UK-WKU football series needs to be renewed

One of the real disappointments for football fans in the commonwealth over the past decade has been the absence of a game between the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University, and there won’t be one anytime soon — with non-conference schedules made out years in advance.

The Wildcats and the Hilltoppers haven’t met on the gridiron since 2013, and that’s a shame because a burgeoning, highly competitive in-state rivalry between the two was certainly afoot at that time.

UK and Western played for the first time in 2008, when David Elson’s overmatched WKU team absorbed a 41-3 defeat before a crowd of 70,731 at Kroger Field in Lexington. Ironically, this would be the first of 26 consecutive defeats for the Hilltoppers as they began their challenging transition from the FCS to the FBS.

In 2010, with Willie Taggart in his first season at the WKU helm, the Hilltoppers lost at Kentucky 63-28 before a crowd of 66,584. This happened to be the 22nd consecutive loss in Western’s long losing skid, and the Tops were still no threat at all to upset the Cats in Lexington.

The following season, however, things began to change.

In 2011, with Western “hosting” UK at LP Field in Nashville, the game between the Wildcats and Hilltoppers was competitive throughout. WKU had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown late, but quarterback Kawuan Jakes overthrew a wide open Jack Doyle deep in UK territory. The Wildcats added a clinching touchdown in the final minutes to win, 14-3, before 24,599.

Jakes made up for that misfire a year later.

In 2012, Western defeated Kenucky 32-31 in overtime on a trick play 2-point conversion. Jakes threw a backwards pass to running back Antonio Andrews, who then threw a forward pass to Jakes, who easily jogged into the end zone for the game-winning score before a stunned gathering of 53,980…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uk-wku-football-series-needs-091600656.html

Author : Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Publish date : 2024-05-16 09:16:00

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