TYLER, Texas — WKU Football quarterback Bailey Zappe and wide receiver Jerreth Sterns were named Honorable Mentions for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award after their Week 1 performances against UT Martin. SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai was the Player of the Week, while the pair of Hilltoppers were 2-of-14 that were listed as Honorable Mentions.
In WKU’s season-opening win against the visiting Skyhawks, Zappe had seven passing touchdowns, the most ever by a WKU quarterback in a home game and second-most in any game, behind eight passing touchdowns thrown by Brandon Doughty in 2014. With those seven touchdowns, Zappe became the fourth quarterback in Conference USA history to throw for seven or more. Zappe also completed 28-of-35 passing attempts for an 80% completion rate, which is the sixth best by a WKU quarterback with over 26 attempts in a game and his collegiate career-high.
The Victoria, Texas, native had 12 consecutive completions during a span between the first and second quarters, tying the second-best run by a WKU quarterback. Zappe also threw for 424 passing yards which is the fifth most in his collegiate career, the most being 567 at Texas Tech in 2020. Zappe had a passing efficiency rating of 242.0, the fourth best by a WKU quarterback. In just his first FBS start, Zappe 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 in 2016. WKU had 587 total yards of offense, the Hilltoppers’ most since 2017.
In the Hilltoppers’ week one win, Sterns led the way with seven receptions and 107 yards with two touchdowns. This was Sterns ninth 100-yard game and fourth multi-touchdown game of his collegiate career. The Waxahachie, Texas, native also recorded a 24-yard punt return in the third quarter, the longest by a WKU player since 2017.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division 1 who also exhibits strong characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity. In addition, players must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas based junior college or four-year college.
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