POST-GAME NOTES | #16/17 Michigan State (48), WKU (31) | October 2, 2021
WKUSports.com | @WKUFootball
GAME AND TEAM NOTES
• WKU’s team captains for the game were wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (offense), defensive end
Juwuan Jones (defense) and defensive back Beanie Bishop (special teams).
• WKU won the coin toss and chose to receive. The Hilltoppers have won 3-of-4 coin tosses so far this
season and this is the first time the Hilltoppers chose to receive. In 29 games as WKU head coach, Tyson
Helton has won the coin toss 17 times and only chose to receive twice, the other time being vs.
Louisville at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019.
• There was an attendance of 70,075 in Spartan Stadium for the 7:40 p.m. ET kickoff. It was the 16th-
highest attendance the Hilltoppers have ever played in front of.
• The game lasted 3:59, after games of 3:32 vs. UT Martin, 3:19 at Army and 3:42 vs. Indiana. It was the
Hilltoppers’ longest regulation game since the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl vs. South Florida (4:03) – a span
of 67 games in-between.
• WKU fell to 0-10 all-time against opponents currently in the Big Ten Conference. The Hilltoppers are 0-
1 against Michigan State, 0-4 against Indiana, 0-2 against Illinois, 0-2 against Wisconsin and 0-1 against
Nebraska.
• WKU fell to 1-12 against ranked FBS opponents since 2007, with the lone win coming in a 67-66
overtime victory on Nov. 28, 2014, at #19 Marshall. Since then, the Hilltoppers are 0-5 in such games.
• WKU fell to 7-4 all-time in games played on Oct. 2.
• WKU fell to 5-8 (since 2013) when wearing black jerseys and black pants. The Hilltoppers have lost
three consecutive games in that combination.
• WKU ran 91 offensive plays for 560 total yards for an average of 7.2 yards per play. It was the fifth
time in the program’s FBS Era (since 2009) that the Hilltoppers ran over 90 plays in a game.
• WKU had eight passing “chunk” plays of 20 or more yards with one of those going for touchdowns. In
four games this season, the Hilltoppers have 30 passing “chunk” plays with eight of those going for
touchdowns. In 12 games in 2020, WKU had 15 “chunk” passing plays with three of those going for
touchdowns.
• WKU had 22 passing first downs, tied for the second-most in program history. The Hilltoppers had 29
on Aug. 29, 2014, vs. Bowling Green. Most recently, WKU had 22 on Oct. 14, 2017, vs. Charlotte.
• WKU lost the time-of-possession battle 29:35-to-30:25. Although the Hilltoppers are 0-4 in time of
possession so far this season, this was their closest mark. WKU lost 21:26-to-38:34 vs. Indiana, 20:22-to-
39:38 at Army and 26:30-to-33:30 vs. UT Martin. In three games this season, the Hilltoppers are
averaging a 24:28-to-35:32 deficit, which is last in FBS – the next closest is Memphis at 25:20-to-34:40.
In 2020, WKU lost the time-of-possession battle in 8-of-12 games with an average of 29:01-to-30:59.
• WKU trailed 42-16 at half time and then out-scored Michigan State 15-6 in the second half. In three
games this season, the Hilltoppers have been out-scored 42-17 in the first quarter and then out-score
their opponents 139-98 the rest of the game. The WKU defense has allowed 100 points in the first half
and 40 points in the second half.
• Jerreth Sterns (186 receiving yards) and Mitchell Tinsley (127 receiving yards) both surpassed the
century mark. It was the 12th time in WKU history that a pair of receivers went over 100 yards in the
same game, most recently Lucky Jackson (148) and Joshua Simon (105) in the 2019 SERVPRO First
Responder Bowl.
POST-GAME NOTES | #16/17 Michigan State (48), WKU (31) | October 2, 2021
WKUSports.com | @WKUFootball
PLAYER NOTES
BAILEY ZAPPE
• Completed 46-of-64 passing attempts for 488 yards, the sixth-most ever by a WKU quarterback. After
424 vs. UT Martin and 435 at Army, has three of the top 14 passing yard games in Hilltopper history.
• The 488 yards were the third-most against Michigan State’s defense since 2000. Only Bryce Petty of
Baylor had 550 in 2015 and C.J. Bacher of Northwestern had 520 in 2007 had more.
• The 488 yards were the most by a C-USA quarterback since ODU’s Blake LaRussa had 495 vs. Virginia
Tech in 2018.
• The 46 completions tied the WKU all-time record set by Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green in 2014
and were the most by a C-USA quarterback since that same performance.
• Pushed his season numbers to 133-of-183 completions (72.7%) for 1,712 yards and 16 touchdowns,
compared to only two interceptions.
• His 428-yard average leads all FBS quarterbacks, with the next-closest being Virginia’s Brennan
Armstrong at 394.6 yards.
• Has three of the top four passing performances by a C-USA quarterback this season and three of the
top eight passing performances by an FBS quarterback.
• Ranks second in FBS with four touchdowns per game and ninth with a 177.9 passing efficiency rating.
• Has thrown 144 consecutive passes without an interception, the third-longest streak in WKU history.
Tyrrell Pigrome had a streak of 279 in 2020 and Mike White had a streak of 161 in 2017.
• Leads all of college football with 11,716 career passing yards (285.8 average in 41 career games).
JERRETH STERNS
• Led WKU with 17 receptions for 186 yards, while adding his fifth touchdown of the season.
• The 186 yards were the fifth-most by an FBS player this season, and are tied for the ninth-most by a
Hilltopper in program history.
• The 17 receptions tied the all-time program record, matching Lucky Jackson’s mark in the 2019
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Indiana’s Whop Phylor – who had 18 catches for 81 yards in the 2021
Outback Bowl – is the only other FBS receiver to reach that mark since Jackson.
• The 186 yards were a career-high, eclipsing a 171-yard effort earlier this year at Army.
• The 17 receptions were the second-most in his career; he had 18 on Oct. 5, 2019, vs. Incarnate Word.
• It was the 11th 100-yard game and 11th double-digit reception game of his career.
• Leads WKU across the board with 40 receptions for 546 yards and five touchdown catches.
• WKU’s receiving leader in 2020, Mitchell Tinsley, had 43 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns in
12 games.
• Leads all FBS receivers with 10 receptions and 135.5 yards per game.
• Leads all of college football with 8.4 receptions per game in his career (260 catches in 31 games).
MITCHELL TINSLEY
• Had career-highs of seven receptions and 127 yards, including a career-long 60-yard catch. Six of those
catches and all 127 yards came in the first half.
• Ranks second on WKU with 346 yards, behind Sterns’ 546.
MALACHI CORLEY
• Had seven receptions for 69 yards. Has at least five catches and 51 yards in all four games this season.
• Ranks second on WKU with 27 receptions, behind Sterns’ 40.
POST-GAME NOTES | #16/17 Michigan State (48), WKU (31) | October 2, 2021
WKUSports.com | @WKUFootball
JOEY BELJAN
• Had two receptions for five yards, with both catches going for touchdowns. They were the first two
scores of his career.
ANTWON KINCADE
• Led WKU with 10 tackles (eight solo, two assisted) including one tackle for loss.
• It was the sixth double-digit tackle game of his career and second consecutive after posting 14 tackles
vs. Indiana.
DeANGELO MALONE
• Ranked second on WKU with nine tackles (four solo, five assisted) including two tackles for loss, one
pass breakup and one quarterback hurry.
• Pushed his career total to 47.0 tackles for loss in 52 career games at WKU, tying Erik Dandy (2000-03)
for fourth-most in program history.
JOHN HAGGERTY
• Booted two punts for 109 yards (54.5 gross average).
• His first was a 61-yard boot after WKU’s first possession, but it was returned 88 yards for a
touchdown. His second was a 48-yarder that was fair-caught.
BRAYDEN NARVESON
• Tied a career-high by making 3-of-3 field goals from 37, 35 and 29 yards – all in the first half.
• Has made 12 consecutive tries dating back to 2020, which sets the all-time WKU record. Previously,
Garrett Schwettman connected on 11 straight in 2015.
• Improved to 20-of-23 on field goals in his collegiate career and 18-of-19 as a Hilltopper.
• Made 2-of-2 extra point attempts, improving to a perfect 46-for-46 in his career. Ranks ninth in FBS
with 4.8 extra points per game this season (19-for-19 in three games).
