Quarterback Maverick McIvor’s dominant five-touchdown performance Saturday night led the Hilltoppers to a 55-6 win over North Alabama at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
Following his 401-yard week zero performance, McIvor threw 24-31 with a 77% completion percentage for 305 yards and five touchdowns.
WKU was slow to find its footing, leading 7-6 with two minutes left in the first quarter. A two-minute drive, capped off by a 9-yard touchdown pass from McIvor to wide receiver Quincy Borroughs, finally opened the floodgates for the Hilltopper offense.
The Hilltoppers rattled off 35 straight unanswered points, with McIvor throwing two touchdowns, including a spectacular 78-yard one-handed catch by Wide Receiver K.D. Hutchinson. The Hilltoppers brought a 36-point lead into the halftime break.
“McIvor had a really good command of the offense,” Head coach Tyson Helton said.
Backup quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. came into the game late in the third quarter, throwing a touchdown to wide receiver Marvin Sims.
“It was good to see our quarterback Rodney get in there,” Head coach Tyson Helton said. “He threw a strike for an explosive play. It was great to see.”
The Hilltoppers leaned on a well-balanced attack, with 10 Hilltoppers recording a reception.
Hutchinson led the way with five catches for a career-best 113 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hilltopper defense had a good night, holding the Lions out of the endzone all night, only giving up just six points and 258 yards.
“We still have more things to clean up,” Defensive end Harper Holloman said. “That wasn’t a perfect game for us. We were just able to come out with a dub today.”
Kicker John Cannon continued his strong start to the season, going two-for-two and hitting from 46 and 49 yards. Cannon has not missed a kick through two games.
The win is the third 2-0 start in the Tyson Helton era, and the first since back-to-back 2-0 starts in 2022 and 2023.
The Hilltoppers will look to keep the momentum going as they head to Ohio to take on the Toledo Rockets on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m..
