BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football will host Missouri State on Thursday, Oct. 8, for a nationally televised Black Out game at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
GAME INFO
- WKU (1-4 overall, 0-1 CUSA) vs. Missouri State (1-3 overall, 0-0 CUSA)
- Thursday, Oct. 8 | 6 p.m. CT | Houchens-Smith Stadium | Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch: CBS Sports Network (PxP: Justin Kutcher | Analyst: Ben DiNucci)
- Listen: 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 | Missouri State | CUSA
AT THE GAME
- TICKETS: Purchase tickets to Thursday's game HERE. Ticket booths at Houchens-Smith Stadium will open starting at 4:30 p.m. CT. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
- DIGITAL PARKING: WKU Athletics has transitioned to digital gameday parking for the 2026 WKU Football season. Fans will need to download the WKU Hilltoppers app, create an account and load digital parking passes onto their account prior to their arrival to campus on gameday. A full breakdown of digital parking instructions can be found HERE. Gameday parking instructions can be found HERE.
- GAMEDAY GUIDE: For the full WKU Football Gameday Guide, click HERE.
- NEW AT THE HOUCH: WKU Athletics will offer several new opportunities for fans this fall at Houchens-Smith Stadium, including expanded alcohol options, the WKU Spirit 50/50 raffle, the Harbaugh Club Raffle and more. For more information on new offerings at Houchens-Smith Stadium, click HERE.
- BLACK OUT: Thursday's game will be WKU's annual Black Out game. Fans are encouraged to wear black to cheer on the Hilltoppers, who will be wearing all-black uniforms featuring the return of the Big Red position-specific helmets.
- FACULTY/STAFF TICKET DEAL: Faculty and staff members can claim two free game tickets, two free drinks (bottled water or soda) and two free food items (hot dog or popcorn). Additional tickets may be purchased for only $10. Faculty and staff can claim the free tickets, and purchase additional ones, as well as drink and food coupons at the Diddle Arena ticket office (M-F, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. or on game day until 12:00 p.m.). Tickets and coupons must be picked up in advance and will not be available at the Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium Ticket Office.
- COMMUNITY HEROES TICKET DEAL: Discounted tickets are available for military, first responders, teachers and healthcare workers. Contact the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIGRED for more information.
- TOPPER WALK: Topper Walk, a tradition where the team arrives at PS1 and walks down Avenue of Champions to Feix Field led by the band and spirit groups, will begin at 3:40 p.m. CT.
- BIG RED RALLY: Big Red Rally is a pep rally-style performance immediately following Topper Walk on South Lawn, highlighting WKU's Spirit Squads. Fans can get interact and take pictures with Cheerleaders and Topperettes following the performance.
- PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE: For the full 2026 WKU Football promotional schedule, click HERE.
- HILLTOPPER HIGHLIGHTS: Fans can purchase premium experiences with Hilltopper Highlights. Experiences include videoboard messages, birthday shoutouts, sideline passes, in-game proposals and more. For more information, click HERE.
ABOUT THE TOPS
- LAST TIME OUT: WKU Football lost to New Mexico State 34-13 on Thursday in its Conference USA opener at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Karl Campbell made two field goals – from 45 yards and 41 yards – and Brock Glenn ran in a touchdown in the loss.
- STAFFORD CONTINUES STRONG START: True freshman Jonathan Stafford Jr. led WKU with 108 yards on 10 receptions in the loss at New Mexico State. Both marks were career highs. It marked the first time a Hilltopper player had 10 receptions in a game since Malachi Corley caught 10 passes in a 28-23 win over Sam Houston on Nov. 18, 2023. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for a WKU player this season and the first since Matthew Henry recorded 126 yards receiving in the win over Southern Miss in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl. Stafford now has 30 receptions for 260 yards this season – both team highs. With six more receptions, he would be tied for fourth with Jake Gaebler and Marvis Parrish for receptions in a season by a WKU freshman. Malachi Corley is the freshman receptions record holder at WKU with 73 in 2021, while Easton Messer is second with 42 in 2023 and Jack Doyle is third with 37 receptions in 2009. Stafford was named the CUSA Freshman of the Week for his performance at NM State – his second CUSA Freshman of the Week award this season. He also was recognized after WKU's Sept. 26 win over Mercyhurst
- CUSA COMPETITION: WKU Football has gone 40-16 in regular-season CUSA games since Tyson Helton took over the program in 2019. The Hilltoppers have gone 6-2 in CUSA play the last two seasons and have finished with a winning record in conference play in each of the seven seasons under Helton. WKU is 244-152-9 all-time against conference opponents in its history.
- STRONG AT HOME: The Hilltoppers have won 12 of their last 14 games at Houchens-Smith Stadium and are 211-102-4 all-time at "The Houch." The Hilltoppers are 30-12 in home games under Head Coach Tyson Helton and have gone 5-1 at home each of the last two seasons. WKU has played one home game so far this season – a 52-7 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday, Sept. 26. The game against Mercyhurst marked WKU's latest home opener since 1983, when the Hilltoppers played their first home game on Oct. 1.
- TESTED ON THE ROAD: WKU started off the 2026 campaign with three straight road games – at Nevada on Sept. 5, at No. 2 Georgia on Sept. 12 and at No. 4 Indiana on Sept. 19 – and also played at New Mexico State on Oct. 1. The game against the Aggies marked WKU's fourth game on the road in five weeks to start the 2026 campaign, and it was also the fourth different time zone the program had played in through five weeks of the season. The Hilltoppers are one of only five programs nationally with three straight road games this season, and they are the only school that had three straight road games without a bye week during that stretch. The Hilltoppers are also the only FBS program scheduled to play multiple nonconference games against teams that were ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Preseason Poll. The rest of CUSA has one such game combined. With the 2026 games at No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Indiana, WKU has now faced multiple ranked FBS teams in the AP poll during the same season for the second time in program history – the Hilltoppers faced three teams in the AP Top 25 during the 2008 season at the time of the meeting.
QUOTABLE
- "Excited to be back home. We get to play our first conference home game, which is awesome, so we're excited to do that. The players are excited to get back home. It should be a great Thursday night game and a lot to play for, so we're anxious to get out there and play." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton, on the game against Missouri State on Thursday.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Thursday's meeting between WKU and Missouri State will be the 12th meeting between the two programs and the second as members of Conference USA. The Hilltoppers topped the Bears 27-22 last year at Robert W. Plaster Stadium to improve to 9-2 all-time against Missouri State. The 2025 matchup was the first between the two programs since WKU claimed a 17-14 victory over the Bears on Oct. 14, 2006. WKU has won nine straight meetings in the series, which dates back to 1984.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Missouri State enters Thursday's game with a 1-3 overall record. The Bears have a 48-14 win over Lindenwood, and have losses at Texas A&M, against Marshall and at SMU. Thursday's game will be Missouri State's CUSA opener.
- The Bears are led by Casey Woods, who is in his first season as a head coach.
- Missouri State ranks fifth in CUSA offensively with 24 points per game. The Bears rank ninth defensively with 32 points allowed per game.
Follow the Hilltoppers: For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and like the WKU Football Facebook page.
