WKU Football: Gameday Information for Game 1 Against Louisville
After an offseason that left the fans worried there wouldn’t be a season, We’ve finally made it to the season opener for the highly…
After an offseason that left the fans worried there wouldn’t be a season, We’ve finally made it to the season opener for the highly anticipated 2020 Western Kentucky Football team. The Tops travel north to take on in-state rival Louisville looking to make a statement to start their season.
If you need to know any of the game information, look no further — we have you covered.
Location
Cardinal Stadium. Louisville, Kentucky.
Time
7:00 p.m. CT
Weather Forecast
TV
Radio
Gameday Information
Cardinal Stadium Updated Information
Betting Lines from Sportsline.com
Louisville -11.5
Over/ Under: 58
Moneyline: Louisville -430
Current Records
WKU: 0–0
Louisville 0–0
Last Game
Last December WKU traveled to Dallas to face Western Michigan in the First Responder Bowl. In what turned out to be a sloppy performance, WKU overcame multiple mistakes that kept WMU in the game. WKU’s defense came up with several key stops and gave the offense the ball with seconds remaining as the game was deadlocked at 20. WKU would take over at their 30-yard line. They would drive to the WMU 39 yard line and looked to throw a hail mary pass but Western Michigan had 12 players on the field. After the hail mary was deflected, Tyson Helton protested and a long review ensued. It was found that Western Michigan in fact had too many players on the field which resulted in a 5-yard penalty. That penalty put WKU within 52 yards of a field goal and Tyson Helton decided to give Cory Munson a shot at the win. He’d drill the long field goal and give WKU a thrilling 23–20 victory to finish Tyson Helton’s debut season 9–4.
Directly after WKU’s walk-off win, Louisville played in Nashville against Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl. The Cardinals would fall behind 14–0 early in the second quarter before coming alive for five straight scores to take a 31–14 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cardinals would roll up 510 yards of total offense and hang on to win 38–28, finishing Scott Satterfield’s debut season 8–5.
Coaches
Tyson Helton- 2nd Season- 9–4 Overall
Scott Satterfield- 2nd season at Louisville 8–5, 8th Season Overall 59–29 Overall
Series
Last Meeting
Last season WKU traveled down to Nashville to play in-state rival Louisville. After containing the Cardinals for a quarter (only down 7–0). WKU would cut the lead to 14–7 on a 77-yard touchdown pass from Steven Duncan to Josh Simon with 11 minutes left in the second. From there the quarter was a horror show as WKU gave up long pass plays and a fumble recovery touchdown to take a 31–7 deficit to the locker room. WKU would play better in the second half outscoring the Cardinals 14–7, but 17 points was as close as they’d get in a 38–21 loss to move to 1–2 on the season.
Relevant Reading
Injury Report by USA Today
For WKU:
LB- Clay Davis- Out- ACL
For Louisville:
N/A
Excitement Level — 10
WKU has a real opportunity to have a special 2020 season. Getting to start that on the road against an in-state rival that is borderline top 25 makes this matchup even better. The Cardinals are explosive offensively and should be a great test for WKU’s veteran defense. This is a matchup of strength versus strength and would be the Hilltopper's best Power 5 win to date. It will only be going against Clemson and Wake Forest (which starts 30 minutes earlier) so there is a chance to grab the nation’s attention if they are ahead late. With the win, they’ll have bragging rights over both in-state power conference teams with no scheduled games against either for the foreseeable future. Let’s hope Helton, Piggy & the Hilltopper Defense are ready to make a statement tonight.
Go Tops. We’ll be in Louisville for the big in-state matchup providing live coverage and reaction. If you’re making the trip up I-65, please send us your game pictures via Twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page and we’ll share.