DALLAS, Texas – WKU Football quarterback Bailey Zappe was voted Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. He joins Charlotte quarterback Chris Reynolds and UTSA kicker Hunter Duplessis as winners of multiple C-USA honors so far this season.
Zappe completed 46-of-64 passes (72%) for 488 yards at #16/17 Michigan State, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The 488 yards were the sixth-most ever by a Hilltoppers quarterback and the third-most against a Spartans’ defense since 2000 (via www.Sports-Reference.com). Along with 424 yards vs. UT Martin and 435 yards at Army, Zappe already has three of the top 14 passing performances in WKU history.
The 488 yards were the most by a C-USA quarterback since Old Dominion’s Blake LaRussa had 495 vs. Virginia Tech on September 22, 2018. The 46 completions tied the Hilltoppers’ all-time program record, set by Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green on August 29, 2014, and were the most by a C-USA quarterback since that same performance.
The Victoria, Texas, native pushed his season numbers to 133-of-183 (72.7%) completions for 1,712 yards and 16 touchdowns, compared to only two interceptions. Zappe has thrown 144 consecutive passes without a pick, the third-longest streak in WKU history behind Tyrrell Pigrome’s streak of 279 in 2020 and Mike White’s streak of 161 in 2017.
Zappe’s 428-yard average leads all FBS quarterbacks, with the next-closest being Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong at 394.6 yards. The graduate senior transfer from Houston Baptist leads all of college football with 11,716 career passing yards – a 285.8-yard average in 41 career games.
Zappe joins Brandon Doughty (eight times in 2014 and 2015) and White (twice in 2016 and 2017) as WKU quarterbacks who have won multiple C-USA Offensive Player of the Week awards. Overall, Hilltopper Football has won 17 Offensive, 10 Defensive and 11 Special Teams Player of the Week awards over the past seven-plus seasons.
WKU (1-3) will begin the C-USA portion of its schedule on Saturday, October 9, with a marquee matchup against UTSA. The Hilltoppers and 5-0 Roadrunners will kick off at 6 p.m. at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Tickets are available HERE.
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