BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Nevada 31-16 on Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
The Hilltoppers collected touchdowns from running backs George Hart III and La'Vell Wright to take the lead in the final frame, and Matthew Henry put the finishing touches on the victory with a 48-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as WKU moved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 at home this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Nevada opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal at the 5:17 mark of the first quarter.
- John Cannon tied the game, 3-3, with a 40-yard field goal with 2:16 remaining in the opening frame.
- Nevada took a 10-3 lead with a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:57 to play in the first half.
- Jaylen Lewis intercepted a Nevada pass in the end zone with 11 seconds left in the first to keep it a one-score game at the break.
- WKU scored on the first possession of the second half. La'Vell Wright capped off a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The touchdown was set up by a 30-yard pass from Maverick McIvor to Cameron Flowers two plays earlier.
- The Wolf Pack retook the lead with a 43-yard field goal with 7:28 to play in the third quarter, making it 13-10.
- WKU took its first lead of the game, 17-13, with 11:23 remaining, when George Hart III took a direct snap and found the end zone from 8 yards out.
- Wright extended the lead to 24-13 with an 8-yard scoring run with 1:49 to play.
- Nevada made it 24-16 with a 22-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining.
- Matthew Henry closed out the 31-16 win for the Hilltoppers with a 48-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on an onside kick attempt from Nevada.
NOTABLES
- WKU improves to 3-1 overall with the win over Nevada.
- The Hilltoppers improve to 3-0 at home with the victory. WKU has now won nine of its last 10 games at Houchens-Smith Stadium. WKU is now 27-11 in home games under Head Coach Tyson Helton.
- WKU is now 1-0 all-time against Nevada and 2-0 all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference. The Hilltoppers also defeated Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, during the 2022 season.
- WKU's captains for the game were wide receiver Jairus Mack, defensive lineman Mackavelli Malotumau and long snapper Rex Robich.
- Announced attendance for the game was 17,247. It was the largest crowd at Houchens-Smith Stadium this season and the largest attendance for a WKU Football home game since the Sept. 21, 2024 win over Toledo, which also took place on Parent & Family Weekend.
- WKU finished with 361 yards of offense in the win, with 216 coming through the air and 145 on the ground.
- George Hart III led WKU on the ground with 11 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was the fourth of his WKU career. La'Vell Wright's two touchdowns were the most he has had in a single game as a Hilltopper, and he now has three touchdowns on the season.
- Quarterback Maverick McIvor finished with 216 yards on 22-33-1 passing.
- Nine different WKU players recorded a reception in the win, and five different Hilltoppers recorded multiple receptions. Noah Meyers had a game-high six receptions for 81 yards. The six receptions and 81 yards were both career highs for the tight end.
- Fourteen different Hilltoppers recorded multiple tackles in the win, led by 11 tackles from linebacker Anthony Brackenridge.
- WKU recorded five tackles for loss and forced three turnovers in the victory. Jaylen Lewis recorded his second interception as a Hilltopper, and his first fumble recovery with WKU. Nazir Ward recorded the first interception of his college career. Anthony Brackenridge recorded the second forced fumble of his career and the first since Nov. 9, 2024, at New Mexico State.
- Matthew Henry's kickoff return for a touchdown was the first kickoff return for a touchdown for WKU since Craig Burt Jr. returned an onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown on Nov. 27, 2021, at Marshall.
- The touchdown was the fourth this season for Henry, who has now scored in all four of his games as a Hilltopper.
QUOTABLES
- "It was an excellent team win tonight. We talked all week about it was going to be a four-quarter game, expect a four-quarter game. That was a good, solid, gritty football team in Nevada, a big, physical football team. Our guys kept grinding. I'm proud of our defense for keeping us going, keeping us in the game, continuing to make stops and creating big plays for us. Then offensively, we moved the ball and couldn't get in the end zone, couldn't find our way, but in the second half, was able to put it all together, which is what you want to do if you're going to be a good football team – when the pressure's on, you've got to go answer and you've got to ring the bell. I thought, as a team, we did that, especially in the fourth quarter. I thought that was good to see. Very happy about this win." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the win over Nevada on Saturday.
- "My goal is just to catch every ball that comes my way. Maverick was able to find me a lot this game. I'm glad to do it. I'll do whatever I can to make the plays I can." – WKU Football tight end, on his career-high receiving night against Nevada.
- "I wouldn't be able to do anything if it wasn't for those big boys up front. Big shoutout to them. Coach (Rick) Bowie called the right calls and we executed. That was the biggest thing for us coming into this week, was execute, execute, execute, and I feel like that's what we did." – WKU Football running back La'Vell Wright, on the offense in the win against Nevada.
- "I'm just glad that I'm a part of this team and I can continue to contribute and continue to make plays for this team. I was very excited when I got them two (turnovers). I've got to get more." – WKU Football safety Jaylen Lewis, on creating turnovers against Nevada.
- "Preparation means opportunity. During the bye week we was pressing hard, we was tackling – making sure we was tackling. We still left a lot of plays out there on the field, but we knew we were going to get it corrected." – WKU Football linebacker Anthony Brackenridge, on preparing for Nevada during the bye week.
NEXT UP
- The Hilltoppers will hit the road for their next two games, starting with a 6 p.m. CT game against Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, Sept. 27. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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