WKU Football will head to FAU Stadium Wednesday evening to play James Madison in the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl.
Entering Wednesday’s game, WKU has won three straight bowl games, including a win in the Boca Raton Bowl back in 2021, where they defeated Appalachian State 59-38. The Hilltoppers also appeared in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2016, where they defeated the Memphis Tigers 51-31.
WKU holds the record for the most points scored in the bowl and is tied with Florida Atlantic and Toledo for the most wins in the bowl with two each.
“We are really excited to be back,” Head Coach Tyson Helton said. “When we found out we were heading back to the bowl and being here for the third time, our team was just ecstatic.”
The James Madison Dukes come in at 8-4 overall and 4-4 in Sun Belt play. They have made two bowl games in three years at the FBS level, but have yet to win one.
The Dukes average 28.8 points per game, including a 70-point outing versus North Carolina and a 63-point outing versus Ball State. They rank third in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense with 22.4 points per game and first in the conference in total defense with 300.9 yards allowed per game.
First-year James Madison Head Coach Bob Chesney will be coaching in his first ever bowl game. It will come in the first-ever meeting between the Hilltoppers and the Dukes.
“To have a chance to do this again is really important,” Chesney said. “We often talk, when you do a job well done, and you do good work, often the reward is more work. This is more work, but we don’t want it to feel overwhelming like a preseason camp or spring practice.”
WKU finished the season 8-5 (6-2 CUSA). They were led by the 32nd-ranked pass offense in the nation. The team averages 377.8 total yards per game.
Where the struggles have come from, however, is on the defensive end. WKU allows 24.5 points per game and 397.5 points per game, with the majority of those coming on the ground. The Hilltoppers allow 221.9 rush yards per game on five yards per carry.
“We’re really excited to play a very, very, very good James Madison football team,” Helton said. “Coach does a fantastic job. I’ve watched him from afar and watched his career. He is a fantastic coach.”
Sports Reporter Michael Givner Jr. can be reached at [email protected]
