WKU Football improved to 5-0 in Conference USA play with a 41-28 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The win marked the Hilltoppers’ fourth consecutive victory, as they moved to 7-2 overall. WKU is one of two teams still undefeated in CUSA play after Saturday’s games.
The Hilltopper defense forced five turnovers, and the offense posted its third-highest point total of the season in the road win.
Game Recap
WKU wasted no time taking control of the game, scoring on its opening possession with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Caden Veltkamp to Easton Messer. The Hilltoppers extended their lead after forcing a turnover on New Mexico State’s first play of the game. Dallas Walker intercepted a deflected pass, and Veltkamp capped off a six-play, 28-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 just over five minutes into the game.
New Mexico State responded with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 14-7 at the 3:01 mark of the first quarter. WKU used a trick play early in the second quarter as wide receiver Dalvin Smith Jr. threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kisean Johnson, putting the Hilltoppers up 21-7.
With 53 seconds remaining in the first half, a key fumble recovery by Hosea Wheeler at the WKU 17-yard line halted a New Mexico State scoring threat. The Hilltoppers drove 59 yards down the field, and Lucas Carneiro capped the drive with a 42-yard field goal to give WKU a 24-7 lead at halftime.
New Mexico State came out strong in the second half, scoring a 3-yard touchdown to make it 24-14. The Aggies cut the deficit to 24-21 with a 7-yard touchdown run at the 5:28 mark of the third quarter.
Veltkamp answered with a 3-yard touchdown run after a 34-yard pass to K.D. Hutchinson, extending WKU’s lead to 31-21 with 59 seconds left in the third. Hutchinson then caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Veltkamp with 9:58 left in the game to make it 38-21.
Carneiro added a 53-yard field goal with 5:03 to play, giving the Hilltoppers a 41-21 advantage. New Mexico State capped the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining, bringing the final score to 41-28.
Notable Performances
- Caden Veltkamp threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-27 passing. He also added two rushing touchdowns, bringing his season total to seven rushing scores.
- Easton Messer caught five passes for 88 yards and one touchdown. K.D. Hutchinson had 73 yards and a touchdown on four receptions, while Kisean Johnson had 69 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
- Dalvin Smith threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kisean Johnson, his second touchdown pass of the season and the fourth of his career.
- WKU’s defense forced five turnovers, with Dallas Walker recording his first career interception and Anthony Johnson adding his second interception of the season.
- The Hilltoppers gained 413 yards of total offense, with 297 passing and 116 rushing yards.
Additional Notes
- With the victory, WKU improved to 1-0 all-time against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton improved to 16-4 overall and 15-3 in November games as the Hilltoppers’ head coach.
- Lucas Carneiro extended his streak of consecutive made field goals to 11, with two successful attempts in the game, including a 53-yard field goal, his second-longest of his career.
Quotable
- “Good win tonight. You always want to be 1-0 in November when you start the month. We did that. Went on the road today and got a good, hard-fought win, a good team win.” – WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton
- “We were able to shut down New Mexico State’s second-half surge, and that shows a lot about our team and where we’re headed.” – WKU Football wide receiver Easton Messer
- “We came out strong, and even when things got tough in the second half, we made plays and found a way to win.” – WKU Football wide receiver Kisean Johnson
- “It was all about mindset and effort today. We locked in and made sure we played hard from start to finish.” – WKU Football defensive lineman Dallas Walker
Next Up
WKU will return home to face Louisiana Tech for a homecoming game next Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff at Houchens-Smith Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m., with the game televised on CBSSN.
