WKU Football will face off against Eastern Kentucky in their 2024 home opener at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Game Information:
- Matchup: EKU (0-1) at WKU (0-1)
- Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 7 | 6 p.m. CT
- Location: Houchens-Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch: ESPN+ (Steve Schlanger, PxP | Terry Obee, Analyst)
- Listen: SAM 100.7 FM/Varsity Network (Randy Lee, PxP | Jared Holland, Analyst | Mike Cleff, Reporter)/SiriusXM App
- Social Media: @WKUFootball | @WKUSports
At the Game:
- Ticket Booths: Open at 3 p.m. CT, with gates opening 90 minutes before kickoff.
- Topper Walk: Begins at 3:40 p.m. CT, with the football team walking down Avenue of Champions to Feix Field, led by the band and spirit groups.
- Topper Tailgate Show: Starts at 4 p.m. CT on South Lawn, two hours before kickoff.
- Theme: Saturday’s game is a “white out.” The Hilltoppers will wear all-white uniforms, and fans are encouraged to wear white to support the team.
- Student Perks: The first 1,000 students will receive WKU construction hard hats.
- Big Red Rush: The Class of 2028 will have the chance to rush the field before the Hilltoppers take the field, with Big Red Rush shirts available for the first 500 freshmen.
About the Hilltoppers:
- Season Opener Recap: WKU opened the 2024 season against No. 5 Alabama, suffering a 63-0 defeat at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Early turnovers and quick strikes from the Crimson Tide set the tone, and despite a resilient effort, the Hilltoppers couldn’t recover.
- Home Game History: WKU will play its first home game of the season on Saturday. The Hilltoppers hold a 200-100-4 record at Houchens-Smith Stadium and have won three straight home openers. They are 19-10 at home under Head Coach Tyson Helton.
- New Turf: Saturday’s game will mark the debut of the brand new FieldTurf Vertex CORE surface on Feix Field. The updated design includes Big Red, WKU’s mascot, on each 25-yard line, with black end zones featuring white “Hilltoppers” text outlined in red.
- Roster Changes: WKU has added 53 new players this season, including 33 via the transfer portal and 20 true freshmen. The new arrivals include 24 offensive and 23 defensive players, with 23 transfers having FBS experience.
Quotable:
- Head Coach Tyson Helton: “Very excited to get back home and have our first home game. It should be a great atmosphere. Looking forward to a big white out game. Got a really good opponent in EKU… It should be a really, really good game. It’s just great to get back home and get an opportunity to play this first home game.”
- Offensive Coordinator Will Friend: “We are nowhere near where we want to be yet. I think we have the ability to have a good football team. We just have to improve… We have to be able to do both [rushing and throwing the football].”
- Defensive Coordinator Tyson Summers: “In games like that [against Alabama], you’ve got to be able to have some momentum and we weren’t ever able to really gain that.”
Series Information:
- All-Time Series: WKU leads 48-35-3.
- Recent History: WKU has won three straight meetings with EKU, with the last encounter being a 31-17 victory in 2017.
- Bowling Green Record: WKU holds a 33-13-1 record when playing EKU at home.
Scouting the Colonels:
- Season Opener Recap: EKU started the season with a 56-7 loss to Mississippi State. Quarterback Matt Morrissey threw for 169 yards and one touchdown, while Joshua Carter led the ground game with 75 yards on 19 carries.
- Head Coach: Walt Wells, in his fifth season, has led EKU to a 22-22 record.
