BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football will hit the road for the first time this season to face Toledo on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
GAME INFO
- WKU (2-0 overall, 1-0 CUSA) at Toledo (0-1 overall, 0-0 MAC)
- Saturday, Sept. 6 | 6 p.m. CT | Glass Bowl | Toledo, Ohio
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Michael Reghi | Analyst: Jerod Cherry)
- Listen: BG 100.7 FM/Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Terry Obee | Reporter: Jared Holland)
- Social: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
- Live Stats: https://utrockets.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
- Game Notes: WKU | Toledo | CUSA
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU has started the season 2-0 after beating Sam Houston in a Week 0 matchup, 41-24, and North Alabama last weekend, 55-6. It marks the third 2-0 start for the Hilltoppers under Head Coach Tyson Helton and the third time in the last four years that the Hilltoppers have started the season with wins in their first two games.
- WKU has been well represented on Conference USA's weekly awards so far this season. Quarterback Maverick McIvor has claimed both Offensive Player of the Week awards presented by the conference, and the Hilltoppers swept CUSA's weekly awards after the Week 0 win over Sam Houston. That week, Jaylen Lewis was Defensive Player of the Week, Cole Maynard was Special Teams Player of the Week, Marvis Parrish was Freshman of the Week and Laurence Seymore was Offensive Lineman of the Week.
- WKU has posted a combined 96 points over its first two games of the season. The 96 points are the most the program has scored through the first two games of a season during its FBS era (since 2009), the most the program has scored in its first two games in a season since 2003 and the fourth-most points through the first two games of a season in program history. The Hilltoppers scored 118 point through the first two games of the 2003 season, 110 during the first two games in 1996 and 97 in the first two games in 1951. The 55 points scored against North Alabama marked the team's highest point total since the 59-7 win at Charlotte during the 2022 season.
- 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. The Hilltoppers ranked first in CUSA and 25th nationally with 264.6 passing yards per game in 2024. New QB Maverick McIvor and Offensive Coordinator Rick Bowie have helped keep that trend going so far this season. Through two games this season, McIvor has thrown for 706 yards and eight touchdowns on 57-82-0 passing and rushed for another score. Through Week 1, McIvor leads the nation in passing touchdowns (8), passing yards (706) and points responsible for (54); is first in CUSA and fourth nationally in points responsible for per game (27.0); is first in CUSA and eighth nationally in total offense (360.0); is first in CUSA and sixth nationally in passing yards per game (353.0); and is first in CUSA and seventh nationally in completions per game (28.5).
QUOTABLE
- "Big week this week. Going on the road and playing a really good opponent in Toledo. They're a fantastic football team. Had a great game with them last year and were able to pull out the victory at home. Now we go to play them. Had a chance to watch them versus Kentucky. Very good football team in all three phases. Very well-coached football team. Good players. It should be a really good game. I know both teams will be excited to play each other. It's what college football is all about. Early in the season, you're going on the road for the first time. We'll be tested in every single way and we're looking forward to that challenge." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on facing Toledo on Saturday.
- "Lots of good. Lots to coach. I think it's the same thing I said last week. Couple of things stand out on areas that we can improve. The penalties have got to be cut down quite a bit. That's something that Coach Helton has been really good at in his time here, being one of the least penalized teams in the country. We've got to do our part offensively to make sure that doesn't happen. Then you'd like to start faster. I think that's one of those things you asked last week as well, so you'd like to get out there and start faster and have a little bit of an immediate impact on the game, but other than that, there's plenty of good as well. I think you got to see a lot of different people make plays, a lot of different people get into the game, which is an exciting thing in games like that. Again, continuing to build that depth that we talk about a lot. It was good to see." – WKU Football Offensive Coordinator Rick Bowie, on the good and the bad in the 55-6 win over North Alabama.
- "This is going to be probably our biggest challenge all year. I think those guys do a really good job as a staff and as a unit on offense. Man, I think those guys make plays. The quarterback can make throws all over the field, he's a good runner and he's played a lot of football, right? When you have a quarterback that's played a lot of football, you've got to do different things in the back end to change the pictures up on them, because if you don't, he's going to know where to deliver the ball. I think their receiver's probably one of the best receivers in the country, and they've got a running back – Chip (Trayanum) – that's probably one of the best running backs in the country. I'm looking forward to a really good football game. Understand that it's going to come down to the fourth quarter. Can we get to the fourth quarter and find a way to win that ballgame?" – WKU Football Co-Defensive Coordinator Da'Von Brown, on Saturday's game at Toledo.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Saturday's game will mark WKU's second meeting all-time with Toledo and the second meeting between the two programs in the last two seasons. The Hilltoppers overcame a 14-point first-half deficit and a lengthy weather delay in the second half to beat the Rockets 26-21 on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
- Toledo enters Saturday's game with an 0-1 overall record after falling at Kentucky, 24-16, in Week 1.
- The Rockets were picked to finish first in the 2025 MAC Football Head Coaches Preseason Poll after going 8-5 overall in 2024, including 4-4 in MAC play.
- Toledo is coached by Jason Candle, who is in his 10th season as the program's head coach. He holds a 73-41 record during that time.
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