Tag: western kentucky

Western Kentucky to debut fantastic helmets against UTEP

Western Kentucky with quite the helmet game when it plays UTEP

Western Kentucky will make quite the helmet statement when it faces UTEP on Oct. 10.

The Hilltoppers put together a smart video on social media featuring their lovable mascot.

Check out the wonderful work that leads to the unveiling of a special helmet that proudly props the mascot, Big Red.

No. 16 Lady Vols defeat Western Kentucky in five sets

Tennessee volleyball defeats Western Kentucky in five sets.

No. 16 Tennessee (4-2) defeated Western Kentucky (4-3), 25-22, 15-25, 25-12, 23-25, 15-11, Tuesday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Nina Cajic was the Lady Vols’ leading hitter as she totaled 17 kills. She also finished with 13 digs and five blocks.

Paityn Chapman recorded 15 kills, eight digs, five blocks and a .364 hitting percentage. Keondreya Granberry totaled 11 kills, 11 blocks, one dig and a .558 hitting percentage.

Redshirt sophomore Caroline Kerr was Tennessee’s leading passer with 50 assists. Defensively, she recorded 12 digs. Kerr also totaled six kills, two blocks and one ace.

Emily Beeker and Hayden Kubik finished with nine kills each. Kubick recorded 12 digs, while Beeker totaled three blocks for the Lady Vols.

4 pettiest moments from college football Week 2: Auburn (and Paul Finebaum) are down bad

And Lane Kiffin makes an appearance, because of course

Week 2 of college football always feels a bit less petty than Week 1.

It’s not Week 2’s fault. When fans have all offseason to prepare for the first game of the year, there’s always going to be a bit more smack talk — and a lot more comeuppance.

Never fear, Week 2 this season wasn’t totally devoid of pettiness. And a lot of that has to do with a few SEC teams learning they play some dang good football out West, too.

But we begin in Kentucky, where another white out game has been ruined by the visiting team.

Eastern Kentucky tries (and fails) to ruin Western Kentucky’s white out

This was a very good try by Eastern Kentucky after Miami (FL) successfully pulled off this trick in Week 1 against Florida. However, unlike Florida, Western Kentucky’s white out went on as planned. Also unlike Florida, the Hilltoppers went on to smack their in-state opponent, 31-0.

Then they got to really rub it in.


EKU falls to 0-2 by a combined score of 87-7. Woof.

Arkansas’ Marquise Robinson “domination” talk backfires at Oklahoma State

Remember a year ago when South Alabama shockingly upset Oklahoma State 33-7 in Stillwater? Marquise Robinson does. The defensive back had two solo tackles and an interception for the Jaguars. So after transferring to Arkansas for the 2024 season, he was all amped up for another trip to Stillwater.

“I feel like when we got back this time it’s gonna be a domination,” Robinson said leading up to the game.

You know who else remembers that game? Everyone in Stillwater. And they heard Robinson’s words, too. Maybe if Arkansas had played him, the Razorbacks wouldn’t have choked away a 14-point lead at halftime. Instead, the Cowboys won 39-31 in double overtime and quarterback Alan Bowman got to throw Robinson’s words right back in his face.

Auburn and Paul Finebaum get a taste of California love

The California Golden Bears arrived in Auburn as 10.5-point underdogs and left with one of the most satisfying wins of the season so far.

Not just because the ACC school (still weird!) forced five turnovers while out-gaining the Tigers, 332 yards to 286. Not just because Cal held Auburn to two scores in the 21-14 victory. But because the typical SEC elitests never even believed Cal could compete in this one.

Whoops!

And, naturally, Lane Kiffin got in on the fun.

ASU rings the bell after beating Mississippi State

Speaking of former Pac-12 teams asserting their dominance over the SEC, Arizona State — picked to finish last in the Big 12 — couldn’t wait to troll Mississippi State after picking up a 30-23 victory in Tempe.

No cowbells necessary in the desert. Just victory bells. And also a nice reminder that before we knew them as the Sun Devils, Arizona State’s team in the 1920s were officially recognized as the Bulldogs — 40 years or so before MSU changed to that name.

 


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Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky turns into color war

Why is Western Kentucky upset with Eastern Kentucky before they play?

Talk about turning a rivalry up a notch or 10.

Western Kentucky planned a “white out” for its game with Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. The July announcement meant players would be in white from helmet to socks. The fans were asked to wear all white to further set the scene.

That seemed innocent until Eastern Kentucky alerted Western of its plans to wear white uniforms at the game.

Western posted a message on Twitter saying it had hoped to work out an arrangement with Eastern as it had with other schools so it could wear white uniforms.

Not happening and Western Kentucky will wear red uniforms and likely will want to leave Eastern Kentucky with some kind of red on its uniforms after the Hilltoppers’ home opener.

How to watch the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

How to watch Alabama’s season opener against Western Kentucky.

The Alabama Crimson Tide plays the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Crimson Tide open their 2024 campaign and the Kalen DeBoer era in primetime fashion against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky. Despite the departure of legendary head coach Nick Saban and a handful of other key players, Alabama remains one of the strongest rosters in the country. Western Kentucky finished last season with an 8-5 record including a bowl victory over Old Dominion while the Crimson Tide were SEC Champions and a CFP contender. 

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
  • Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: FuboTV (Watch Here)

Injuries:

  • N/A

2023 Alabama Leaders:

  • QB Jalen Milroe: 187/284 completions, 2,834 yards, 23 TD 6 INT, 140 carries, 468 yards, 12 TD
  • RB Justice Haynes: 25 carries, 168 yards, 2 TD
  • WR Kobe Prentice: 18 receptions, 314 yards, 2 TD 

Tennessee baseball announces two fall exhibition games

Tennessee baseball will play two fall exhibition games in 2024.

Tennessee won its first baseball national championship in school history during the 2024 season.

Tony Vitello enters his eighth season as the Vols’ head coach. He also guided Tennessee to three College World Series appearances, two Southeastern Conference Tournament championships and two SEC regular-season titles.

In preparation for Vitello’s eighth season in 2025, Tennessee will play two fall exhibition baseball games.

The Vols will play Western Kentucky on Oct. 25 at First Horizon Park in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A affiliate Nashville Sounds.

Tennessee will also play Troy on Oct. 27 at Jackson Baseball Stadium, home of the Prospect League’s Jackson Rockabillys, in Jackson, Tennessee.

Game times and ticket information for both games will be announced at a later date.

PHOTOS: Tony Vitello through the years

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Notre Dame Leprechaun randomly appears in EA Sports College Football

Have you experienced anything like this in the game?

College football fans have been all about EA Sports College Football 25, which was released this week. The reviews among fans have been glowing and rightfully so. But as hard as EA tried to perfect this video game, a few mistakes ended up slipping through the cracks.

A podcaster named Jason Kirk is among those who bought the game. He played one contest between Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State. When it was over, he noticed something unusual enough that he posted a screenshot to social media:

Yep, that’s the Notre Dame Leprechaun somehow celebrating a win with the Owls’ cheerleaders in Bowling Green. This apparently isn’t the only such instance because the replies to this tweet indicated that unrelated mascots were popping up in other games.

Chalk this up to a history of glitches in EA football games. One oldie but goodie popped up in Madden NFL 2007 (warning: NSFW language):

Sigh. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Alabama’s all-time record against Week 1 opponent, Western Kentucky

Alabama a new era under Kalen DeBoer as they take on Western Kentucky in Week 1. How have they fared against the Hilltoppers in the past?

The 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football season begins on Aug. 31 at home in Bryant-Denny Stadium against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Along with a new season beginning, a new era of Alabama football gets underway, as well, with Kalen DeBoer taking over as head coach for the now-retired Nick Saban.

Alabama has had a string of tough opponents in Week 1, which often takes place in neutral sites against ranked teams. However, in recent seasons, the Tide has taken on non-conference, un-ranked opponents at home.

In 2024, Western Kentucky will be the first team tasked with taking on a new-look Crimson Tide program. This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams and the Hilltoppers are still searching for win No. 1 in the all-time series.

The first time the Tide and Hilltoppers met was in 2008, when Saban’s second Alabama team earned a dominant 41-7 win.

Then, in the memorable 2012 season, Saban once again got the best of Western Kentucky, defeating the Willie Taggart-led team in shutout fashion, 35-0.

The most recent meeting came in 2016, when Alabama, en route to a national championship appearance, got the win with a final score of 38-10.

To sum up the relatively short series, it’s an offensive spectacle for the Crimson Tide, paired with strong defensive performances, leading to a high-scoring affair for Alabama, and a fight to reach the end zone for the Hilltoppers.

This game will have many fans from across the nation tuned in on Aug. 31, not because of it being a primetime matchup between two College Football Playoff hopefuls, but because it will be the first time in nearly two decades that Nick Saban won’t be on the sidelines for the Crimson Tide to start the season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Kentucky basketball will host Western Kentucky in the 2024-25 season

Kentucky basketball will face Western Kentucky in the 2024-25 season.

A lot of fans weren’t happy with the hire of coach Mark Pope as the new head of Kentucky basketball, but many were supportive. He has begun to turn their opinions around, first by building what appears to be a really good, exciting roster. Now, he’s working on scheduling what should be a fun game versus Western Kentucky for next season.

The Wildcats and the Hilltoppers don’t have a long history together. They have only met seven times, with Kentucky winning five. Their last match-up was in 2021, with the Cats winning 95 – 60.

The news of the plans was reported by Matt Norlander of CBS, who stated:

Mark Pope (and) UK officials want to have at least one intra-Kentucky matchup for the fans in Pope’s first season.

Last season, the Hilltoppers were an NCAA Tournament team, and they had their seventh straight winning season. They are almost always a solid team, and won’t be just an easy win on the calendar, but it will be a fun match-up for fans of both teams.

Report: Saints to host Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley on pre-draft visit

Report: New Orleans Saints to host Western Kentucky slot receiver Malachi Corley on official 30 visit before 2024 NFL draft

Malachi Corley is a popular name in the final weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL draft. The Western Kentucky wideout will be making an official 30 visit to meet with the New Orleans Saints in Metairie, per uSTADIUM, which reports that ten different teams are flying Corley in for formal meetings at their headquarters.

Often mischaracterized as “top 30 visits,” these consist of interviews with team brass as well as position coaches and tours of the facility. Teams like the Saints aren’t necessarily targeting the 30 highest-rated players on their board, so much as seeking more information on prospects who they don’t know that well. That could be due to either playing at a smaller program, incomplete athletic testing in combine drills, or simple scheduling conflicts earlier in the process. Draft prospects with medical questions or character concerns are also often brought in for these official visits, which are capped at 30 for each team.

So what’s the deal with Corley? He weighed in at 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds (closer in size to Alvin Kamara than any receivers on the Saints’ roster) and posted good, not great, times in the 40-yard dash (4.49) and short shuttle (4.22). That gave him a tentative Relative Athletic Score of 7.76 which is beneath the Saints’ usual standards, so it’s possible they want him to run the three-cone drill and go through the vertical and broad jumps privately in order to round out his scouting report.

But enough about that: what can he do on the field? Corley was a dynamic slot receiver at Western Kentucky, lining up outside on just 13.5%, 7.7%, and 3.0% of his routes the last three years. He’s impressive after the catch — Corley averaged 8.6 yards after the catch per reception last year, a yard shy of his average (9.7) the year before. He’s scored 29 touchdowns and converted 137 first downs in his Hilltoppers career. He’d be a good fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense as someone who can make a play with the ball in his hands. Corley currently projects as a second-round draft pick.

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