MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – WKU Football lost at Middle Tennessee 51-42 on Saturday at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.
The Hilltoppers (3-6 overall, 2-3 Conference USA) battled until the end, tying the game in the final minute, before eventually falling to the Blue Raiders (5-4 overall, 3-2 CUSA).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Middle Tennessee got on the board first with a 25-yard touchdown pass with 5:09 remaining in the first quarter to make it 7-0.
- The Blue Raiders struck quick on their fourth possession with a 65-yard touchdown strike on the first play of the drive to take a 14-0 lead with 4:05 to play in the opening period.
- WKU got on the board on the first play of the second quarter with a 35-yard field goal from Karl Campbell, making the score 14-3.
- The Hilltoppers scored on their next possession as well, capping off the four-play, 67-yard drive with a 2-yard keeper from Brock Glenn to make it a 14-10 game with 8:18 left in the second quarter. Glenn highlighted the drive with 59 yards rushing on three attempts, including a 45-yard scramble after escaping pressure.
- WKU added three points to the board with a 42-yard field goal from Campbell to make it 14-13 with 3:29 left in the second quarter, capping off an 8-play, 50-yard drive.
- Middle Tennessee added to their lead with a 1-yard reception for a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the first half to make it 21-13.
- The Blue Raiders scored on the first play of the second half with a 75-yard run to extend the lead to 28-13.
- WKU responded with a five-play, 73-yard drive capped off with a 21-yard pass from Glenn to Moussa Barry, making it 28-20 with 12:37 to play in the third quarter.
- Middle Tennessee added a touchdown off a 2-yard rush to cap off an 8-play, 54-yard drive to make it 35-20 with 5:54 left in the third quarter.
- The Hilltoppers scored on the next possession with a 8-yard rush by Ajay Allen, capping off a 3-play, 73-yard drive to make it a one possession game at the 4:34 mark in the third quarter.
- The Blue Raiders scored on the third play of the fourth quarter off a 4-yard touchdown pass to make it 42-27 at the 14:00 mark.
- WKU added a touchdown off an 8-yard yard pass from Rodney Tisdale Jr. to Quincy Burroughs to cap off the 11-play, 87-yard drive. The Hilltoppers scored a 2-point conversion off a pass from Tisdale to Lofton Howard, making it 42-35 with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter.
- The Hilltoppers tied the game off a 5-yard keeper from Tisdale to make it 42-42 with 31 seconds left in the game.
- Middle Tennessee kicked a 48-yard field goal in the closing seconds to take a 45-42 lead, but there was one second remaining when the ball went through the uprights.
- The Blue Raiders scored a touchdown off a fumble recovery in the end zone as the Hilltoppers attempted to score on the final play, bringing the final score to 51-42.
NOTABLES
- WKU falls to 3-6 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA play with the loss.
- The game marked the 76th meeting all-time between rivals WKU and Middle Tennessee. The loss ends a seven-game win streak over the Blue Raiders for the Hilltoppers, which was tied for the longest winning streak in the series. WKU now leads the series 39-36-1.
- WKU's team captains for the game were offensive lineman Karsten Upchurch, defensive lineman Zeiqui Lawton and defensive back Xavion "Tutu" Griffin.
- Announced attendance at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium was 12,127.
- WKU finished with 497 yards of total offense – 259 passing and 238 rushing. The Hilltoppers averaged 7.3 yards per play and scored five touchdowns, with three rushing and two passing.
- Quarterback Brock Glenn threw for 152 yards and one touchdown on 13-of-23 passing with no interceptions. He added 82 yards and a touchdown on nine rushing attempts, averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
- Quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. came on in relief of Glenn, completing 11-of-13 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He also rushed for 20 yards and a touchdown on five carries. WKU's quarterbacks combined to complete 24-of-36 passes.
- Ajay Allen led the Hilltoppers with 116 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Allen and Glenn each recorded a 45-yard run, tied for WKU's longest rush of the game. Allen added five receptions for 10 yards to finish with 126 yards from scrimmage.
- Eight different WKU players caught passes, with six recording multiple receptions. Jonathan Stafford Jr. led the Hilltoppers with eight catches for 90 yards, including a 32-yard reception.
- Stafford now has a team-leading 54 receptions for 523 yards this season. Stafford ranks second in program history in receptions for a freshman. Stafford trails only Malachi Corley on the list. Corley caught 73 passes during the 2021 season. Stafford moved into third place among freshmen in program history for receiving yards in a season, passing Cedric Jones (471 yards; 1984) and Easton Messer (484 yards; 2023). Stafford trails Corley (691 yards; 2021) and Jay Davis (612 yards; 1968). Stafford has posted at least five receptions in the last seven games – the longest streak by a WKU true freshman over the last 30 years.
- Moussa Barry and Quincy Burroughs each caught a touchdown pass. Barry scored on a 21-yard reception, while Burroughs scored on an eight-yard catch. It was Barry's first touchdown reception of the year and his fourth overall with the Hilltoppers. It was the second touchdown reception of the season for Burroughs, and the third of his Hilltopper and college career.
- Zion Taylor recorded three receptions for 23 yards, while Jyziah Rockwell added two catches for 44 yards, including a team-long 40-yard reception. CC Ezirim caught two passes for 39 yards, and Coleson Arends finished with two receptions for 24 yards.
- Fourteen different WKU players recorded multiple tackles, led by Jaylen Wester's 13 stops, including seven solo tackles. Jaylen Pollard added nine tackles, while Justin Brown finished with six.
- WKU recorded one sack and four tackles for loss. Wester registered the sack and one tackle for loss, while Javin Griffin and Zeiqui Lawton each added one tackle for loss. Brown and Mackavelli Malotumau each contributed a half-tackle for loss. It was Wester's first sack of the season. He now has 2.5 while playing for the Hilltoppers and 4.5 during his college career.
- Karl Campbell made two of his three field goal attempts, connecting from 35 and 42 yards. Campbell is now 10-for-12 on field goal attempts this season.
- Jackson Smith punted five times for an average of 42.8 yards per punt, with a long of 48 yards.
QUOTABLES
- "You know, guys battled. Everybody put it all on the line. There's obviously things that you wish would've happened and would've played better in certain areas, but at the end of the day, everybody's fighting as hard as they can. They got the last opportunity, and they made it. They made the kick. So, we'll turn the page. Everybody has time to feel sorry for themselves. We get to come home and try to go get a big win against Jax State. So, that's going to be our focus from here." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton.
- "I mean, it's real tough, especially when you're thinking of going into OT. We already planned it. Middle Tennessee had a great drive, and that kind of sealed the deal. But overall, I like how this team played. I love how this team played. We didn't fall. We didn't give up. We stayed, like I told them, we stayed having the blinders on. Coach Helton talked about always having the blinders on, keeping a straightforward eye. So that's what we're trying to do." – WKU Football quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr.
- "I mean, we always knew that it was going to be a tough battle all four quarters. We just had to stick to each other, be disciplined with our eyes and just believe in our coaches and their play calls that they make for us to be successful on the field." – WKU Football defensive back Braxton Myers.
NEXT UP
- The Hilltoppers will celebrate Homecoming on The Hill next weekend with a Saturday, Nov. 14, game against Jax State. Kickoff against the Gamecocks is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. To purchase tickets to the game, click HERE. For more information on WKU's Homecoming festivities, click HERE.
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