Flames’ strong run game too much for Tops in 38-21 loss
Western Kentucky’s journey toward securing a spot in the Conference USA Football Championship took a significant hit on Saturday, as they were handed a 38-21 loss by Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia. The defeat dropped the Hilltoppers to 7-4 on the season, with a 5-2 record in Conference USA play. With just one game remaining in the regular season, Western Kentucky’s path to the championship game has become much more complicated. In order to have a shot at the Conference USA title, the Hilltoppers now need to defeat current league leader Jacksonville State next Saturday at home in Houchens-Smith Stadium and hope that Sam Houston State can upset Liberty. If either WKU or Sam Houston loses, the Hilltoppers will be eliminated from contention for the championship.
Following the game, WKU head coach Tyson Helton praised Liberty for their performance, acknowledging that his team had opportunities but ultimately fell short. “Hats off to Liberty. They got the best of us today,” Helton said in a news release. “Had a lot of opportunities, especially in the first half. It’s going to be hard with three turnovers in the first half. We moved the ball well. Defensively, they controlled the line of scrimmage by far and they ran it pretty good against us. We had a hard time stopping them today. Regroup and we’ll get to come home and play Jacksonville State and try to put our best football together and try to get a win.”
The game began with both teams feeling each other out in the first quarter, and neither offense was able to put points on the board in the opening period. However, Western Kentucky struck first early in the second quarter. At 13:17, quarterback Caden Veltkamp connected with wide receiver Dalvin Smith for a 9-yard touchdown pass, giving the Hilltoppers a 7-0 lead. It was a promising start for WKU, who had moved the ball well but had yet to find the end zone.
Liberty quickly responded with a series of big plays that turned the momentum in their favor. Just 4 minutes later, the Flames tied the game with a 2-yard touchdown run at 9:30 in the second quarter. Liberty then took control with another big drive, capping it off with a 22-yard touchdown run with 2:05 left in the half to go ahead 14-7. The Flames weren’t done, though. In the final seconds of the half, they added another score on a short 11-yard touchdown pass, extending their lead to 21-7 as the teams went into the break.
WKU came out of the locker room with determination, eager to chip away at the deficit. On their first drive of the second half, the Hilltoppers marched down the field, aided by a 32-yard pass to Kisean Johnson and an 18-yard connection to Easton Messer. The drive was capped off with a 2-yard touchdown run by George Hart III, cutting Liberty’s lead to 21-14. It was a sign that WKU had not given up and was prepared to make a fight of it.
But Liberty responded once again with their powerful running game, pushing the lead back to 28-14 with a 2-yard touchdown run at 9:44 in the third quarter. Western Kentucky didn’t back down, however, as Veltkamp found Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 3:44 left in the third, making it a one-score game at 28-21. The Hilltoppers had stayed within striking distance, but Liberty’s relentless offense continued to wear them down.
The Flames capitalized on a key mistake by WKU in the final quarter. Liberty made a 29-yard field goal at 11:13, extending their lead to 31-21. With WKU struggling to respond, Liberty put the game away for good with another touchdown, a 3-yard run, with 2:59 left on the clock. The Hilltoppers had no answer, and Liberty sealed the victory at 38-21.
The loss marked another frustrating chapter in Western Kentucky’s series against Liberty, as the Hilltoppers are now 0-5 all-time against the Flames. For WKU, this game was one of missed opportunities, especially in the first half. The Hilltoppers moved the ball well at times, but turnovers and inability to stop Liberty’s ground attack ultimately doomed them.
Western Kentucky finished the game with 368 total yards of offense. Veltkamp threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, completing 20 of his 34 pass attempts. However, he also tossed two interceptions, one of which proved to be costly. The Hilltoppers’ running game was modest, as they gained 106 yards on the ground. Elijah Young was the team’s leading rusher, picking up 60 yards on 9 carries. In the passing game, Kisean Johnson was the standout, finishing with 7 receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Dalvin Smith also made a notable contribution, catching the game’s opening touchdown pass. His second-quarter touchdown was the 20th of his career, placing him in seventh place on WKU’s all-time list for career touchdown receptions.
Despite the offensive struggles, the WKU defense showed flashes of excellence, particularly in the first quarter when they kept Liberty’s offense in check and didn’t allow the Flames to complete a single pass. Linebacker Devonte’ Mathews had a standout performance, recording a career-high 16 tackles and forcing a fumble. Upton Stout also contributed on defense with 10 tackles. The defense had a team-high five tackles for loss, with Kylan Guidry contributing two of those. Despite these efforts, Liberty’s offense was simply too much to handle. The Flames piled up 556 total yards, including an astounding 419 rushing yards. Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas each had over 100 yards rushing, with Cooley finishing with 166 yards and two touchdowns and Lucas adding 131 yards and a touchdown of his own. Liberty’s ability to control the line of scrimmage and dominate the ground game was the key to their victory.
For Western Kentucky, the road to a Conference USA Championship has now become much steeper. The Hilltoppers must now focus on their final regular-season game against Jacksonville State, hoping for a win and a little help from Sam Houston State in their quest for a championship berth. The Hilltoppers will return to Houchens-Smith Stadium next Saturday for Senior Day, where they will face Jacksonville State in what is now a must-win game. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
The loss to Liberty was a reminder of the Hilltoppers’ vulnerabilities, particularly when facing a strong running team that can control the clock and dictate the pace of the game. While WKU’s offense showed flashes of brilliance, turnovers and struggles to stop the run proved to be their undoing. The Hilltoppers will need to regroup quickly and find a way to put together a complete performance against Jacksonville State if they hope to have any chance of competing for a Conference USA title. The stakes are high, and with one final chance to make a statement, Western Kentucky will have to bring their best football to the field in order to keep their championship hopes alive.
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