WKU Football looks to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss Thursday in a contest against 0-5 UTEP at Smith Stadium. 

“I see a UTEP team that is getting better every week,” Head Coach Tyson Helton said. “They work extremely hard and are well coached, I know their head coach. He does a great job getting those guys ready to play. We need to play our best game.”

WKU welcomes the Miners with a “Red Out” game in which the Hilltoppers will be repping new Big Red uniforms.

The contest will be WKU’s first midweek game of the season. Coming off a bye week the Hilltoppers will be on extra rest despite the Thursday game.

WKU and redshirt sophomore Caden Veltkamp will attempt to right the ship after a second half collapse at Boston College last game.

The Hilltoppers held a 20-7 lead in the third quarter before ultimately falling 21-20.

Veltkamp has had two interceptions each of his last two games but faces a UTEP team that has only recorded one interception all season.

Despite back-to-back weeks with multiple turnovers, Veltkamp’s season stats still look strong and the Hilltoppers have played in two tight contests.

On the season, Veltkamp has thrown for 883 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in three games.

After TJ Finley began the season as WKU’s starting quarterback, Veltkamp took over after Finley went down with an injury at MTSU.

Veltkamp will remain the starter for at least a few more weeks as Helton said Finley is still rehabbing and is “probably a couple weeks out from knowing kind of when to anticipate him being back.”

On the other side of the ball, the Hilltoppers defense has been a key to their success since the Alabama game. 

Over the last four games, WKU has allowed 15.8 points per game and forced eight turnovers.

The Hilltoppers will look to improve to 2-0 in conference play and 4-2 overall against UTEP in a game in which they are 19.5 point favorites, according to ESPN.

WKU and UTEP will face off at Smith Stadium at 7 p.m. CT on Oct. 10. The game will be televised on ESPNU.