done. Excited for that opportunity and excited to get back out there on that field and get ready for this game." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the game at Delaware on Friday.
- "Very multiple, which is always fun. How do you match that? There's a little bit of a unique style that's taking off across the country a little bit, with a similar style of defense that Coach Helton touched upon with that three-high shell. Then the aggressiveness they can create coming out of that coming from multiple different places. They're obviously a super talented group. This is going to be a really, really fun test for us to see where we're at in the league and it's going to be really fun to go up there and go compete." – WKU Football Offensive Coordinator Rick Bowie, on facing Delaware on Friday.
- "Our hands are full this week. Again, another quarterback who can beat you with his arm but also can extend plays with his legs. That's a whole other headache in itself. They've scored 35, 44 and 38 points in their wins, and you watch the Colorado game and they have explosive passes, and then they have an untimely turnover there in scoring position. I think it was 17-7 at half at Colorado, so we've got our hands full this week. We've got to make sure – on a short week – we're ready to rock and roll, and we've got a big offense we've got to stop." – WKU Football Co-Defensive Coordinator Davis Merritt, on Delaware's offense.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Saturday's game will mark the third meeting between WKU and Delaware, and it will be the first game between the two programs since Sept. 11, 1982, when the Fightin' Blue Hens took down the Hilltoppers 31-0 in Delaware. The Blue Hens lead the series 2-0. Saturday's game will mark the first for the two as Conference USA opponents, as Delaware officially joined the league this summer.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTIN' BLUE HENS
- Delaware enters the contest 3-1 overall and 1-0 in CUSA, coming off a bye week following a 38-16 victory at FIU – the program's first-ever Conference USA victory.
- Delaware is second in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 31.0 points per game. UD trails only WKU.
- The Blue Hens are coached by Ryan Carty, who is in his fourth year leading the program and holds a 29-12 record.
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