NEW ORLEANS – WKU Football will face Southern Miss in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 23. Kickoff at Caesars Superdome is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
GAME INFO
- WKU (8-4 overall, 6-2 Conference USA) vs. Southern Miss (7-5 overall, 5-3 Sun Belt)
- Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 4:30 p.m. CT | Caesars Superdome | New Orleans, La.
- Watch: ESPN (PxP: Courtney Lyle | Analyst: Rene Ingoglia | Reporter: Ian Fitzsimmons)
- Listen: BG 100.7 FM/Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Terry Obee | Reporter: Jared Holland)
- Social: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
- Live Stats: wku.statbroadcast.com
- 2025 New Orleans Bowl Central: wkusports.com/gameday/football-vs-southern-miss/football/228/
- Game Notes: WKU | CUSA | Southern Miss | Sun Belt
ABOUT THE TOPS
- LAST TIME OUT: WKU lost 37-34 to Jax State on Saturday, Nov. 29, at AmFirst Stadium to close the regular season. The Gamecocks made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to decide the game, and the Hilltoppers finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Conference USA play. It was the third straight regular-season game between the two to be decided by a late game-winning field goal. The Hilltoppers rushed for over 200 yards for the second time this season, led by 116 yards and two touchdowns from La'Vell Wright, who became the second Hilltopper this season to rush for 100 yards in a game.
- BOWL BOUND AGAIN: WKU is one of just eight programs in the country, and one of two non-Power Conference teams, that has played in a bowl game or College Football Playoff game each season since 2019 and are also scheduled to play in a bowl game or College Football Playoff game this season. The others include Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Louisiana. The Hilltoppers became bowl eligible for the seventh time in seven seasons under Head Coach Tyson Helton with the overtime win at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 21. It marks the second straight season WKU has become bowl eligible in October, and the fifth time overall, also accomplishing the feat in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2024. This season marks the second-earliest WKU has become bowl eligible in a season, behind only the 2015 season, when WKU became bowl eligible on Oct. 15. The 2025 New Orleans Bowl will be WKU's 12th bowl game in the last 14 years, and the Hilltoppers have claimed seven bowl wins during that stretch.
- BACK IN NEW ORLEANS: WKU will return to the New Orleans Bowl for the second time, after claiming a 44-23 win over South Alabama during the 2022 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. In that game, the Hilltoppers put up 677 yards of total offense on the night, including 522 yards passing. Those 522 yards set a New Orleans Bowl record, marking the best passing display the bowl game had ever seen.
- 8-WIN SEASONS: With the 42-26 victory over Middle Tennessee on Nov. 15, WKU picked up its eighth win of the season. The Hilltoppers have now won at least eight games every season since 2021. WKU is the only non-Power Conference school to win at least eight games every year since 2021 while playing an FBS schedule each of those seasons – James Madison has also won at least eight games every year during that stretch, but did not begin its FBS transition until 2022. WKU is one of 10 teams nationally (including JMU) that has won at least eight games every season since 2021, along with Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and James Madison. There are 23 current FBS teams with no eight-win seasons during that stretch.
- ALL-AMERICAN HONORS: Two different WKU players have been named to one of the All-America teams that comprise the NCAA's annual consensus team– punter Cole Maynard and offensive lineman Laurence Seymore. Maynard became WKU's first Consensus All-American during the program's FBS Era (since 2009) and the first Consensus All-American the program has had since Buster Ashley in 2004. He received Walter Camp All-America Second Team, Associated Press All-America First Team and American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team recognition. Seymore was named an All-America Second Team offensive lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. Before this season, the Hilltoppers hadn't had a player named to one of the All-America teams that comprise the NCAA's annual consensus team since wide receiver Jerreth Sterns was named Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America All-America Second Team in 2021.
QUOTABLE
- "Excited about going to New Orleans and playing in the New Orleans Bowl against a great opponent in Southern Miss. Went down there in 2022 and had a great bowl experience. Looking forward to getting back. The bowl committee does a fantastic job. It's going to be a great event and way to celebrate the end of the season. Bowls are very important and I know our guys are very excited to go compete with Southern Miss and try to go win that trophy. Looking forward to it." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the 2025 New Orleans Bowl.
SERIES INFORMATION
- The 2025 New Orleans Bowl will mark the fifth meeting all-time between WKU and Southern Miss and the first since the 2020 season. The Hilltoppers are 4-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles, including a 10-7 victory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the last time the two met. This will be the second meeting between the two outside of the regular season – WKU also beat Southern Miss 45-28 during the 2015 Conference USA Championship Game at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
- Southern Miss went 7-5 overall and 5-3 in Sun Belt Conference play during the 2025 regular season. The Golden Eagles claimed wins over Jackson State, App State, Jax State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana, ULM and Arkansas State, but have lost their last three games.
- The Golden Eagles are coached by Blake Anderson. Anderson was named the program's 24th Head Coach on Dec. 11, after serving as the program's Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach during the season.
- Southern Miss averaged 29.8 points per game during the regular season and allowed an average of 27.4 points per game.
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