NEWARK, Del. – WKU Football scored 17 points in the third quarter and held off Delaware late to claim a 27-24 victory on Friday at Delaware Stadium.
With the win, the Hilltoppers improved to 5-1 overall this season, 3-0 in Conference USA play and 2-1 in road games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Delaware struck first with a 2-yard rush to cap off a 15-play, 75-yard drive.
- John Cannon got WKU on the board with a 41-yard field goal to start the second quarter.
- Delaware extended its lead to 10-3 with a 23-yard field goal with 7:55 left in the first half.
- The Hilltoppers used a 5-yard rush from K.D. Hutchinson to draw the game even, 10-10, with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter.
- On the final play of the first half, Delaware scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper to take a 17-10 lead into the break.
- WKU scored the first points of the second half on a 43-yard field goal from Cannon, making it a 17-13 game with 8:01 to go in the third quarter.
- The Hilltoppers took their first lead of the game, 20-17, with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter, when Koron Hayward returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown.
- After Dylan Flowers forced a fumble that was recovered by Elin Jones in the end zone for a touchback, the Hilltoppers capped off a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 5-yard pass from Maverick McIvor to George Hart III to extend the lead to 27-17 with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
- Delaware cut into WKU's lead with a 2-yard quarterback run, making it a 27-24 game with 9:54 to play, and that is as close as the Fightin' Blue Hens would come as they missed a last-second field goal to tie the game and the Hilltoppers held on for the three-point victory.
NOTABLES
- WKU improves to 5-1 overall, 3-0 in CUSA play and 2-1 on the road with the win. It is the second consecutive season the Hilltoppers have started conference play 3-0. WKU secured victories over its first five conference opponents last season. The 5-1 start is the best start to a season since 2015, when WKU opened the season with wins in six of its first seven games.
- WKU improves to 1-2 all-time against Delaware with the win.
- WKU's team captains for the game were offensive lineman Laurence Seymore, defensive back Demarko Williams and kicker John Cannon.
- Announced attendance for the game was 19,176.
- Nineteen WKU players recorded multiple tackles in the win, led by nine each from Miller Malone and Jaylen Wester. The Hilltoppers posted seven tackles for loss, with a team-high two coming from Jaylen Lewis, and six quarterback hurries, with four posted by Harper Holloman.
- Koron Hayward's interception was the first of his college career. It was the first defensive touchdown for WKU since 2023, when Upton Stout returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown in the regular-season finale at FIU, and it was the first pick-six for the Hilltoppers since Stout returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown against Houston Christian in 2023.
- Dylan Flower's forced fumble was the first of his college career, and the fumble recovery was the first in Elin Jones' career.
- The WKU offense posted 338 yards in the win, with 230 coming through the air and 108 on the ground.
- Quarterback Maverick McIvor threw for 230 yards and one touchdown on 23-31-0 passing, and rushed for a team-best 36 yards on six attempts.
- Eight different WKU players caught passes in the win, with three catching multiple passes. K.D. Hutchinson caught a game-high nine passes for 58 yards, while Matthew Henry led the Hilltoppers in receiving yards with 99 on four receptions.
- The nine catches for Hutchinson are a new single-game career high, surpassing his five receptions against North Alabama earlier this season and against FIU in 2022.
- George Hart III's third-quarter touchdown was his third touchdown of the season and his first touchdown reception. It is the fifth touchdown for Hart as a Hilltopper.
- John Cannon is now 9-for-10 on field goal attempts this season, including 7-for-8 from 40-plus yards. WKU kickers have now made 27 of their last 28 field goals attempted.
QUOTABLES
- "It's a great team win. Our guys just kept fighting and battling. We talk all the time about if you want to be a good team and make a conference run, you've got to win on the road. We did it back-to-back weeks. Really good Delaware football team. I mean, they are a good football team. Our guys fought, we made huge plays when we needed them. The interception and our defense – Koron Hayward made a great interception for a touchdown and it really kind of turned the tide for us. Offense did a great job in the second half putting points on the board. Just a great team win overall. Really happy for our football team." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the 27-24 win at Delaware on Friday.
- "It's huge. It's huge for a conference championship run right now that we're trying to go on. Going back-to-back on the road is huge. Great team win tonight. We came out here tonight on all ways of the ball. Defense had two huge turnovers. A great team win." – WKU Football quarterback Maverick McIvor, on winning back-to-back CUSA games on the road.
- "It means a lot. We tried to go hard this week, we tried to fight. We had a game last week and they had a bye week, and we just said we have to go hard. We just tried to fight, man. That's it." – WKU Football defensive end Koron Hayward, on winning back-to-back CUSA games on the road.
NEXT UP
- WKU Football will return home to face FIU on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be nationally televised on ESPNU. Prior to the game, Blanco Brown will perform a free pregame concert on South Lawn beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT. Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.
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