Down and Distance: This is Caden Veltkamp's team after Hilltoppers demolish MTSU, 49-21

FB: Caden Veltkamp took full advantage of his playing time after TJ Finley's exit due to injury. Even if Finley is able to take the field, Veltkamp should remain WKU's starter.

Sep 16, 2024

Saturday night, Western Kentucky cemented their sixth-straight win over Middle Tennessee, dominating them to the tune of a 49-21 win (with a late touchdown being taken off the board, keeping the Hilltoppers under 50 points).

It was, in many ways, an old school night offensively for the Hilltoppers, who totaled 631 yards of total offense, 481 of which came through the air.

The story of the night came on the opening drive for the Hilltoppers, when TJ Finley was helped off the field after sustaining an injury to his right leg. Enter: Caden Veltkamp, who vindicated a segment of the fan base that had been overly vocal in the first two weeks who had been wanting him to open the season as the starter after his performance in last year’s bowl game.

Veltkamp performed about as well as you could have asked, throwing for 398 yards on 27/30 passing and logging six total touchdowns.

It was a performance that should be definitive and I’m ready to officially declare: The South Warren product should remain the starter for the rest of the season.

Ready When Called Upon
Not Just Numbers
Bend, Don’t Break
Finley Files: What we know on Finley’s injury

Ready When Called Upon

For the second time in three games, Vekltamp has entered the game in relief of a WKU starting quarterback and completely balled out.

Yes, that is the technical term.

That third game is the Alabama game. Let’s not count that one.

So, between Saturday in Murfreesboro and the Famous Toastery Bowl last year against Old Dominion, here’s what Veltkamp has done in meaningful action. Again, as the backup:

Completed 67 of 82 pass attempts (81%)
Thrown for 781 yards
Accounted for 11 total touchdowns: 10 through the air, one on the ground

Doing it once is a great story. Doing it twice is a trend.

Not Just Numbers

The numbers are impressive, without a doubt. But it’s not just the box score that leads me to believe WKU is a better team with Veltkamp under center.

Even though Finley only saw nine plays on offense, he didn’t look very certain of what he wanted to do with the ball a couple of times, including on a 10-yard sack in which he couldn’t decide if he was going to tuck and try to run or roll out and let a receiver get open.

Upon Veltkamp’s entry into the game, that indecisiveness was only seen a couple of times by the WKU offense.

The Tops’ playbook opened up with Veltkamp in the game, too. The Hilltoppers ran this play not once, but twice, and took me back to the days of the Brohm Squad offense with Brandon Doughty.

If you’re looking for one play to sum up the difference between the two QBs, I think this one does it justice. Finley would have accepted his fate and taken the 10-yard loss. Veltkamp made a risky, but smart, play and it went for a 23-yard gain.

More receivers also got involved on Saturday than they did last week against EKU, with 12 catching at least one pass compared to nine against the Colonels (though, at least one of those receptions was in garbage time: The touchdown to backup tight end Trevor Borland that made it 49-14).

It’s these intangibles - how “fun” Hilltopper football feels with Veltkamp in rather than Finley - that leads me to thinking Veltkamp is the way moving forward, at least for now. He takes deep shots, he finds open guys and finds ways to keep plays alive.

With Toledo coming off their mollywhopping of Mississippi State, the Hilltoppers will need that swagger under center this week.

Bend, Don’t Break

While Caden Veltkamp was the story coming out of Saturday night, don’t let the defense go unnoticed.

Twice on Saturday, WKU’s defensive unit allowed MTSU to move down the field, only to stuff them at the goal line and deny them points.

The first opportunity came as the first quarter bled into the second. Starting at their own 25, the Blue Raiders were able to march down to the Hilltopper’s 1-yard line, thanks in large part to a pair of pitch and catches from Nicholas Vattiato to Omari Kelly that totaled 71 yards.

Once at the doorstep, however, the Topper D stood tall, denying Jaiden Credle twice and Vattiato once before a final Credle carry on fourth down that went nowhere.

On MT’s very next possession it happened again. A WKU turnover on downs handed MT slightly better field position, their own 37, but Vattiato was able to lead the Raiders into WKU territory in just four plays, down to the Tops’ 24.

Once inside the 20, MT ran two plays before Anthony Johnson picked Vattiato off, once again turning the Blue Raiders away in the red zone without points.

WKU’s defense seems to strengthen as the field shortens, a trend that dates back to last week against EKU and their 17-play, 89 yard drive that led to a missed field goal.

However, a troubling trend through two games against FBS-level competition: WKU’s secondary is allowing way too many big plays. Doing it against Alabama and a generational-talent as a freshman is one thing. Doing it against a receiver who had never caught for more than 47 yards before is another.

Finley Files: What we know on Finley’s injury

After exiting on the Tops’ first drive, Finley wasn’t seen again until shortly after halftime, when he returned to the sideline in street clothes with a boot on his right leg.

The ESPN+ broadcast, as homer of an MTSU broadcast as it was, did not show a shot of Finley back on the WKU sideline.

WKU head coach Tyson Helton didn’t seem to know anything at the half, and was only a little more forthcoming in his post-game availability.

“We’ll have to see when we cant get him back and how everything looks,” Helton said.

That’s all the updates we have Finley, as of this story’s publication. If any news breaks throughout the week, we’ll have you covered over on social media.

As good as it feels to run Middle out of their own building, there’s little time to linger as Toledo comes to town for what could be one of the best G5 vs. G5 non-conference games of the season.

The Rockets do not come to the Houch ranked, but did receive nine votes in this week’s AP poll, ostensibly making them the No. 37 team in the nation.
Kisean Johnson has been a revelation. Through three games this year, he leads the WKU receiving corps with 263 yards on 16 catches and two touchdowns.
I’d love for Dalvin Smith to get more involved in the passing game, and I suspect if Veltkamp remains playing, that’ll be the case.
Elijah Young is the Tops’ best weapon, but his rushing stats would not necessarily indicate that. Only 27 yards on 10 touches this week, but he felt much more important in the run game. In the passing game, he was Veltkamp’s security blanket, being his dump-off option to the tune of five catches for 64 yards.
At the very lest, Young is being used as the workhorse, as Helton said he would during CUSA media days. There was a bit more of a noticeable rotation this week, but no where near the head-scratching rotation we saw last year. This pleases me.
The Rockets were able to do what they did against Mississippi State - a 41-17 win - even while allowing the Bulldogs to pass for 319 yards.
Tucker Gleason is a threat to run, totaling 40 yards on 10 carries last week. The Hilltoppers haven’t been completely killed by a rushing QB so far this year, but they’ve been far from shut down.
Future outlook: Here’s what WKU’s next three opponents, excluding Toledo, did this past week:
- Boston College: L, 27-21, at No. 6 Mizzou
- UTEP: L, 28-10 at Liberty
- Sam Houston State: W, 31-13 vs. Hawaii