When WKU and Western Michigan meet in Monday’s First Responder Bowl in Dallas, the two teams will be squaring off for only the 16th time ever and the first time in over 72 years.

In 1947, which was the last time WKU and WMU met on the gridiron, the average cost of a house was $6,600, a gallon of gas cost 15 cents, “The Diary of Anne Frank” was published and Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

While the WKU and WMU football teams might not have much in the way of recent history, the two Westerns come into their bowl matchup with several obscure connections.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The origins of the WKU and WMU football programs are actually very similar, especially as it relates to team nicknames. WMU football was known as the Hilltoppers until 1939 because part of the school’s campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was built on Prospect Hill.

Then-assistant coach John Gill soon suggested WMU adjust its nickname, partially because he didn’t want to be confused with the WKU Hilltoppers. WMU became the Broncos prior to the 1939 campaign, which is when WMU began playing at the newly-built Waldo Stadium.

Eighty years later, WMU is still known as the Broncos and Waldo Stadium is still its home.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

For WKU redshirt junior receiver Jahcour Pearson and WMU sophomore cornerback Ginial Isma, the First Responder Bowl won’t be the first time the two have played against each other.

Back in 2014, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, natives met in a high school football game, as Pearson’s Flanagan High School Falcons ran roughshod over Isma’s Stranahan High School Mighty Dragons and claimed a 57-7 victory.

In a different world, the two might have been teammates at WMU. Pearson held an offer from WMU during his recruitment, and he visited the Broncos in January 2016 before signing with WKU at the beginning of February 2016, according to 247 Sports.

DÉJÀ VU

WKU hasn’t seen WMU for a long time, but for redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Woodford Lankford, facing the Broncos might seem oddly familiar.

Lankford spent his first season of college football redshirting at Toledo in 2017. While watching from the Rockets’ sideline, Lankford saw Toledo cruise to a 37-10 victory over WMU in a late-season Friday morning #MACtion game.

Toledo defeated Akron 45-28 in the Mid-American Conference Championship game the next week before falling 34-0 to Appalachian State in the Dollar General Bowl.

HIT THE ROAD, JACK

Former WKU head coach Jack Harbaugh, who led the Hilltoppers to the 2002 Division I-AA National Championship and compiled a 91-68 overall record in 14 seasons on the Hill, began his coaching career in 1964 and coached all the way through until 2009.

Harbaugh is best known for his time at WKU, but he was also the head coach at WMU. He compiled a 25-27-3 record there from 1982 to 1986 in his only other head coaching job.

BETTER DAYS

The highest-ranked champion from the Group of 5 conferences (American Athletic, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt) is guaranteed a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game each year, which put WKU and WMU in the running for the berth in 2016.

C-USA Champion WKU, led by current Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm, might have been chosen to represent the Group of 5 teams in 2016, but the Hilltoppers finished the season with losses to SEC opponents Alabama and Vanderbilt and another to C-USA rival Louisiana Tech.

MAC Champion WMU, led by current Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, finished undefeated and locked up the Group of 5 spot in the Cotton Bowl. The Broncos were defeated 24-16 by No. 8 Wisconsin, but the WMU football program was listed No. 15 in the final AP Poll.

WKU’s current assistant athletic director for football operations, Nick Uhlenhopp, served as the director of football operations for WMU and Fleck during the 2016 campaign.

Additionally, both WKU and WMU suffered significant drop-offs in winning percentages during the 2017 season after both Brohm and Fleck departed for head coaching jobs in the Big Ten.

CHESTNUT ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE

WKU wide receivers coach Chris Chestnut played for WMU during his last two college football seasons as a player after transferring from the College of the Canyons.

Chestnut made 21 catches for 307 yards, averaging 14.6 yards per catch his junior year in 2002, a season in which the Broncos finished 4-8.

Chestnut served as a team captain in his senior season and made 9 catches for 105 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per catch as the Broncos very slightly improved to a 5-7 record in 2003.

Sports Columnist and Projects Editor Matt Stahl can be reached at matthew.stahl551@topper.wku.edu. Follow Matt on Twitter at @mattstahl97.

College football bowl season is in full swing, and Conference USA sent eight schools to play in bowl games this holiday season. 

C-USA Champion Florida Atlantic led the group of eight teams to reach six or more wins throughout the 2019 regular season, and the Owls were joined in the postseason by West Division Champion Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Southern Mississippi and WKU.

Only the ACC (10), SEC (9) and Big Ten (9) had more teams selected to complete their seasons in a bowl-game setting, and C-USA was also the only non-Power 5 conference to send at least eight teams to postseason bowl games.

C-USA schools were slated to play bowl games against members of the ACC (1), American (3), Mid-American (2) and Sun Belt (2) Conferences, including matchups against former C-USA member schools Southern Methodist, Tulane and Central Florida.

SMU and UCF were two of the top 10 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring offense, as the two schools tied for sixth nationally with a whopping 43 points per game this year.

No. 20 Appalachian State, the ninth-ranked FBS team in scoring offense at 39.4 points per game, was also set to go bowling against a current C-USA member.

Coming into the 2019-20 bowl season, C-USA had collectively posted a 30-18 (.625) mark over the past seven years in bowl games, which included the best record of all the conferences four times in the past eight seasons.

C-USA teams haven’t fared as well so far this postseason, as FAU and LA Tech are the only C-USA schools to gain victory in bowl games so far.

Overall, C-USA member schools have recorded a 2-4 record and dropped the league’s overall record in recent bowl games to 32-22 (.593).

The Owls held a high-scoring SMU offense to a season-low 28 points, slowing the racing Mustangs to an abrupt halt from start to finish.

FAU was without the services of former FAU head coach Lane Kiffin, as he accepted an offer to become the new head coach at Power 5 Mississippi on Dec. 7.

But the C-USA Champion was unfazed by adversity. FAU defensive coordinator and interim head coach Glenn Spencer guided an Owl squad missing several key starters to a 52-28 blowout win over SMU for FAU’s second-ever Boca Raton Bowl crown.

The Bulldogs used their ferocious defense to shut out Miami (FL) for the first time since No. 6 Clemson blanked the Hurricanes 58-0 on Oct. 24, 2015.

LA Tech captured its third Independence Bowl championship in a low-scoring 14-0 decision over Miami and moved to 6-0 in bowl games since the 2014 season.

The Bulldogs became the first team this bowl season to hold their opponent scoreless for an entire contest, and the program also recorded its first 10-win season since joining C-USA in 2013.

Although current C-USA members FAU, UAB and Marshall posted a combined 1-2 record against SMU, App State and UCF — three of the highest-scoring FBS offenses in 2019 — only UCF was able to reach or surpass its season average point total, posting 48 points.

WKU and Southern Miss are the only two C-USA teams still waiting to play in their bowl games this postseason. The Hilltoppers will squeeze their postseason matchup in just before 2019 ends, while the Golden Eagles won’t take the field again until a few days into 2020.

Here is the complete C-USA football bowl schedule, featuring information about completed matchups in addition to kickoff dates, times and more for the two remaining games:

Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas)

Charlotte (7-6) vs. Buffalo (8-5)

Date: Friday, Dec. 20

Final Score: Buffalo 31, Charlotte 9

Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, Florida)

FAU (11-3) vs. SMU (10-3)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 21

Final Score: FAU 52, SMU 28

Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)

FlU (6-7) vs. Arkansas State (8-5)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 21

Final Score: Arkansas State 34, FlU 26

New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans)

UAB (9-5) vs. No. 20 App State (13-1)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 21

Final Score: No. 20 App State 31, UAB 17

Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida)

Marshall (8-5) vs. UCF (10-3)

Date: Monday, Dec. 23

Final Score: UCF 48, Marshall 25

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, Louisiana)

LA Tech (10-3) vs. Miami (FL) (6-7)

Date: Thursday, Dec. 26

Final Score: LA Tech 14, Miami (FL) 0

First Responder Bowl (Dallas)

WKU (8-4) vs. Western Michigan (7-5)

Date: Monday, Dec. 30

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m.

Television: ESPN

Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas)

Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Tulane (6-6)

Date: Saturday, Jan. 4

Kickoff: 10:30 a.m.

Television: ESPN

Reporter Elliott Wells can be reached at douglas.wells357@topper.wku.edu. Follow Elliott on Twitter at @ewells5.

The WKU football team (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) is back in the postseason after a one-year absence, and the Hilltoppers aren’t overlooking their opportunity to reach nine wins in 2019.

WKU will meet Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3 MAC) in the First Responder Bowl on Monday, searching for a victory that would triple the WKU football program’s win total from 2018.

A ninth win would also match the Hilltoppers’ combined win total from the 2017 and 2018 campaigns.

2019 Conference USA Coach of the Year Tyson Helton, who orchestrated the third-best turnaround in the nation this year at a five-game improvement, has guided the Hilltoppers to a bowl contest that will be played in Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas this weekend.

Following a 31-26 win over Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 30, Helton expressed his desire to play the bowl game before Christmas.

He got Dec. 30 instead, which is the latest the Hilltoppers have ever played in five previous bowl appearances as a Football Bowl Subdivision member.

Time heals all wounds, and Helton has now grown fonder of playing in the much later First Responder Bowl, especially because the game sets up a lot of extra preparation prior to a meeting with a WMU program that’ll be playing in its fifth bowl game in six years.

“I love the fact that the bowl’s at the date it is because it’s really like another spring football for us,” Helton said on Dec. 21. “We’re able to develop our young guys a little more, so you kind of get a spring ball in before you actually have spring ball. That’s been really, really good. I feel like we’ll be farther along once we get back in January for training and all those kind of things.”

“Right now, we’re in a good place,” Helton continued. “Guys are healthy, everybody knows what to do. You know, we just got to be peaking at the right time. Right when we get to the bowl, we got to be at our best.”

WKU is also playing in its fifth bowl game in the past six years, posting a 3-1 mark compared to the 1-3 record the Broncos have recorded in their previous four bowl games.

The one blemish on the Hilltoppers’ FBS bowl game résumé since a 24-21 loss in the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl is a 27-17 loss to Georgia State in the 2017 AutoNation Cure Bowl.

WKU, riding a three-game winning streak to bowl eligibility, will meet WMU for the first time in over 72 years with a shot at improving to 4-2 in FBS bowl games on the line.

The Hilltoppers trail the Broncos 11-3-1 in the all-time series, including losses in each of the last three meetings, but each of the previous 15 matchups occurred between 1923 and 1947.

Additionally, the First Responder Bowl will also be the final game for 13 WKU seniors, a collective group that produced a 28-23 record on the Hill over the past four seasons.

“I felt like all our seniors have done a fantastic job down the home stretch,” Helton said. “Especially in November, they really took the bull by the horns and led the football team.”

“It’s going to be great for them to get that last game in,” Helton continued. “The team’s excited to play for them because everybody knows it’s their last game.”

The WKU offense has posted a solid campaign, ranking 23rd in time of possession, tied for 24th in sacks allowed and 52nd in passing offense nationally. But the unit has also struggled in some areas, ranking 88th in total offense, 90th in scoring offense and 107th in rushing offense.

Offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis said on Dec. 12 that he wants his players to “A. have a good time, and B. be ready to play” when the Hilltoppers take the field in Dallas.

“From the day when we figured out who we were playing ‘till the day before the game, we’ll be still continuing to game plan,” Ellis said. “That stuff never stops. We kind of have a motto around here that the hay is never in the barn. There’s always something. If there’s a good play that comes up the morning of the game, we’ll install it, put it in and get it ready to go.”

Ellis said on Dec. 19 that the WKU offense has “shown up every day ready to work,” which will be necessary against a WMU defensive unit that boasts the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward.

“They’re big, strong kids,” Ellis said. “They got a lot of pop. Their D-line and linebackers, they remind you of an SEC football team as far as their size and stuff. They’re a base defense, they do what they do well, and like every week, we’ll have a challenge on our hands. We’ll have to put our best foot forward and give ourselves a chance to go win the football game.”

Graduate transfer quarterback Ty Storey, who took home 2019 C-USA Newcomer of the Year recognition, said the Hilltoppers “really want to go out with a bang.”

“We’ve been watching a lot of film on ‘em,” Storey said. “Just being able to see our opponent now, there was a week there we weren’t going to be able to watch anybody because we didn’t know who we were playing. But now that we know who we’re playing, it’s good to be able to get back in the film room and really study our opponent.”

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Miles Pate, a 2019 All-C-USA First Team member, said if WKU just plays its game, “everything else will take care of itself.”

“A good defense — a good defense that we need to stop,” Pate said about what he’s seen from WMU on film. “We just got to stick to our game plan and stick to what we do best. If we do that, I think we’ll come out on top.”

Redshirt senior receiver Lucky Jackson, also a 2019 All-C-USA First Team member, has 192 career receptions, which is just two shy of Nicholas Norris for second all-time in WKU history.

Jackson is also only 15 yards shy of 1,000 for the season, and he said the Hilltoppers “have to take this game just as serious as any of the other games from a preparation standpoint.”

“It’s a good feeling to still be playing football this late,” Jackson said. “I mean, you look around the conference and see how many teams that aren’t playing, whose seasons are completely finished. To have a chance to go up and hang another banner and get a ring is just an amazing opportunity that we got to seize.”

On the other side of the football, the Hilltopper defense has been dominant all season, and the unit’s national rankings assert that fact — 6th in third down defense, tied for 17th in first down defense, 21st in scoring defense and tied for 29th in total defense.

Defensive coordinator Clayton White said on Dec. 12 that despite WKU going exactly one month between games, the Hilltoppers don’t have time to relax during their preparation.

“Well, really, a lot of people say we have a lot of time, but time flies,” White said. “We don’t want to get caught in the, ‘Oh no, it’s too late to get the game plan in and too late to start getting some things kind of ironed out.’”

One area where WKU has struggled at times is stopping the run, which could spell trouble ahead of its meeting with WMU senior running back LeVante Bellamy, who ranks 10th in the country with 1,412 yards rushing in 2019.

Bellamy also leads the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns, and White said on Dec. 19 that WKU will need to “have the right focus and intensity” to slow down a “very methodical” WMU attack.

“As a program, they’ve been very good offensively over the years,” White said. “Coach Lester, Coach Moreland, those guys both played there, so they take a lot of pride in it.

“The main thing on their offense is their running back,” White continued. “He’s at almost 1,500 yards. I think we got to do a great job of understanding his favorite runs and their favorite plays and just make sure we do our job like we’ve been trying to do.”

Redshirt junior safety Devon Key said “practicing for another game” with the team’s seniors has been great. Key said that while WKU’s 15 bowl practices have been about 45 minutes shorter than in-season practices, the Hilltoppers have “still put in the same work.”

“It’s a big bowl game for us because we haven’t been in a year,” Key said. “We have to go down there and show that we’re back, like getting in the groove — that Western’s back at the top.”

Junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone, who was named 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, said he came into the season “just looking to dominate” and wasn’t worried about outside noise, a mentality he said will stick with him as his “dreams come to reality.”

“Just keep coming out here in practice and getting better every day,” Malone said. “I thank God that I got a Player of the Year award, but I’m just going to keep continuing doing me.”

Redshirt senior nickelback Ta’Corian Darden, a 2019 Burlsworth Trophy nominee, said Bellamy has “top-notch” speed.

WKU has worked on being “gap sound” during its preparation, but Darden said he’s also made sure to take some time to enjoy his last days as a Hilltopper.

“Yeah, you try to enjoy the moment because you know it’s your last one,” Darden said. “Each practice you try to enjoy the moment, go out there, have fun, interact with the most teammates as you can, try to talk to the most teammates as you can out there and just go out there and have fun and enjoy the moment because you don’t get it back.”

WKU will be the visiting team on Dec. 30, occupying the visitor’s locker room and East sideline in a 32,000-seat facility on the campus of Southern Methodist. But the First Responder Bowl will also be a home game of sorts for Helton, a former quarterback at Houston.

Helton said his players know what to do and how to do it, but the Hilltoppers will do some more “fine-tuning” to make sure they’re ready to perform against the Broncos.

“Western Michigan’s a good football team,” Helton said. “I expect it to be a battle, and I say it all the time, I see it coming down to the last five minutes of the game and who plays the best will win. But I think we’re at a good point where we’re at right now.”

“I feel like if we had to play today they’d be ready to play,” Helton continued. “It really goes down to those games like all season where if we play good defense, don’t turn the ball over on offense and make our plays on offense, then we’ll be fine.”

Game notes

Bowl Game: First Responder Bowl (Dallas)

Matchup: WKU (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) vs. WMU (7-5, 5-3 MAC)

Date: Monday, Dec. 30   

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m.

Site: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000)

All-Time Series: WMU leads 11-3-1

Last Meeting: WMU 39, WKU 0 (Nov. 1, 1947)

Television: ESPN

Announcers: Dave Neal (play-by-play), DJ Shockley (analyst), Dawn Davenport (sideline reporter)

What they’re saying…

Head coach Tyson Helton: “[WMU is] good in space, good tacklers. They play their defense very well. Very sound. They don’t give up a lot of big plays. They make you go the distance. That’s the biggest thing, we have to be able to sustain offensive drives, try to get some explosive plays in there. Defensively, if we can play good defense. They’re a very good offensive unit. Their running back and quarterback are good players, and a very established offensive line.”

Offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis: “You’re getting ready to play the game, you’re trying to keep the kids motivated, keep them from getting bored, you know? We got a long time before the game starts. So, you try to do some new things with ‘em, really get your young guys in there a good bit. Trying to almost steal a couple of practices for those guys.”

Graduate transfer quarterback Ty Storey: “It’s fine. We were ready to play, so whenever they announced that [the bowl game was late], we were completely fine with it. Christmas, when you’re playing football, is kind of celebrated whenever you can. You work around it.”

Redshirt senior receiver Lucky Jackson: “With us having this much time, it’s easy for guys to get lax or slack off. But Coach Helton and our staff are harping on us to stay into it. We still have to take the necessary steps to make sure we come home with a win.”

Defensive coordinator Clayton White: “We’re kind of hitting it running right now trying to make sure that our guys are doing a good job understanding our opponent on December 30th, Western Michigan. I think it’s really good to get ‘em back out there now to get ‘em back in that mode, get their eyes back right and their feet back right. Just ready to strap it up.”

Redshirt junior safety Devon Key: “Last game against Middle, we put it all out there for the seniors so they could get that win at home, and hopefully we can send them out the right way by getting their last bowl game win.”

Junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone: “I see that hard work pays off. We came in every day, put the work in and it’s just a blessing.”

Sports Editor Drake Kizer can be reached at clinton.kizer287@topper.wku.edu. Follow Drake on Twitter at @drakekizer_.

The WKU football team (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) is set to meet fellow regional school Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3 MAC) for the first time since 1947 in the First Responder Bowl on Monday.

Ahead of the much-anticipated meeting between the Hilltoppers and Broncos in Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, the Herald hosted an online Q&A session with Seth Berry, the sports editor and football reporter for the student newspaper at WMU, the Western Herald.

In addition, Berry authored a companion piece for the Western Herald that features the same questions as this interview with answers from the WKU perspective. Berry’s article, which previews and breaks down the Hilltoppers, can be accessed by clicking here.

Drake Kizer: Where is WMU located?

Seth Berry: WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Kalamazoo is a southern city in Michigan with a population of over 76,000, which makes it the 16th biggest city in the state.

DK: What is WMU’s enrollment?

SB: Between undergraduates and graduate school students, 21,470 students were enrolled at WMU in the fall of 2019.

DK: What are some of the notable academic programs at WMU?

SB: WMU offers more than 140 programs, which provides a variety of options for students. I think one of the more unique programs at WMU is the aviation program.

The courses actually take place in Battle Creek, Michigan (my hometown) at W.K. Kellogg Airport, about 25 miles east of Kalamazoo. The program, from what I understand, ranks as one of the top in the nation. 

DK: What are the best college bars at WMU?

SB: University Roadhouse, which is directly across from the football stadium, is a go-to place for a lot of college students. Waldo’s, which has been around forever, is next to Roadhouse and attracts students and alumni alike. The Old Goat Tavern is another bar that students flock to during the school year.

DK: What is the go-to place for a midnight snack at WMU?

SB: Two Fellas Grill is the place to be for a quick bite late at night. Reasonably priced food and easy to take with you. They even offer late-night delivery if you can’t make it out to their location. Nothing like a good ole chicken tender wrap at midnight.

DK: What are some aspects of WMU’s campus culture that you enjoy?

SB: I think WMU has offered the support I need to be successful as a student with helpful professors and great academic counseling. The student atmosphere has allowed me to be comfortable being myself and to enjoy many friendships that I have made while being a student.

DK: What is WMU’s mascot?

SB: WMU has a Bronco for a mascot. The mascot’s name is Buster Bronco. Buster actually had a change in appearance a couple of years ago. It caused such a stir that some students actually protested the change in Buster’s look. It was actually quite amusing.

DK: Why the stir about the change in appearance of Buster Bronco?

SB: I think a lot of people just liked the way he looked before. The old Buster kind of looked like a more laid-back, fun-loving mascot, while the new one looks more fit, energetic and athletic.

There was a Change.org petition that gained over 1,600 signatures in support of bringing back the old Buster. Anytime you mess with “tradition,” I think people will get upset.

DK: What are WMU’s school colors?

SB: Brown and gold are the colors of WMU. 

DK: Any notable professional athletes from WMU?

SB: Greg Jennings, the long-time Green Bay Packers wide receiver, is a former Bronco and is the most decorated pro athlete to come out of the university.

Corey Davis, a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, also played at WMU. He became the highest drafted player ever out of the university, as the Titans selected him 5th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

There are six other Broncos currently on NFL rosters (Darius Phillips, Taylor Moton, John Keenoy, Sam Beal, Chukwuma Okorafor and Robert Spillane), but there are no former Broncos playing in the NBA.

DK: How has WMU fared in sports other than football this fall?

SB: The WMU men’s soccer team accomplished something they had never done before in the history of the program, as the Broncos defeated both Michigan and Michigan State during the regular season for the first time ever.

The team fell short in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a tough loss to West Virginia, but they finished with an 11-6-2 overall record and spent several weeks of the regular season ranked in the national polls.

DK: What are some key things WMU football does well, and who are some impact players to watch out for during the First Responder Bowl?

SB: They do a lot of things well on offense, as they rank 22nd in the nation in total offense. They can beat you with both the run and the pass, which is a big reason they are averaging 34.2 points per game (25th in the nation).

Senior Jon Wassink is a veteran quarterback that head coach Tim Lester trusts to control the offense and change the plays when needed. Senior running back LeVante Bellamy, who was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, leads the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns and is one of the most dynamic offensive players in college football. Senior Giovanni Ricci is a big tight end who is a threat as a pass catcher, and true freshman Skyy Moore has stepped up to be Wassink’s go-to player in the passing game.

On defense, they give up a lot of yards, but do a decent job of tightening up in the red zone once teams get close to the end zone. The Broncos rotate in a lot of guys on the defensive line to keep fresh in their pass rush. Junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the team with 132 tackles, plays fast and is quick to the ball.

They will give up big plays as a unit at times, and were much better at home this season than on the road. In total, they rank 82nd in total defense, so the offense is definitely the stronger unit.

DK: What is your prediction for the First Responder Bowl?

SB: I think this is going to be a tight one. From what I can tell, the Hilltoppers clearly have a good defense and they have been solid at stopping the run all season long.

Teams have been trying to put more numbers in the box to defend Bellamy in the running game and have been challenging WMU’s young receivers to get open in man coverage in the secondary. If WKU can slow down Bellamy, it will be up to Wassink to make some plays with both his arm and his feet. He is capable of doing that, but it makes it more difficult to be balanced if Bellamy is slowed.

For WKU’s offense, it surely seems like running back Gaej Walker is a dynamic player and quarterback Ty Storey being a dual-threat option under center could also pose problems for the Broncos. But the 25 points per game on offense is a little underwhelming to me. If WMU’s front, which can rotate multiple players into the game, can slow down the Hilltopper running game, I also think they can have success.

That being said, I have WKU winning in a hard-fought game and claiming a tight, lower-scoring 27-24 battle in Dallas on Dec. 30.

DK: One more question — what is your favorite story you’ve written for the Western Herald, and why?

SB: My favorite story I have written was actually a profile story on a current WMU men’s basketball player, Mike Flowers. His mother tragically passed away from a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer during his freshman season (he is a junior now), and for him to open up to me about that showed a lot of courage on his part, I thought.

To hear how his mom would still travel and come to his games even when she was sick was inspiring and just hearing about how he plays for and thinks about her every day still.

I think those are the types of stories you get into this business for, to tell the inspiring stories of those around us and to help come together and support each other.

Editor’s note: Some questions have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Sports Editor Drake Kizer can be reached at clinton.kizer287@topper.wku.edu. Follow Drake on Twitter at @drakekizer_.

Following the Hilltoppers’ 38-21 loss to Louisville in front of a Nissan Stadium crowd just barely bigger than what could’ve fit in Houchens-Smith Stadium, head coach Tyson Helton now has some big decisions to make going into the bye week.

The first and foremost problem will be finding a new quarterback to replace the injured Steven Duncan. Duncan didn’t have his worst game against Louisville, managing to not throw any interceptions, though he did have a fumble the Cardinals took to the house to further demoralize the Hilltoppers. 

Duncan is an interesting case, as he looked like the ideal candidate for the offense Helton claimed he wanted to run when he discussed his plans in the spring. Duncan has a cannon of an arm, and if the team were throwing nonstop deep balls, he would fit in perfectly.

However, that’s not the offense the team has been running, and it has often seemed the Hilltoppers could benefit from someone with more accuracy, especially on the run, where Duncan is absolutely atrocious.

With Duncan now injured, Helton has three viable options in Ty Storey, Davis Shanley and Kevaris Thomas.

While calling for Duncan to be pulled was a popular stance even before his injury, each of these quarterbacks has their own set of issues, which has caused them to stay on the bench thus far. 

Starting with Storey, he looked awful in the spring game, throwing two interceptions. He also was unable to retain the starting job at Arkansas, not one of the powerhouse schools of the SEC.

However, he is the most experienced of the bunch, and if he can find a way to help the team finish drives — something it struggled mightily with in the Louisville game — he’ll get the job.

Davis Shanley was a mixed bag last season. At times he looked solid if unspectacular, and he is certainly more accurate, agile and better at throwing on the run than Duncan.

His arm leaves a lot to be desired, but the team hasn’t been living and dying by the deep ball as much as was expected, so that flaw might not matter as much as previously thought. 

Kevaris Thomas is the wildcard in the race. He boasts incredible physical attributes and can throw the ball from PFT to Hilligans. However, when he throws the ball, it doesn’t usually end up anywhere near the receiver it was intended for. 

Whoever wins the race will have their work cut out for them. As stated earlier, other than a few nice plays, including a long touchdown by freshman Joshua Simon, the offense looked terrible in the Louisville game.

Even the most reliable players on the team looked off, including Lucky Jackson, who had arguably the worst game of his WKU career.

Helton will have to use the bye week to fix the issues, because if the incompetence continues, the season is doomed. WKU’s defense has looked good, but it won’t be able to carry the load by itself.

This is a crucial moment in Helton’s young tenure. The quarterback decision will carry consequences, as the players who aren’t picked might opt to find a program with a starting spot for them.

Fortunately for Helton, he has some time to decide.

Sports Columnist and News Editor Matt Stahl can be reached at 270-745-2653 and matthew.stahl551@topper.wku.edu. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattstahl97.

After a 38-21 blowout loss to Louisville (2-1, 0-0 ACC) on Saturday evening, the WKU football team (1-2, 1-0 C-USA) will be forced to hit the reset button this week during the first of two scheduled bye weeks throughout the 2019 season.

WKU has seen mixed results in the first three games of the Tyson Helton era, as both the offense and defense have had struggles and successes in the first quarter of the season.

Regardless of the good and the bad WKU has put on the field so far, the first-year coach said he’s happy with how the Hilltoppers have battled through adversity.

“I like our football team,” Helton said postgame. “I’m never happy with us being 1-2. The name of the game is winning, but I like our football team. I really do. I think the kids battle. I think they try to stay positive. We’ll just keep on grinding. The sun comes up, and we’ll keep on rolling.”

But the team’s latest result will certainly leave Helton and the Hilltoppers with a bad taste in their mouths. 

The Cardinals blew past WKU in Nissan Stadium in Nashville, netting 415 yards of offense and running for 210 yards against what had been a stout WKU run defense.

Helton said the Louisville front was too much for the Hilltoppers to handle on Saturday.

“They just overpowered us, to be honest with you,” Helton said. “Defensively for them, they controlled the line of scrimmage. They were able to hold the point and control it. I thought the O-line battled. They were doing the right things. They just got a little bit outmatched here and there.”

WKU will also be forced to name a new starting quarterback.

Helton announced on Monday morning that redshirt junior quarterback Steven Duncan injured his left foot in the third quarter against Louisville and will be out indefinitely. Doctors recommended Duncan have surgery immediately, Helton said.

Helton said on Monday he didn’t know about the injury during the game, but Duncan later told Helton he began feeling pain late in the third quarter after he “got kind of twisted up” by a Louisville defender.

Duncan kept playing on “pure adrenaline” until late in the fourth quarter, when Helton said he noticed Duncan “hobbling” on WKU’s final offensive series. X-rays were later taken, revealing a “crack.”

The team is now expecting to be without Duncan for “several weeks” — and maybe the remainder of the 2019 season — which opens the door for Arkansas transfer Ty Storey, redshirt sophomore Davis Shanley and redshirt freshman Kevaris Thomas to be the “next man up” as QB1 for the Hilltoppers.

“I would think, you know, Ty would be the obvious answer just because of what we’ve been trying to do,” Helton said. “But I really like Shanley, I really like [Kevaris Thomas], so we’re gonna leave it open and just try to have the best plan for UAB.”

With the first three-game stretch of the season already in the books, Helton and his entire staff will have a chance to evaluate the team’s progress and make any necessary adjustments.

Some of the early season positives include redshirt junior running back Gaej Walker, the run defense and the offensive line play. A few of the negatives have been a handful of big plays that have burned WKU in each of their losses, execution on third downs and a lack of offensive identity.

Walker has been a major surprise for the Hilltoppers. The former defensive back broke the two-year streak of no 150-yard WKU rushers against Central Arkansas and racked up back-to-back 100 yard performances to open the season at his new position.

Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield acknowledged the talent Walker has at the running back position.

“We knew [Gaej Walker] was a talented running back and he showed it today,” Satterfield said postgame. “He had some good speed at times.”

The run defense has also impressed early on. Louisville obviously had success on the ground, but as a Power 5 group, it was reasonable to expect such a performance running the football.

Through its first two contests, WKU gave up just 171 rushing yards for an average of 2.3 yards per carry. Defensive coordinator Clayton White said prior to Saturday’s game that he credits the defensive line for setting the tone for the WKU run defense.

“The defensive line does a really good job of building that wall to where the defensive backs and linebackers can run through and make plays,” White said. “I think the defensive line is starting to play. They understand the defense. The coaches do a great job of getting those guys ready.”

Another bright spot for WKU this season is the offensive line. The unit has opened up gaping holes for Walker and has paved the way for his pair of 100-yard performances. The line has also given up just two sacks through the team’s first three matchups.

Redshirt senior receiver Lucky Jackson had high praise for the line after the team’s win 20-14 over Florida International.

“Shout out to the O-Line because without them it wouldn’t be possible just because protecting the quarterback, protecting the running back, making this thing run smooth,” Jackson said in a postgame release. “It was great for the offense in conference.”

As for the negatives, big plays have crushed WKU in each of its two losses.

Louisville receiver Tutu Atwell had touchdown receptions of 46 and 62 yards. UCA receiver Lujuan Winningham posted 222 yards and three touchdowns to help knock off the Hilltoppers 35-28 in the season opener.

Even in victory, WKU allowed a 40-yard completion to Maurice Alexander that set up the only offensive touchdown FIU scored.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jeremy Darvin, a Nashville native who grew up near Nissan Stadium, said the defense was prepared for Louisville but still gave up chunk-yardage plays.

“This has been redundant, just three to five plays in the game,” Darvin said. “We let up a big score on a pass and we let a guy break out on a run and we just gotta get those three to five plays and you know, maybe the ball tips our way in both our losses this year.”

WKU has also been unable to convert third downs in recent matchups. After going a solid 9-of-16 on third downs against UCA, the Hilltoppers have taken a step back in the last couple of games, converting a combined 9-of-29 in the next two games against FIU and Louisville.

Helton says it’s his job to put his players in the best position to succeed and WKU must improve its offensive execution.

“As a coach, you’re always going to try to put your team in the best position to go out there and execute,” Helton said. “Sometimes [Louisville] played good defense, and sometimes we didn’t execute. That’s football. We gotta go back and try to get better.”

Redshirt junior tight end Kyle Fourtenbary was named honorable mention John Mackey Tight End of the Week, the WKU football team announced on Tuesday morning.

Fourtenbary caught five passes for a career-high 74 yards in a 20-14 victory at FIU, which helped WKU begin Conference USA play 1-0.

Fourtenbary — who was listed as one of 60 Football Bowl Subdivision players on the 2019 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List prior to the season — had receptions of 22, four, 10, 10 and 28 yards from redshirt junior quarterback Steven Duncan, all five of which went for first downs.

The Opelika, Alabama, native caught five or more passes in a game for the fourth time in his WKU career, and his 28-yard reception tied for the second-longest during his times on the Hill. Fourtenbary now has 50 receptions for 476 yards and two touchdowns since his collegiate debut in 2017.

Fourtenbary is the latest in a long line of WKU tight ends to be honored by the John Mackey Award in some manner during their career, including former Hilltoppers Mik’Quan Deane, Deon Yelder, Tyler Higbee, Mitchell Henry and Jack Doyle.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week award is a distinct honor that’s separate from the annual John Mackey Award.

The weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by tight ends during the active season, while the John Mackey Award has been awarded to college football’s most outstanding tight end at the end of each season since 2000.

Sports Editor Drake Kizer can be reached at 270-745-2653 and clinton.kizer287@topper.wku.edu. Follow Drake on Twitter at @drakekizer_.

The WKU football team got back on track last weekend with its first Conference USA win of the season, as the Hilltoppers (1-1, 1-0 C-USA) traveled south to Miami and took down Florida International (0-2, 0-1 C-USA) in a 20-14 defensive struggle.

WKU showed a lot of improvement defensively, top options emerged on the offensive side of the football, and with two games in the books, it appears first-year head coach Tyson Helton is in the process of carving out a hard-working identity for his team.

Helton said he was very pleased with the resilience his team showed during its first road test.

“It’s a huge win for our program tonight,” Helton said in a postgame release. “We talked about it all week — responding to adversity. Can’t be more proud of our football team, especially on defense. Drive after drive they responded and came through, so that was great to see.

“The whole team battled, all three phases they battled hard. Obviously, it’s not perfect, there’s a lot we have to clean up, but winning brings motivation and it brings confidence. That was a big win for us tonight. Now, it’s one win, and we have to build on it. But it was a good win for us tonight.”

Offensively, it’s clear who the main contributors for WKU will be going forward.

Redshirt junior Gaej Walker has transitioned seamlessly from defensive back to running back, taking control of the backfield. After a 153-yard, two-touchdown performance, Helton used Walker in a workhorse fashion against FIU. Walker ran for 100 yards on 27 carries and found the endzone once again, while no other running back ran the football once for WKU.

A hierarchy also emerged in the passing game. After not much involvement against Central Arkansas, senior receiver Lucky Jackson made his presence known against FIU — he led the team with six receptions for 93 yards, including a 48-yard catch on a flea-flicker play.

Redshirt junior tight end Kyle Fourtenbary also made a much bigger impact after a quiet first week, snagging five passes for 74 yards against the Panthers. Redshirt junior Jahcour Pearson stayed involved as well, tallying four receptions and a touchdown catch for the Hilltoppers.

Jackson was impressed with the offensive execution through the air.

“We feel good about the offense [Saturday],” Jackson said in a release. “The ball went up in the air and guys made plays, played great for the quarterback. Shout out to the O-line because without them it wouldn’t be possible just because protecting the quarterback, protecting the running back, making this thing run smooth. It was great for the offense in conference.”

Defensively, WKU’s performance against FIU was a night-and-day difference compared to some of the defensive struggles the Hilltoppers faced against UCA.

With redshirt senior kicker Alex Rinella academically ineligible for the first two games of the 2019 WKU football season, another Hilltopper has stepped up in his absence.

Conference USA named freshman kicker Cory Munson Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after he knocked in field goals of 44 and 19 yards in the second half during the team’s 20-14 victory over Florida International.

The eight points Munson scored with his leg ended up being the difference that ultimately separated the Hilltoppers from the Panthers, as WKU escaped Miami with a six-point victory.

Munson went 2 for 2 on field goal attempts, 2 for 2 on extra-point tries and had 3-of-4 kickoffs go into the end zone for touchbacks.

The true freshman also executed a surprise onside kick in the first half to get the ball back for the Hilltoppers.

The Warner Robins, Georgia, native is currently only one of just 11 true freshmen starting kickers on Football Bowl Subdivision teams. 

Munson is the WKU first player to be named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week since returner Kylen Towner, who returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and added a 32-yard punt return later in the Hilltoppers’ 60-6 victory at Marshall on Nov. 26, 2016.

The freshman kicker is also the first Hilltopper to garner C-USA weekly recognition of any kind since quarterback Mike White completed 39-of-54 passes for 485 yards and five touchdowns in the Hilltoppers’ 41-38 triple-overtime win against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 17, 2017.

Rinella is slated to rejoin the team this week after being forced to sit out for the first two games of the season, but head coach Tyson Helton said Monday that he’s content with the kicking situation as it is at the moment.

“I’ll leave it like it is for right now,” Helton said on Monday. “I’m glad Rinella is back. I think he adds just another talent to that group, but it will be John [Haggerty] and it will be Cory [Munson] right now. I want to look at Rinella a little bit with the kickoffs, see maybe there, but Cory is doing a nice job on that too. Rinella is a team player, he can do all three.”

Munson will look to keep his hot streak going against Louisville on Saturday. Kickoff for the neutral-site contest, which will be played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, is slated for 3 p.m.

Reporter Alec Jessie can be reached at 270-745-6291 and alec.jessie226@topper.wku.edu. Follow Alec on Twitter at @Alec_Jessie.