BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football will travel to Athens, Georgia, to face No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Hilltoppers and Bulldogs are scheduled to kick off at 11:45 a.m. CT at Sanford Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised on SEC Network.
GAME INFO
- WKU (0-1 overall, 0-0 CUSA) at No. 2 Georgia (1-0 overall, 0-0 SEC)
- Saturday, Sept. 12 | 11:45 a.m. CT | Sanford Stadium | Athens, Ga.
- Watch: SEC Network (PxP: Taylor Zarzour | Analyst: Matt Stinchcomb | Reporter: Michella Chester)
- 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 | Georgia
ABOUT THE TOPS
- LAST TIME OUT: WKU lost in the season opener at Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 5, 49-14. The Hilltoppers recorded 367 yards of offense in the game – 203 through the air and 164 on the ground. Running back Ajay Allen led the way with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 21 rushing attempts, and Cameron Flowers posted a career-high seven catches for 60 yards. Quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. threw for 203 yards on 24-of-40 passing.
- SOLID DEBUTS: The Hilltoppers had 32 players make their first appearance with the program in the 2026 opener at Nevada, highlighted by offensive performances from running back Ajay Allen and receiver Jonathan Stafford Jr. Despite WKU being known for its passing under Tyson Helton, Allen rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries in his Hilltopper debut. It was the first time a WKU player had 20-plus rushing attempts in a single game since Elijah Young rushed 23 times against Sam Houston in the 2024 season. Stafford caught five passes for 48 yards. It was the first time a WKU true freshman caught at least five passes in his collegiate debut since Marvis Parrish caught six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown against Sam Houston on Aug. 23, 2025. It was the first time a WKU true freshman receiver caught at least five passes in their collegiate debut since Dakota Thomas caught five passes for 78 yards at Charlotte on Dec. 6, 2020, and it was the second time during WKU's FBS Era (Since 2009).
- BOWL SUCCESS: With the victory over Southern Miss in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl, WKU claimed its eighth bowl win since the start of the College Football Playoff Era. WKU's eight bowl wins during that time are tied with Alabama, Ohio State and Wisconsin for third-most during that timeframe, and trail only the nine won by Georgia and Minnesota. The Hilltoppers have also played in a bowl game in each of the last seven seasons – all seven seasons under Head Coach Tyson Helton – and are one of just eight teams in the country, and one of only two non-Power Conference programs, that has played in a bowl game or CFP game in each of the last seven seasons.
- 8-WIN SEASONS: WKU finished the 2025 season with a 9-4 record, marking the fifth consecutive season the Hilltoppers have claimed at least eight wins in a season. The Hilltoppers are one of just 11 programs nationally that has done that, and they are one of just three non-Power Conference programs to accomplish that feat. WKU is the only non-Power Conference program to do that while playing an FBS schedule every year during that stretch.
- ROAD TRIPS: WKU is kicking off the 2026 campaign with three straight road games – at Nevada on Sept. 5, at No. 2 Georgia on Sept. 12 and at No. 5 Indiana on Sept. 19. The Hilltoppers are one of only five programs nationally with three straight road games this season, and are the only school that plays 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 ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Preseason Poll. The rest of CUSA has one such game combined.
- AGAINST POWER CONFERENCE TEAMS: WKU has had some success against Power Conference teams in the past, with wins at Arkansas in 2019, at Vanderbilt in 2015, against Kentucky in 2013 and at Kentucky in 2012 during the program's FBS Era (since 2009). WKU has dropped its last nine games against teams in power conferences (at the time of the meeting), but of those losses, four were one-score games by a combined nine points. WKU is 1-3 against SEC teams under Tyson Helton.
QUOTABLE
- "Game two. Going down to Georgia to play an excellent team in Georgia. You learn a lot about who you are in Week 1 and what you have, and we need to get a lot better as a football team. I think that's pretty obvious. I think we have an opportunity this year to have a good football team and a team that can compete and win a lot of football games, but sitting here today, we've got to get a lot better. I think that's a pretty obvious thing for anybody that watched our game. There are pieces there. The right men are there. It's our job as coaches to get them to the right spot. What a great opportunity to play the best of the best and get better at what we're trying to accomplish this year. This game is about us. It's always about us. We need to have a great week of practice and we need to go out on that football field on Saturday and feel good about what we did on that field on Saturday, and that's the biggest thing for us. It's always about winning, it's always about competing, but I'm excited about this week and the opportunity to get better as a football team." – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Saturday will mark the second meeting between WKU and Georgia and the first in two decades. The Bulldogs claimed a 48-12 victory over the Hilltoppers in Athens, Georgia, during the previous meeting on Sept. 2, 2006, prior to WKU moving to the FBS level.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Georgia enters Saturday's game with a 1-0 record, after defeating Tennessee State 63-3 during Week 1.
- The Bulldogs were predicted to win the 2026 SEC Championship, according to a preseason poll of media members in attendance covering SEC Football Media Days.
- Georgia is coached by Kirby Smart, who is in his 11th season and has a 118-21 record leading the Bulldogs. He has led the program to back-to-back College Football Playoff Quarterfinal appearances, after winning the Orange Bowl in 2023 and back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
Follow the Hilltoppers: For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and like the WKU Football Facebook page.
