Things got ugly in a hurry as WKU Football dropped its first conference game of the season to FIU 25-6 Tuesday night.
The Panthers snapped the Hilltoppers’ winning streak at three games, going touchdownless in a conference game for the first time since Nov. 7, 2020, against FAU. The Panthers dominated time of possession and won the turnover battle to spoil the blackout.
The Good
The biggest takeaway from this game isn’t the final score, but the mental effects. WKU hasn’t lost a game since Sept. 9 against Toledo. That game was another lopsided loss that had minimal silver lining. The Hilltopper defense got gashed on Tuesday, and their offense found the endzone zero times, serving as a sort of “reality check,” according to redshirt sophomore tight end Noah Meyers.
“It’s embarrassing to lose at home,” Meyers said. “It sucks. I’m glad that we got humbled, and it’s something we’re going to improve on, and we’re gonna be ready next week.”
A loss in mid-October versus a loss in late November are two drastically different things, with the former being salvageable for a conference championship run. WKU still remains top three in the conference standings as of Wednesday, and plays fourth-place LA Tech next Tuesday, so an opportunity for redemption awaits.
The Bad
“They beat us on all three phases pretty soundly,” Head Coach Tyson Helton said.
The “Zombieland” helmets were fitting as the team looked dead. The best offense in the conference heading into the game was held to just six points, two field goals. They entered the red zone twice and were picked off both times.
One of quarterback Maverick McIvor’s three interceptions was at the two-yard line. The normally on-target McIvor seemed off his game, and it didn’t help that receivers were also dropping the passes that were on target.
“At times he didn’t throw it to where it needed to be and at times, they (pass catchers) didn’t catch it,” Helton said. “Our defense gave us opportunities, but we never took advantage of those opportunities. I thought FIU did a good job defending us, and we didn’t execute as well offensively.”
Defensively, the Hilltoppers gave up chunk plays from the start to FIU. The Panthers pounced on deep chunk passes and big offensive runs to the tune of 453 total yards. 195 of their 249 yards rushing came from running back Kejon Owens, who ran for 8.9 yards per carry.
“We’ve gotta do better,” senior linebacker Anthony Brackenridge said. “We’ve got to tackle, eliminate explosives, and just do our job.”
Is It Ugly?
A loss like this can upend a season, bringing the locker room energy down. Scoring just six points in a game you were heavily favored in at home can falter most teams, but with five games remaining on the schedule, a trip to the CUSA Championship Game is still in the cards.
LA Tech delivered one of those season-derailing losses last year when they came into the Houch and spoiled homecoming in a 12-7 victory for the Bulldogs. They now host WKU in a very important game for conference seeding, with WKU holding a one-game lead over the Bulldogs.
With Kennesaw State now sitting in first place, WKU will need to win the conference games as both the Owls and the 2-1 Liberty Flames sit poised for a championship run.
