WKU Football: Hilltoppers’ Comeback Bid Falls Short, Drops C-USA Title Game, 49-41
WKU spotted UTSA a 22-point lead before turning it on in the second half, but it proved too little too late as the Tops fell short of a third CUSA football title.
For the first time in their FBS history, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers fell in a conference championship game as they couldn’t completely overcome a slow start against the UTSA Roadrunners, falling 49-41 in the Ryan Conference USA Championship Game Friday night.
WKU’s loss Friday was the second conference loss of the year, both coming at the hands of the Runners.
Here’s how the title game played out, quarter by quarter.
FIRST QUARTER
After winning the kickoff, the Toppers took to a hot start, as quarterback Bailey Zappe aired it out for a 60-yard touchdown to Mitchell Tinsley, giving the Tops a 7-0 advantage.
The very next drive, the Roadrunners took it in for a score of their own, on a 24-yard run by quarterback Frank Harris, tying the game at 7-7.
To end the first quarter, the Hilltoppers would get back on the board again with a Brayden Narveson field goal while UTSA answered with a Sincere McCormick, giving them a 14-10 run at the end of the first 15 minutes.
SECOND QUARTER
The Hilltoppers opened the scoring with a 34-yard field goal from Narveson field goal but the rest of the frame belonged to the Roadrunners, who begin to run away with the game.
Brenden Brady and McCormick each logged rushing scores (one of six yards and one a near back-breaking 65-yarder) in the second, giving the Runners a 28-13 lead.
The Tops were not without chances, though: WKU came up empty on all three of their second-quarter possession, thanks in part to a pair of missed 53-yard kicks from Narveson (at least one of which, you could argue, shouldn’t have been attempted in lieu of the Tops going for it on fourth down) to send the game into the halftime break 28-13.
THIRD QUARTER
The third quarter is when things began to feel like they were unraveling for the Hilltoppers.
WKU recorded a key defensive stop and forced a Runner punt, but Jerreth Sterns muffed the kick and the Runners recovered, setting up for a touchdown two-plays later on a 14-yard pass from Harris to Zachary Franklin to make it 35-13.
Following a disastrous Zappe interception, in which he floated one directly to UTSA’s Antonio Parks, McCormick took it to the house from 17-yards out one play later, making for a 42-13 game.
From there, the Hilltopper offense finally found it's second half spark.
WKU marched 71 yards on five plays before Zappe found Mitchell Tinsley for a 12-and score, cutting the led to 42-20, and the Tops followed that up by forcing the Runners to turn the ball over on downs near midfield.
The Tops made it two-straight touchdowns on a Zappe touchdown throw to Sterns but a failed two-point conversion kept the game at 42-26.
FOURTH QUARTER
The fourth quarter opened with maybe the biggest defensive stand of the night for the Tops, forcing a missed field goal by the Roadrunners to keep the game at 16 points.
WKU turned around and cut it to a one-score game the following possession, after Kyle Robichaux punched it in from one-yard out and Sterns catching a two-point conversion to bring the Tops within 42-34.
UTSA punched back with what ended up being the decisive blow, though, as Harris was able to find De’Corian Clark in the corner of the end zone for a 28-yard score to give the Runners a 49-34 lead.
The Tops had one more answer in them, another Zappe connection to Sterns for a touchdown, and forced a defensive stop but after giving UTSA a free set of downs on an offsides call.
WKU got the ball back for one final drive with 65 seconds to work with, but were unable to make any late game magic happen and a Zappe Hail Mary was picked at the three to seal the deal.
Despite hitting his stride once the game was a 22-point affair, Zappe was electric on the night, throwing for 577 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He broke WKU's single-season passing yards record (now 5,545), previously held by Brandon Doughty in 2015 (5,055 and became just the sixth quarterback in FBS history with a 5,000 passing yard, 50 passing touchdown season.
Sterns was also able to break the Conference USA single-season record for receptions with 137. He led all receivers with 10 receptions for 179 yards and two scores.
Not to be outdone, Tinsley totaled 173 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns.
A lot will be made in the aftermath of this game of the Tops’ early struggles on defense, and a lot of that was thanks to the Runners run game.
Harris was able to log 81 yards on 11 rushes while McCormick led everyone out of the backfield with 204 rushing yards on 36 touches and three touchdowns.
This game was a summation of the entire 2021 Hilltoppers campaign: Start slow on both sides of the ball and getting in a hole early only to find their spark and not only force key stops, but score almost at will.
However on this night, like against Army, Indiana and the first game with the Runners, WKU was unable to overcome their slow start and key miscues (we’ll be shuddering at that Malachi Corley drop for years) and will not bring any extra hardware home to Bowling Green.
Now, the Tops shift their focus to their bowl destination and a chance to finish the season with nine wins.