PLAYER NOTES
Quarterback, Bailey Zappe• Completed 28-of-35 passing attempts for an 80% completion rate, the sixth-best by a WKU quarterback with over 26 attempts in a game. Most recently, Mike White completed 28-of-32 passing attempts (88%) vs. Old Dominion on Oct. 22, 2016.
• The 80% completion rate is his collegiate career-high, surpassing his previous best of 77.4% (41-of-53) at South Dakota in 2019.
• Had 12 consecutive completions during a span between the first and second quarters, tying for the second-best run by a WKU quarterback. Mike White had 14 consecutive completions to open the game vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 17, 2017.
• Had 424 passing yards, the 12th-most by a WKU quarterback and the 16th 400-yard passing game in Hilltopper history. Most recently, Mike White had 478 passing yards in a triple-overtime game vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 17, 2017.
• The 424 passing yards were the fifth-most in his collegiate career, the most being 567 at Texas Tech in 2020. It was the sixth time he surpassed the 400-yard mark and the fourth consecutive game dating back to 2020.
• Had seven passing touchdowns, the most ever by a WKU quarterback in a home game and second-most in any game. Brandon Doughty had eight passing touchdowns in an overtime game at No. 19 Marshall on Nov. 28, 2014.
• Became the fourth quarterback in Conference USA history to pass for seven or more touchdowns. Houston’s Case Keenum had nine vs. Rice on Oct. 27, 2011; Doughty had eight; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato had seven in that same game vs. WKU; and North Texas’ Mason Fine had seven on Nov. 2, 2019.
• Became the 40th FBS quarterback since 2000 to pass for seven touchdowns in a game. Of those players, he had the sixth-fewest passing attempts to reach that number. Memphis’ Paxton Lynch needed only 14 passing attempts to throw seven touchdowns vs. SMU on Nov. 28, 2015.
• The seven passing touchdowns tied a collegiate career-high, matching his seven score effort at Texas Southern in 2019.
• Had a passing efficiency rating of 242.0, the fourth-best by a WKU quarterback. Mike White’s 306.2 vs. Houston Baptist on Oct. 1, 2016; Brandon Doughty’s 271.8 vs. Old Dominion on Oct. 25, 2014; Mike White’s 252.7 vs. Rice on Sept. 1, 2016.
• Had the highest passing efficiency rating by an FBS quarterback with 35 or more passing attempts since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield had a 266.3 at Texas Tech on Oct. 22, 2016.
• Threw an interception on his second passing attempt of the season. In 2020, Tyrrell Pigrome set the WKU program record by opening the season with 279 passing attempts without an interception.
Quarterback, Carson Baker• Completed his only passing attempt of the game for a 54-yard touchdown to Craig Burt, Jr. in the fourth quarter.
• His passing efficiency rating of 883.6 is the second-highest ever by a Hilltopper player in a single game, trailing a mark of 1009.6 by Nacarius Fant, who threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Taywan Taylor on his only passing attempt of the game vs. Middle Tennessee on Oct. 10, 2015.
Wide Receiver, Jerreth Sterns• Led WKU with seven receptions and 107 yards, and was 1-of-2 Hilltoppers with two touchdowns.
• Recorded the 134th 100-yard receiving game in WKU history, and the first since Lucky Jackson (148) and Joshua Simon (105) in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
• It was the ninth 100-yard game and fourth multi-touchdown game of his collegiate career.
• Had a 24-yard punt return in the third quarter, the longest by a WKU player since Nacarius Fant’s 22-yarder vs. Ball State on Sept. 23, 2017.
Wide Receiver, Daewood Davis• Had two receptions for 83 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown in the first quarter. It was the longest catch by a WKU receiver since Joshua Simon’s 77-yard touchdown vs. Louisville on Sept. 14, 2019.
Tight End, Joshua Simon• Had three receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns, the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
• The three receptions pushed his career total to 66, tying Tyler Higbee for fifth all-time by a WKU tight end, while the two scores pushed his career total to nine, moving into fourth all-time on that list.
OFFENSE NOTES• WKU scored 59 points, the most by the Hilltoppers since a 60-6 victory at Marshall on Nov. 26, 2016; a span of 52 games in-between.
• WKU out-scored UT Martin 21-to-7 in the second quarter. In 2020, the Hilltoppers were out-scored 54-to-113 (-59) in the second frame.
• WKU had 587 total yards of offense and 478 passing yards, the Hilltoppers’ most since in a regulation game since they had 627 total yards of offense and 506 passing yards vs. Charlotte on Oct. 14, 2017; a span of 44 games in-between.
• WKU averaged 9.6 yards per play, 13.3 yards per passing attempt and 16.5 yards per completion. In 2020, the Hilltoppers averaged 4.6 yards per play, 5.3 yards per passing attempt and 9.5 yards per completion.
• WKU had over 9.0 yards per play for the first time since the 2016 Conference USA Championship vs. LA Tech; a span of 51 games in-between.
• WKU had eight passing touchdowns (seven by Bailey Zappe and one by Carson Baker). In 2020, the Hilltoppers had seven passing touchdowns through their first four games (six by Tyrrell Pigrome and one by Kevaris Thomas).
• WKU had nine passing “chunk” plays of 20 or more yards (eight by Bailey Zappe and one by Carson Baker) with four of those going for touchdowns (three by Bailey Zappe and one by Carson Baker). In 12 games in 2020, the Hilltoppers had 15 “chunk” passing plays with three of those going for touchdowns.
• WKU had six different players catch a touchdown pass and 11 different players with at least one reception.
• WKU had eight touchdown drives that averaged five plays in 2:12. In the Hilltoppers’ 37 touchdown drives in 2020, they averaged 8.5 plays in 3:36.
• WKU scored five touchdowns in five red zone opportunities. In 2020, the Hilltoppers scored 21 touchdowns in 33 red zone opportunities.
• After throwing an interception on the first series of the game and punting on the second series, WKU scored on each of its final nine possessions (that did not end in halftime or the end of the game).How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Football, follow the program via social media @WKUFootball on Twitter and Facebook.
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