2021 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

2021 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
C-USA East Division champion Boca Raton Bowl champion
C-USA Championship Game, L 41–49 vs. UTSA
Boca Raton Bowl, W 59–38 vs. Appalachian State
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East Division
2021 record	9–5 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach	Tyson Helton (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Zach Kittley (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Bryan Ellis (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Air raid
Defensive coordinator	Maurice Crum Jr. (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium (Capacity: 22,113)
Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

2021 Conference USA football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Western Kentucky xy		7	–	1					9	–	5
Marshall		5	–	3					7	–	6
Old Dominion		5	–	3					6	–	7
Middle Tennessee		4	–	4					7	–	6
Florida Atlantic		3	–	5					5	–	7
Charlotte		3	–	5					5	–	7
FIU		0	–	8					1	–	11
West Division
UTSA xy$		7	–	1					12	–	2
UAB		6	–	2					9	–	4
North Texas		5	–	3					6	–	7
UTEP		4	–	4					7	–	6
Rice		3	–	5					4	–	8
Southern Miss		2	–	6					3	–	9
Louisiana Tech		2	–	6					3	–	9
Championship: UTSA 49, Western Kentucky 41
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant As of December 31, 2021; Rankings from CFP Rankings

The 2021 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (CUSA). The team was coached by third-year head coach Tyson Helton.

Previous season[]

The Hilltoppers finished the 2020 regular season 5–7 and 4–3 in C–USA play to finish in third in the East Division. They were invited to play in the LendingTree Bowl, which they lost to Georgia State.^[1]

Schedule[]

Western Kentucky announced its 2021 football schedule on January 27, 2021.^[2][3] The 2021 schedule consists of 6 home and 6 away games in the regular season.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	7:00 p.m.	UT Martin*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	W 59–21	16,236
September 11	11:00 a.m.	at Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	L 35–38	25,989
September 25	7:00 p.m.	Indiana*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	CBSSN	L 31–33	25,171
October 2	6:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Michigan State*	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	FS1	L 31–48	70,075
October 9	6:00 p.m.	UTSA	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	Stadium	L 46–52	15,243
October 16	2:30 p.m.	at Old Dominion	S.B. Ballard Stadium Norfolk, VA	ESPN3	W 43–20	16,418
October 23	6:00 p.m.	at FIU	Riccardo Silva Stadium Miami, FL	ESPN+	W 34–19	0
October 30	3:00 p.m.	Charlotte	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	W 45–13	16,763
November 6	2:30 p.m.	Middle Tennessee	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate)	Stadium	W 48–21	15,022
November 13	1:00 p.m.	at Rice	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 42–21	17,883
November 20	11:00 a.m.	Florida Atlantic	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	Stadium	W 52–17	10,477
November 27	2:30 p.m.	at Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	CBSSN	W 53–21	19,134
December 3	6:00 p.m.	at UTSA	Alamodome San Antonio, TX (C-USA Championship Game)	CBSSN	L 41–49	41,148
December 18	10:00 a.m.	vs. Appalachian State*	FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL (Boca Raton Bowl)	ESPN	W 59–38	15,429
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:^[2][4]

Game summaries[]

UT Martin[]

Tennessee–Martin at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Skyhawks 7 7 0 7 21 • Hilltoppers 7 21 14 14 56 Date: September 2, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 7:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes Game attendance: 16,236 Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Clear Referee: Kevin Randle TV announcers (ESPN+): Graham Doty (play-by-play) and Bob Belvin (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:04 UTM Keon Howard 2-yard rush (Tyler Larco kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:56) UTM 7–0 04:09 WKU Daewood Davis 73-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:41) TIE 7–7 2 14:56 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 10-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 55 yards, 2:36) WKU 14–7 09:31 WKU Jarreth Sterens 22-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 59 yards, 2:40) WKU 21–7 01:43 WKU Malachi Corley 8-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (12 plays, 79 yards, 4:58) WKU 28–7 00:10 UTM Colton Dowell 27-yard pass from Keon Howard (Tyler Larco kick) (6 plays, 85 yards, 1:27) WKU 28–14 3 12:51 WKU Jerreth Sterens 7-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 53 yards, 2:09) WKU 35–14 11:10 WKU Joshua Simon 45-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 47 yards, 0:48) WKU 42–14 03:02 WKU Brayden Narveson 30-yard field goal (12 plays, 68 yards, 5:06) WKU 45–14 4 14:17 WKU Joshua Simon 3-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (4 plays, 57 yards, 2:01) WKU 52–14 07:22 UTM Keon Howard 9-yard rush (Tyler Larco kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 6:54) WKU 52–21 05:36 WKU Craig Burt Jr. 54-yard pass from Carson Baker (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 65 yards, 1:41) WKU 59–21

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –24.0	58.5

Statistics	UT Martin	Western Kentucky
First downs	22	25
Total yards	396	587
Rushing yards	201	109
Passing yards	195	478
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	33:30	26:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UT Martin	Passing	Keon Howard	20/43, 195 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Peyton Logan	7 carries, 75 yards
	Receiving	Colton Dowell	6 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	28/35, 424 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kye Robichaux	9 carries, 44 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	7 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TDs

at Army[]

Western Kentucky at Army

1 2 3 4 Total Hilltoppers 0 14 0 21 35 • Black Knights 0 21 7 10 38 Date: September 11, 2021 Location: Michie Stadium West Point, NY Game start: 10:30 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes Game attendance: 25,989 Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: WSW 6 MPH Referee: Matt Overton TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst), and Tina Cervasio (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 2 14:51 ARMY Tyrell Robinson 24-yard rush (Cole Talley kick) (10 plays, 62 yards, 4:50) ARMY 7–0 11:30 ARMY Braheam Murphy 40-yard pass from Christian Anderson (Cole Talley kick) (4 plays, 53 yards, 1:55) ARMY 14–0 10:40 WKU Jerreth Sterens 72-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Naverson kick) (3 plays, 75 yards, 0:50) ARMY 14–7 02:07 ARMY Jakobi Buchanan 1-yard rush (Cole Talley kick) (16 plays, 75 yards, 8:33) ARMY 21–7 00:30 WKU Bailey Zappe 10-yard rush (Brayden Naverson kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:37) ARMY 21–14 3 08:57 ARMY Anthony Adkins 3-yard rush (Cole Talley kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 6:03) ARMY 28���14 4 10:31 ARMY Jakobi Buchanan 13-yard rush (Cole Talley kick) (14 plays, 71 yards, 9:15) ARMY 35–14 08:05 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 21-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:26) ARMY 35–21 04:58 WKU Jerreth Sterens 14-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 1:23) ARMY 35–28 01:52 ARMY Cole Talley 31-yard field goal (7 plays, 30 yards, 3:05) ARMY 38–28 00:22 WKU Adam Cofield 2-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 1:30) ARMY 38–35

Pregame line	Over/under
ARMY –6.0	51.5

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Army
First downs	22	23
Total yards	477	416
Rushing yards	42	339
Passing yards	435	77
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	20:22	39:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	28/40, 435 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	8 carries, 33 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	9 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TDs
Army	Passing	Christian Anderson	5/6, 77 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Christian Anderson	22 carries, 119 yards
	Receiving	Braheam Murphy	1 reception, 40 yards, 1 TD

Indiana[]

Indiana at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total • Hoosiers 14 9 3 7 33 Hilltoppers 0 14 10 7 31 Date: September 25, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 7:02 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 42 minutes Game attendance: 25,171 Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: NNW 3 MPH Referee: Kevin Randall TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 10:15 IU Stephen Carr 1-yard rush (Charles Campbell kick) (11 plays, 79 yards, 4:45) IU 7–0 05:02 IU Michael Penix Jr. 1-yard rush (Charles Campbell kick) (11 plays, 81 yards, 4:50) IU 14–0 2 14:27 WKU Adam Cofield 1-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (15 plays, 77 yards, 5:29) IU 14–7 09:49 IU Charles Campbell 46-yard field goal (13 plays, 46 yards, 4:34) IU 17–7 02:42 IU Charles Campbell 37-yard field goal (13 plays, 56 yards, 4:55) IU 20–7 00:55 WKU Daewood Davis 25-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 72 yards, 1:42) IU 20–14 00:00 IU Charles Campbell 25-yard field goal (8 plays, 68 yards, 0:55) IU 23–14 3 13:13 WKU Dalvin Smith 13-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 76 yards, 1:40) IU 23–21 09:10 IU Charles Campbell 48-yard field goal (9 plays, 44 yards, 4:03) IU 26–21 05:53 WKU Brayden Narveson 34-yard field goal (11 plays, 59 yards, 3:17) IU 26–24 4 04:27 IU Stephen Carr 1-yard rush (Charles Campbell kick) (14 plays, 86 yards, 6:19) IU 33–24 02:43 WKU Malachi Corley 19-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 1:44) IU 33–31

Pregame line	Over/under
IU –9.5	63

Statistics	Indiana	Western Kentucky
First downs	35	24
Total yards	507	458
Rushing yards	134	93
Passing yards	373	365
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	38:34	21:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Indiana	Passing	Michael Penix Jr.	35/53, 373 yards
	Rushing	Stephen Carr	25 carries, 109 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Peyton Hendershot	7 receptions, 100 yards
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	31/44, 365 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	6 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	7 receptions, 82 yards

at Michigan State[]

Western Kentucky at Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total Hilltoppers 10 6 0 15 31 • No. 17 Spartans 21 21 3 3 48 Date: October 2, 2021 Location: Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI Game start: 6:40 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 59 minutes Game attendance: 70,075 Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 6 MPH Referee: Mark Kluczynski TV announcers (Big Ten Network): Joe Beninati (play-by-play), Jeremy Leman (analyst), and Michelle McMahon (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 13:32 MSU Jayden Reed 88-yard punt returned (Matt Coghlin kick) (3 plays, 2 yards, 1:28) MSU 7–0 08:26 MSU Kenneth Walker III 5-yard rush (Matt Coghlin kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 3:59) MSU 14–0 05:04 WKU Brayden Narveson 37-yard field goal (11 plays, 56 yards, 3:22) MSU 14–3 03:54 MSU Jayden Reed 46-yard pass from Payton Thorne (Matt Coghlin kick) (4 plays, 75 yards, 1:10) MSU 21–3 02:57 WKU Joey Beljan 4-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 65 yards, 0:57) MSU 21–10 2 11:42 WKU Brayden Narveson 29-yard field goal (13 plays, 61 yards, 4:53) MSU 21–13 09:10 MSU Kenneth Walker III 5-yard rush (Matt Coghlin kick) (6 plays, 68 yards, 2:27) MSU 28–13 06:51 WKU Brayden Narveson 35-yard field goal (8 plays, 58 yards, 2:19) MSU 28–16 02:39 MSU Kenneth Walker III 3-yard rush (Matt Coghlin kick) (9 plays, 66 yards, 4:06) MSU 35–16 00:41 MSU Payton Thorne 12-yard rush (Matt Coghlin kick) (6 plays, 31 yards, 0:53) MSU 42–16 3 00:43 MSU Matt Coghlin 21-yard field goal (14 plays, 96 yards, 5:49) MSU 45–16 4 13:13 WKU Jerreth Sterens 28-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Bailey Zappe two-point conversion pass to Mitchell Tinsley) (9 plays, 75 yards, 2:30) MSU 45–24 08:24 WKU Joey Beljan 1-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 55 yards, 2:28) MSU 45–31 04:46 MSU Matt Coghlin 20-yard field goal (12 plays, 72 yards, 3:38) MSU 48–31

Pregame line	Over/under
MSU –10.5	66.5

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Michigan State
First downs	31	26
Total yards	560	519
Rushing yards	72	192
Passing yards	488	327
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	29:35	30:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	46/64, 488 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	7 carries, 37 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	17 receptions, 186 yards, 1 TD
Michigan State	Passing	Payton Thorne	20/30, 327 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Kenneth Walker III	24 carries, 126 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Jalen Nailor	8 receptions, 128 yards

UTSA[]

Texas–San Antonio at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total • Roadrunners 14 14 14 10 52 Hilltoppers 10 14 13 9 46 Date: October 9, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 39 minutes Game attendance: 15,243 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Sunny and Clear • Wind: 5-10 MPH Referee: Kevin Randall TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Sherdrick Bonner (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 14:13 UTSA De'Corian Clark 30-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (3 plays, 75 yards, 0:47) UTSA 7–0 10:11 WKU Brayden Narveson 34-yard field goal (8 plays, 54 yards, 3:56) UTSA 7–3 05:03 UTSA Tykee Ogle-Kellogg 15-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 5:08) UTSA 14–3 00:49 WKU Jerreth Sterens 3-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (12 plays, 58 yards, 4:04) UTSA 14–10 2 11:22 WKU Adam Cofield 10-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 74 yards, 3:26) WKU 17–14 08:25 UTSA Frank Harris 23-yard pass from Joshua Cephus (Hunter Duplessis kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:57) UTSA 21–17 04:47 WKU Dalvin Smith 33-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 82 yards, 3:32) WKU 24–21 00:40 UTSA Oscar Cardenas 11-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (3 plays, 32 yards, 0:32) UTSA 28–24 3 12:46 WKU Malachi Corley 24-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 24 yards, 0:52) WKU 31���28 10:38 UTSA De'Corian Clark 18-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:08) UTSA 35–31 06:06 UTSA Joshua Cephus 3-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (7 plays, 57 yards, 3:55) UTSA 42–31 00:50 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 40-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (two-point rush conversion attempt failed) (3 plays, 95 yards, 0:33) UTSA 42–37 4 10:01 UTSA Hunter Duplessis 35-yard field goal (10 plays, 57 yards, 5:49) UTSA 45–37 08:04 WKU Jerreth Sterens 20-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (7 plays, 75 yards, 1:57) UTSA 45–43 06:39 UTSA De'Corian Clark 43-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (4 plays, 75 yards, 1:25) UTSA 52–43 04:22 WKU Brayden Narveson 27-yard field goal (10 plays, 66 yards, 2:17) UTSA 52–46

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –3.5	71

Statistics	UTSA	Western Kentucky
First downs	32	35
Total yards	564	670
Rushing yards	192	147
Passing yards	372	523
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	29:56	30:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UTSA	Passing	Frank Harris	28/38, 349 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Sincere McCormick	23 carries, 120 yards
	Receiving	De'Corian Clark	7 receptions, 160 yards, 3 TDs
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	38/60, 523 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	9 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	16 receptions, 195 yards, 2 TDs

at Old Dominion[]

Western Kentucky at Old Dominion

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 14 16 3 10 43 Monarchs 0 3 3 14 20 Date: October 16, 2021 Location: S.B. Ballard Stadium Norfolk, VA Game start: 2:35 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes Game attendance: 16,418 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Sunny Referee: Kevin Vicknair Television network: ESPN3

Scoring summary 1 09:16 WKU Malachi Corley 26-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 68 yards, 3:42) WKU 7–0 04:24 WKU Dakota Thomas 9-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (12 plays, 81 yards, 3:30) WKU 14–0 2 05:23 WKU Daewood Davis 15-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 41 yards, 1:02) WKU 21–0 02:23 ODU Nick Rice 44-yard field goal (10 plays, 48 yards, 3:00) WKU 21–3 01:48 WKU Jerreth Sterens 74-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 75 yards, 0:35) WKU 27–3 00:00 WKU Brayden Narveson 20-yard field goal (8 plays, 45 yards, 1:16) WKU 30–3 3 10:37 ODU Nick Rice 38-yard field goal (11 plays, 54 yards, 4:23) WKU 30–6 03:43 WKU Brayden Narveson 31-yard field goal (4 plays, -9 yards, 1:30) WKU 33–6 4 14:55 ODU Elijah Davis 24-yard rush (Nick Rice kick) (8 plays, 79 yards, 3:45) WKU 33–13 10:17 ODU Blake Watson 7-yard rush (Nick Rice kick) (8 plays, 78 yards, 3:02) WKU 33–20 05:41 WKU Brayden Narveson 41-yard field goal (13 plays, 42 yards, 4:31) WKU 36–20 03:51 WKU Dakota Thomas 17-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 23 yards, 0:38) WKU 43–20

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –13.5	67

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Old Dominion
First downs	29	23
Total yards	518	446
Rushing yards	121	119
Passing yards	397	327
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	30:39	29:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	36/54, 397 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	10 carries, 67 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	13 receptions, 221 yards, 1 TD
Old Dominion	Passing	Hayden Wolff	26/41, 327 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Blake Watson	22 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Ali Jennings III	13 receptions, 172 yards

at FIU[]

Western Kentucky at Florida International

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 0 17 7 10 34 Panthers 6 6 0 7 19 Date: October 23, 2021 Location: Riccardo Silva Stadium University Park, FL Game start: 7:28 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 2 hours and 24 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Sunny Referee: Patrick Foy TV announcers (ESPN+): A. J. Ricketts (play–by–play) and Cam Lynch (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 10:22 FIU Max Bortenschlager 1-yard rush (Chase Gabriel PAT blocked) (12 plays, 75 yards, 4:38) FIU 6–0 2 07:13 WKU Adam Cofield 8-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 2:52) WKU 7–6 07:04 FIU Randall St. Felix 75-yard pass from Max Bortenschlager (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (1 play, 75 yards, 0:09) FIU 12–7 01:22 WKU Brayden Narveson 23-yard field goal (13 plays, 70 yards, 5:42) FIU 12–10 00:15 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 32-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 80 yards, 0:34) WKU 17–12 3 11:35 WKU Jerreth Sterens 20-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:25) WKU 24–12 4 11:08 WKU Jerreth Sterens 1-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 63 yards, 3:52) WKU 31–12 04:08 WKU Brayden Narveson 26-yard field goal (13 plays, 82 yards, 5:20) WKU 34–12 01:39 FIU Shaun Peterson Jr. 3-yard rush (Chase Gabriel kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 2:29) WKU 34–19

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –16.5	78

Statistics	Western Kentucky	FIU
First downs	31	18
Total yards	530	290
Rushing yards	148	28
Passing yards	382	262
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	33:15	26:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	39/49, 382 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	15 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	14 receptions, 115 yards, 2 TDs
FIU	Passing	Max Bortenschlager	15/32, 192 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	D'vonte Price	15 carries, 86 yards
	Receiving	Randall St. Felix	5 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD

Charlotte[]

Charlotte at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 3 10 0 0 13 • Hilltoppers 14 14 7 10 45 Date: October 30, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 3:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 11 minutes Game attendance: 16,763 Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Wet and Cloudy Referee: Scott Hardin TV announcers (ESPN+): Nate Gatter (play–by–play) and Bob Belvin (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:44 WKU Daewood Davis 11-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 47 yards, 2:19) WKU 7–0 06:39 CLT Jonathan Cruz 37-yard field goal (11 plays, 55 yards, 5:05) WKU 7–3 01:21 WKU Bailey Zappe 2-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (4 plays, 73 yards, 1:29) WKU 14–3 2 13:09 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 13-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 50 yards, 2:20) WKU 21–3 09:40 CLT James Foster 1-yard rush (Jonathan Cruz kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:29) WKU 21–10 03:06 CLT Jonathan Cruz 56-yard field goal (5 plays, 37 yards, 2:10) WKU 21–13 01:27 WKU Jerreth Sterens 21-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 1:39) WKU 28–13 3 02:04 WKU Dalvin Smith 9-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 69 yards, 2:46) WKU 35–13 4 12:28 WKU Brayden Narveson 35-yard field goal (8 plays, 17 yards, 2:52) WKU 38–13 05:09 WKU Noah Whittington 1-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 60 yards, 3:09) WKU 45–13

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –19.5	71.5

Statistics	Charlotte	Western Kentucky
First downs	17	29
Total yards	319	469
Rushing yards	190	76
Passing yards	129	393
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	33:44	26:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Charlotte	Passing	James Foster	12/24, 129 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Calvin Camp	7 carries, 60 yards
	Receiving	Shadrick Byrd	1 reception, 53 yards
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	33/45, 393 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	10 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	10 receptions, 89 yards, 1 TD

Middle Tennessee[]

Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Blue Raiders 7 7 0 7 21 • Hilltoppers 21 10 17 0 48 Date: November 6, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 2:36 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes Game attendance: 15,022 Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) • Weather: Sunny and Clear Referee: Joe Lehring TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play–by–play) and Max Starks (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:49 MTSU DJ England-Chisolm 45-yard pass from Nick Vattiato (Zeke Rankin kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:11) MTSU 7–0 10:21 WKU Daewood Davis 17-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 68 yards, 1:22) TIE 7–7 06:09 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 5-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 19 yards, 0:36) WKU 14–7 02:07 WKU Beanie Bishop 43-yard interception returned (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, -1 yards, 1:34) WKU 21–7 2 09:08 MTSU Yusuf Ali 36-yard pass from Nick Vattiato (Zeke Rankin kick) (5 plays, 52 yards, 1:38) WKU 21–14 05:24 WKU Brayden Narveson 35-yard field goal (9 plays, 54 yards, 3:38) WKU 24–14 03:35 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 10-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 10 yards, 0:09) WKU 31–14 3 11:21 WKU Daewood Davis 28-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 74 yards, 3:39) WKU 38–14 09:18 WKU Bailey Zappe 8-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (4 plays, 33 yards, 1:16) WKU 45–14 07:38 WKU Brayden Narveson 43-yard field goal (4 plays, 4 yards, 0:57) WKU 48–14 4 13:35 MTSU Frank Peasant 5-yard rush (Zeke Rankin kick) (3 plays, 16 yards, 1:04) WKU 48–21

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –17.5	66.5

Statistics	Middle Tennessee	Western Kentucky
First downs	19	19
Total yards	349	352
Rushing yards	123	71
Passing yards	226	281
Turnovers	7	0
Time of possession	33:02	26:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Middle Tennessee	Passing	Nick Vattiato	24/41, 205 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs
	Rushing	Frank Peasant	18 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	DJ England-Chisolm	3 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	29/50, 281 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	17 carries, 67 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	11 receptions, 110 yards

at Rice[]

Western Kentucky at Rice

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 7 21 0 14 42 Owls 0 0 7 14 21 Date: November 13, 2021 Location: Rice Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes Game attendance: 17,883 Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 7 MPH Referee: Scott Hardin TV announcers (ESPN+): David Saltzman (play–by–play) and Taylor McHargue (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 02:56 WKU Kye Robichaux 2-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 97 yards, 3:00) WKU 7–0 2 10:12 WKU Kye Robichaux 13-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 39 yards, 2:18) WKU 14–0 07:36 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 65-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 70 yards, 0:34) WKU 21–0 06:19 WKU Dalvin Smith 7-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 34 yards, 0:32) WKU 28–0 3 03:16 RICE Cedric Patterson III 23-yard pass from Jake Constantine (Christian VanSickle kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:44) WKU 28–7 4 14:56 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 9-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (10 plays, 77 yards, 3:15) WKU 35–7 11:44 RICE Khalan Griffin 7-yard rush (Christian VanSickle kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:12) WKU 35–14 08:18 WKU Joey Beljan 5-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 23 yards, 0:35) WKU 42–14 00:55 RICE Juma Otoviano 2-yard rush (Christian VanSickle kick) (6 plays, 37 yards, 1:13) WKU 42–21

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –19.0	61.5

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Rice
First downs	27	25
Total yards	587	504
Rushing yards	92	124
Passing yards	495	380
Turnovers	4	5
Time of possession	24:20	35:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	34/42, 482 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kye Robichaux	12 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Mitchell Tinsley	10 receptions, 198 yards, 2 TDs
Rice	Passing	Jake Constantine	28/50, 380 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs
	Rushing	Ari Broussard	15 carries, 60 yards
	Receiving	August Pitre III	9 receptions, 113 yards

Florida Atlantic[]

Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Owls 3 7 7 0 17 • Hilltoppers 14 17 7 14 52 Date: November 20, 2021 Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Game start: 11:06 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes Game attendance: 10,477 Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy Referee: Rodney Burnette TV announcers (Stadium): Noah Coslov (play–by–play) and Sherdrick Bonner (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 10:52 WKU Jerreth Sterens 1-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 87 yards, 2:16) WKU 7–0 05:41 FAU Morgan Suarez 35-yard field goal (11 plays, 33 yards, 5:11) WKU 7–3 04:13 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 8-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (3 plays, 50 yards, 1:20) WKU 14–3 2 13:34 WKU Joey Beljan 3-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 79 yards, 3:52) WKU 21–3 07:58 FAU Teja Young 62-yard interception returned (Morgan Suarez kick) (6 plays, 43 yards, 2:50) WKU 21–10 03:15 WKU Malachi Corley 3-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36) WKU 28–10 01:35 WKU Brayden Narveson 26-yard field goal (6 plays, 28 yards, 1:38) WKU 31–10 3 05:34 FAU Joey Mitchell 9-yard pass from N'Kosi Perry (Morgan Suarez kick) (9 plays, 62 yards, 3:36) WKU 31–17 01:59 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 27-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 61 yards, 1:57) WKU 38–17 4 12:15 WKU Joey Beljan 7-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 56 yards, 2:40) WKU 45–17 04:16 WKU Jakairi Moses 7-yard rush (Brayden Narveson kick) (10 plays, 83 yards, 5:32) WKU 52–17

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –11.5	64

Statistics	Florida Atlantic	Western Kentucky
First downs	18	35
Total yards	301	608
Rushing yards	25	100
Passing yards	276	508
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	24:39	35:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Florida Atlantic	Passing	N'Kosi Perry	19/28, 213 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Johnny Ford	13 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	Je'Quan Burton	7 receptions, 80 yards
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	39/49, 470 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	9 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	Mitchell Tinsley	9 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TDs

at Marshall[]

Western Kentucky at Marshall

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 0 6 23 24 53 Thundering Herd 7 7 0 7 21 Date: November 27, 2021 Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV Game start: 2:37 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutes Game attendance: 19,134 Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Sunny Referee: Jonathan Noli TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Alex Del Barrio (play–by–play) and Sherdrick Bonner (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 07:01 MRSH Grant Wells 1-yard rush (Shane Ciucci kick) (15 plays, 79 yards, 6:58) MRSH 7–0 2 14:22 MRSH Devin Miller 3-yard pass from Grant Wells (Shane Ciucci kick) (9 plays, 57 yards, 3:57) MRSH 14–0 08:05 WKU Brayden Narveson 41-yard field goal (6 plays, 25 yards, 1:56) MRSH 14–3 02:48 WKU Brayden Narveson 46-yard field goal (10 plays, 27 yards, 3:12) MRSH 14–6 3 13:41 WKU Daewood Davis 47-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 58 yards, 0:23) MRSH 14–13 09:10 WKU Malachi Corley 14-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 2:21) WKU 20–14 07:28 WKU Daewood Davis 50-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (1 play, 50 yards, 0:09) WKU 26–14 03:25 WKU Brayden Narveson 53-yard field goal (10 plays, 37 yards, 3:30) WKU 29–14 4 14:18 WKU Dalvin Smith 8-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 3:30) WKU 36–14 12:23 MRSH Shadeed Ahmed 41-yard pass from Luke Zban (Shane Ciucci kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:55) WKU 36–21 12:16 WKU A. J. Brathwaite 43-yard kickoff returned (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 31 yards, 3:46) WKU 43–21 01:12 WKU Brayden Narveson 39-yard field goal (11 plays, 21 yards, 7:18) WKU 46–21 00:53 WKU Davion Williams 45-yard interception returned (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 0 yards, 0:19) WKU 53–21

Pregame line	Over/under
EVEN	75

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Marshall
First downs	25	20
Total yards	485	325
Rushing yards	157	126
Passing yards	328	199
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	30:34	29:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	24/48, 328 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	14 carries, 69 yards
	Receiving	Daewood Davis	3 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TDs
Marshall	Passing	Luke Zban	16/25, 123 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Rasheen Ali	24 carries, 99 yards
	Receiving	Corey Gammage	7 receptions, 44 yards

at UTSA (C-USA Championship)[]

Western Kentucky at Texas–San Antonio

1 2 3 4 Total Hilltoppers 10 3 13 15 41 • Roadrunners 14 14 14 7 49 Date: December 3, 2021 Location: Alamodome San Antonio, TX Game start: 6:06 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 49 minutes Game attendance: 41,148 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: N/A (Indoors) Referee: Kevin Randall TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Rich Waltz (play–by–play), Aaron Taylor (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 14:04 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 60-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (5 plays, 78 yards, 0:56) WKU 7–0 11:49 UTSA Frank Harris 24-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:15) TIE 7–7 10:07 WKU Brayden Narveson 33-yard field goal (6 plays, 51 yards, 1:42) WKU 10–7 04:59 UTSA Sincere McCormick 2-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 5:08) UTSA 14–10 2 14:57 WKU Brayden Narveson 34-yard field goal (15 plays, 59 yards, 5:02) UTSA 14–13 11:50 UTSA Brenden Brady 6-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:07) UTSA 21–13 09:10 UTSA Sincere McCormick 65-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (1 play, 65 yards, 0:11) UTSA 28–13 3 11:13 UTSA Zakhari Franklin 14-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (2 plays, 14 yards, 0:45) UTSA 35–13 10:16 UTSA Sincere McCormick 17-yard rush (Hunter Duplessis kick) (1 play, 17 yards, 0:08) UTSA 42–13 08:17 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 12-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 66 yards, 1:59) UTSA 42–20 03:01 WKU Jerreth Sterens 13-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (7 plays, 53 yards, 2:17) UTSA 42–26 4 11:01 WKU Kye Robichaux 1-yard rush (Bailey Zappe two-point pass conversion to Jerreth Sterens) (5 plays, 71 yards, 1:10) UTSA 42–34 06:18 UTSA De'Corian Clark 28-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:43) UTSA 49–34 03:58 WKU Jerreth Sterens 34-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 72 yards, 2:20) UTSA 49–41

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –3.0	74.5

Statistics	Western Kentucky	UTSA
First downs	26	28
Total yards	568	556
Rushing yards	-9	304
Passing yards	577	252
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	23:16	36:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	36/59, 577 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Noah Whittington	4 carries, 15 yards
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterens	10 receptions, 179 yards, 2 TDs
UTSA	Passing	Frank Harris	19/28, 218 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Sincere McCormick	36 carries, 204 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Zakhari Franklin	6 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

vs. Appalachian State (Boca Raton Bowl)[]

Western Kentucky vs. Appalachian State

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 14 17 21 7 59 Mountaineers 14 10 7 7 38 Date: December 18, 2021 Location: FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL Game start: 10:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 42 minutes Game attendance: 15,429 Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 17 MPH Referee: Steve Baron TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick (play–by–play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), and Tiffany Blackmon (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 13:14 WKU Jerreth Sterns 1-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 74 yards, 1:46) WKU 7–0 3:25 ASU Malik Williams 36-yard pass from Chase Brice (Chandler Staton kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 2:58) Tie 7–7 3:11 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 75-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (1 play, 75 yards, 00:14) WKU 14–7 1:11 ASU Jalen Virgil 60-yard pass from Chase Brice (Chandler Staton kick) (5 plays, 76 yards, 2:00) Tie 14–14 2 11:48 WKU Brayden Narveson 24-yard field goal (7 plays, 64 yards, 1:21) WKU 17–14 8:57 ASU Dashaun Davis 33-yard pass from Chase Brice (Chandler Staton kick) (5 plays, 61 yards, 2:51) ASU 21–17 6:54 WKU Joey Beljan 5-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:03) WKU 24–21 2:55 ASU Chandler Staton 28-yard field goal (8 plays, 64 yards, 3:59) Tie 24–24 00:29 WKU Jerreth Sterns 10-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 78 yards, 2:26) WKU 31–24 3 12:49 WKU Noah Wittington 86-yard run (Brayden Narveson kick) (1 play, 86 yards, 00:12) WKU 38–24 5:56 WKU Mitchell Tinsley 2-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (11 plays, 73 yards, 4:38) WKU 45–24 5:38 ASU Christian Wells 62-yard pass from Chase Brice (Chandler Staton kick) (1 play, 62 yards, 00:18) WKU 45–31 2:42 WKU Jerreth Sterns 37-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Brayden Narveson kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:56) WKU 52–31 4 9:40 WKU Kye Robichaux 2-yard run (Brayden Narveson kick) (2 plays, 2 yards, 00:09) WKU 59–31 1:55 ASU Anderson Castle 9-yard run (Chandler Staton kick) (7 plays, 69 yards, 2:17) WKU 59–38

Pregame line	Over/under
WKU –1.0	68

Statistics	Western Kentucky	Appalachian State
First downs	24	27
Total yards	609	637
Rushing yards	251	215
Passing yards	358	422
Turnovers	4	1
Time of possession	31:12	28:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	Bailey Zappe	33/47, 422 yards, 6 TD
	Rushing	Noah Wittington	7 carries, 150 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jerreth Sterns	13 receptions, 184 yards, 3 TD
Appalachian State	Passing	Chase Brice	15/23, 317 yards, 4 TD, INT
	Rushing	Camerun Peoples	13 carries, 101 yards
	Receiving	Christian Wells	4 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD

References[]