In the Battle of the Bluegrass, Western Kentucky football again tops Eastern Kentucky

The first installment of the Battle of the Bluegrass since 2017 went the way of Western Kentucky on Saturday night at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green.

For the fourth straight time, WKU (1-1) delivered a victory over Eastern Kentucky (0-2), this time by a 31-0 score.

This marked WKU’s first shutout win over EKU since 1973 (35-0).

Prior to Saturday, WKU’s most recent shutout win of any kind came in a 73-0 drubbing of Florida International during the 2022 season.

WKU controlled the game from the kickoff Saturday: On each of their first three offensive drives, the Hilltoppers reached the Colonels’ red zone. Those trips resulted in a short field goal, a turnover on downs and a 1-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Elijah Young. Those all came within the first quarter.

The Hilltoppers led 17-0 at halftime after adding another short rushing touchdown, this one by junior running back L.T. Sanders, late in the second quarter.

In the second half, EKU found some offensive success after shifting from normal starting quarterback Matt Morrissey to redshirt sophomore Cameron Hergott, the 2020 Kentucky Mr. Football winner and three-time state champion at Beechwood High School.

Hergott, who possesses significantly more running ability than Morrissey, was at the controls for EKU’s most sustained period of offense in Saturday’s game. Hergott was the quarterback when EKU embarked on a 17-play, 89-yard drive in the third quarter that took 11:46 off the game clock.

That drive, which featured an explosive 42-yard rush by EKU sophomore running back Brayden Latham on a fourth down near midfield, ended with a missed 17-yard field goal try by preseason all-conference selection Patrick Nations.

Postgame, EKU head coach Walt Wells said Morrissey will remain EKU’s starting quarterback.

“We felt like we could use (Hergott) in some different things to keep our offense going,” said Wells, who is in his fifth season coaching EKU. “… We’ve got to get in rhythm throwing the football. We’ve been spoiled around here for a long time with Parker McKinney … We have to get all on the same page and block, run the routes at the right depths, run the routes to get open, run the routes to do things. We’ve got to read the routes and the coverage and get the ball to where it needs to be.”

Through two games this season — both against higher-level FBS programs — EKU has a combined 245 passing yards and only seven points scored.

“Our passing game has to come around, it has to,” Wells said, adding that the plan for Saturday’s game was to play both Morrissey and Hergott at quarterback.

Latham and Joshua Carter both totaled more than 80 rushing yards Saturday for EKU.

In the fourth quarter, WKU added another rushing touchdown by Young, this one from 9 yards out. WKU also got a 12-yard passing touchdown from quarterback TJ Finley to receiver Dalvin Smith, which was a fitting end to Finley’s strong night.

Finley, who made previous college stops at LSU, Auburn and Texas State, put on a dazzling display: He went 27 of 39 passing for 351 yards and the score. Finley averaged 13 yards per completion.

“We had our ups and downs and what I told the guys in the fourth quarter after we scored that last touchdown was this was a great game for us as far as building chemistry,” Finley said postgame.

The Hilltoppers outgained the Colonels in total yards, 467-266. WKU senior Kisean Johnson had 119 receiving yards on only six catches.

Battle of the Bluegrass between EKU, WKU is now a rare game

Saturday was only the fourth meeting between EKU and WKU since 2007, when the Hilltoppers began the process of moving from the FCS level to the FBS level. EKU, of course, remains an FCS program.

EKU’s last win in the rivalry series was an early-season win in 2006 in Richmond. The Colonels still haven’t beaten the Hilltoppers in Bowling Green since 1998.

WKU now leads the all-time series over EKU 49-34-3. This includes a WKU win by forfeit over EKU in 1932.

This year’s resumption of the Battle of the Bluegrass also appears to be a short-lived renewal. The game is not on the schedule for either school in the near future.

Earlier this week, Wells said he doesn’t believe a game against Western Kentucky is on EKU’s schedule in the next four or five years.

The announced attendance for Saturday’s game in Bowling Green was 16,712 fans, down from the crowd of 18,614 people that watched the same matchup in 2017.

Uniform controversy occurs before EKU-WKU game

Western Kentucky prevailed on the field Saturday after the lead up to this edition of the Battle of the Bluegrass featured a midweek uniform controversy.

In July, Saturday’s game between EKU and WKU was announced by the Hilltoppers as a White Out, which normally means that WKU wears all-white uniforms and WKU fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.

But, it was EKU that wore its all-white uniforms for the contest.

Last Tuesday, EKU informed WKU that it would be exercising its right as the visiting team to wear white uniforms for the game. As such, WKU had to wear red jerseys to go with its white pants and white helmets.

In a statement released Wednesday, WKU said it hoped to reach an agreement with EKU in order for the Hilltoppers to wear white jerseys. That, obviously, didn’t occur. According to NCAA rules, both teams must agree to a uniform switch.

The game contract for Saturday’s matchup — which was obtained by the Herald-Leader via the Kentucky Open Records Act — makes no reference to the uniform color that was to be worn by either team. The contract, which was agreed to by the two schools in March 2019, states that WKU is paying EKU $325,000 for the game.

WKU fans were still encouraged to wear white to Saturday’s game.

EKU, WKU both begin conference play next week

Things will get easier, on paper at least, for the Colonels following Saturday’s defeat.

For the fourth time in Wells’ five seasons leading EKU, the Colonels began a campaign with consecutive road games against FBS opponents.

Now with Week 1’s 56-7 loss at Mississippi State and Saturday’s 31-0 loss at WKU in the rearview mirror, EKU can get back to playing more comparable teams.

This starts next weekend, as EKU hosts West Georgia in Richmond for the Colonels’ home opener at Roy Kidd Stadium. That game will also be EKU’s first league contest this season in the United Athletic Conference.

The Colonels last made the FCS playoffs in 2022.

“I think we are talented, I think we have some guys that can make some plays,” Wells said. “We just have to continue to put them in the situations to make them, and they have to make them when they come to them.”

WKU also begins league play next Saturday, and the Hilltoppers will do so with a second consecutive rivalry game. Western Kentucky will travel to Middle Tennessee State next Saturday night for the “100 Miles of Hate” rivalry showdown, which doubles as both teams’ C-USA opener.

The Hilltoppers lead the all-time series over the Blue Raiders, 37-35-1, and WKU won last year’s game 31-10 in Bowling Green. WKU has won five straight times over MTSU.

Western Kentucky is one of only 16 teams to play in a bowl game in each of the last five seasons, and the Hilltoppers are one of only seven teams to win a bowl game in three straight seasons.

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