Bowling Green, KY – Western Kentucky’s Hilltoppers and the FCS Austin Peay Governors battled into the fourth quarter Saturday with the Toppers leading, 21-20. Long TD passes and turnovers in the final period gave the home team the victory by a final score of 38-27. With an 11 am CST kickoff to start Week 0 between these two nearby rivals, Collegefootallfan.com attended the inaugural college football game of the 2022 season.
Early season offensive struggles to be expected
WKU QB Austin Reed connected with WR Malachi Corley (five receptions, 61 yards, three TDs) for early scores. The Topper defense gathered four take-aways resulting in three scores. Both teams struggled offensively early. Throughout the game, both the Toppers and Govs adapted to playing for the first time with transfer QBs. Reed last played two seasons ago for D-2 West Florida who won the national championship with him under center. Jarret Doege was to initially start for the Hilltoppers, but he transferred to Troy 12 days ago. The Govs started Mike DiLilleo (15 for 21, 156 yards, two TDs, two INTs) who played a back-up roll last season for Middle Tennessee. We saw him in action last season briefly here against the Hilltoppers. We expected to see Sheldon Layman start, but HC Scotty Walden had him dressed on the sidelines with no pads.
Work in progress for both
Hilltopper DB AJ Braithwaite picked DiLilleo’s pass off on APU’s first possession to take over at the Toppers’ 49. On a fourth and four, Reed (20 for 34, 279 yards, four TDs, 1 INT) connected with Corley wide open over the middle in the end zone for a 17-yard scoring pass to lead, 7-0. The Govs cut the lead 7-3 on their next possession with Maddux Trujillo’s 41-yard kick. At times, APU showed glimpses of the same run-pass, delayed mesh option operated successfully by Wake Forest. They probably needed to run this more often to develop the deception aspect. Before the first period ended, DiLilleo connected with WR Drae McCray (six catches, 90 yards, two TDs) with his longest pass of the day for a 44-yard TD. The FCS visitors led at the end of the quarter, 10-7. Most of the game, Gov passes went short to the flats.
In the second, the Hilltoppers continued on a 75-yard scoring drive. An 11-yard TD pass to Corley took back a 14-10 lead. The Govs seemed to gain some momentum on their next drive, but lost it quickly. The left end blocked down, and the RB swung around left end on a pattern down the left hashmark. DiLilleo fired an errant pass behind him which his intended mark never looked for. However, Hilltopper DB Upton Stout saw the opportunity right from the start. He raced toward for the ball to intercept, and he returned it 34 yards unscathed for a pick-six to extend the lead for the home team, 21-10. Most errant pass play ever witnessed in our history. We saw the play unfold from our upper deck seats as clearly as Stout.
Governors fight back
Starting the next drive from their forty, following two Topper penalties on the ensuing kickoff, give the Govs credit. APU drove the length of the field with DiLilleo running it in from the one. Eighteen seconds left in the half to whittle the lead, 21-17. The teams went into the locker-rooms for half time. Fans looked for cover under Houchens Industries-Smith LTD Stadium grandstands when the halftime festivities led by the Governor marching band started as a cold, intermittent rain storm began.
Defenses control third period
As the first half remained hot and sunny late into the second period, a large black cloud blocked out the sun to change the atmosphere of the second half. The APU marching band remained with fans under the covered mezzanine in line at the concession stands. We eventually moved up to some empty seats under the awning of the upper-level press box. On the second series of the third period, only the Governors came up with points on Trujillo’s 49-yard FG. The one-point Hilltopper lead remained 21-20 heading into the final period.
Hilltoppers take over
Western Kentucky started its next possession on their 29 leading into the final period. With 12:56 left, Corley made a diving catch in the end zone on a 25-yard scoring pass from Reed to extend the Hilltopper lead. The following drive by APU halted on a high snap to DiLilleo. He mishandled the ball on the exchange to his back resulting in a fumble recovery by WKU on their 49. Three plays later, Reed connected with WR Daewood Davis (6 snares, 124 yards, one TD) on a bomb just short of the end zone. There Davis backpedaled into the end zone against two defenders for a 48-yard touchdown reception.
The Toppers forced a Governor punt on the next defensive series, but CB Shamari Simmons pick off a pass to put the Govs back on offense at their own 15. A halfback option pass for 39 yards and a 15-yard penalty against WKU put the Govs at the 24. They capitalized when DiLilleo connected with McCray again. The TD pass from there put them back within 35-27, with 8:09 left to play. Aided by a pass interference call, with 3:18 left, Hilltopper Brayden Narveson booted a 23-yard FG to put the home team up, 38-27.
On the ensuing kickoff return, APU fumbled the ball away, not once but twice! Western Kentucky took over at the 27. Topper HC Ty Helton showed some class. He decided to run the clock out rather than try to pad the score. The Austin Peay Marching Band started singing its signature song by the Beatles, “Take the last train to Clarksville,” in honor of their campus location. They chanted one last time, “Let’s go Peay!” The first final score of the 2022 college football season was in the book, 38-27, in favor of the 1-0 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
On tap for Week One
Next week, the Hilltoppers travel over the Pacific to play Hawaii (0-1), 63-10 losers to Vanderbilt late Saturday night. When they return stateside, they’ll have their work cut out for them. Only one of two teams playing 13 regular season games this year (Hawaii is the other), they play games 11 straight weekends with no breaks. Collegefootballfan.com will see the Hilltoppers play again on Saturday October 1 when they host Troy of the Sun Belt Conference.
Austin Peay returns to Clarksville to host the Presbyterian Blue Hose of Clinton, SC next Saturday. On September 24, we will see the Governors host Eastern Kentucky in an early key ASUN Conference game for a possible FCS playoff bid. Only six teams compete in this newly formed conference this year.
As for CFF.com, we have two big FBS games coming up this week. On Thursday, we will venture to West Lafayette, Indiana for our first time. Purdue hosts Penn State at Ross-Ade Stadium. On Saturday, we head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The No. 1 Crimson Tide play at Bryant-Denny Stadium for our first time to see them against Utah State (1-0), winner over UConn on Saturday, 31-20.
Extra Points:
We enjoy watching the APU coaching staff led by HC Scotty Walden keeping their team charged up all during the game. We saw a lesson being taught on their first kickoff. One assistant grabbed Frosh LB Vinay Singh by the arm and made sure he completed his race to the back of the end zone with his teammates as the Governor kick-off team does every time the ball sails through the end zone.
Good atmosphere at WKU with the announced crowd of 13,868 for the opener. Of course, not as festive as was last season’s sold-out opener against Power Five school Indiana. Both bands and cheering squads in full attendance. Free programs (annual publication), free parking, a free Topper t-shirt (we will wear it against Troy), and a real ticket for all fans in attendance. Great way to open our season!
Sloppy play in some aspects to be expected in an opener for both teams. Both are well-coached and adjustments will be made for their next games throughout the season. We expect to see QB Sheldon Layman get some time along with DiLilleo for the Governors. They will look for more downfield passing opportunities. Blocking schemes will have to be improved. The Govs were sacked five times. Perhaps, Walden may be planning do develop the run-pass option game some more to the standards Wake Forest runs today. For the Hilltoppers, run-blocking will be worked on to improve over the 108 yards and 3.4 avg per run in this game.
Ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all! If you enjoy reading this article, please click on the title to read about games we attended over the years to see every FBS ream (until there were 120) at least once. We’ve seen all 130 in existence play in person since. How many people that you know have done that? Please read it and submit a review on our Amazon.com page. Thanks!
