Western Kentucky defeated Old Dominion 38-35 in overtime to win the Famous Toastery Bowl in one of the biggest bowl comebacks of recent history.
The Monarchs dominated the first twenty minutes of the game. Old Dominion scored its fourth touchdown just two minutes into the second quarter, an 11-yard run from quarterback Grant Wilson that made the lead 28-0 well before halftime.
For much of the game, it seemed the Hilltoppers couldn’t get out of their own way. Western Kentucky turned the ball over five times, including a pick-six early in the first quarter. The team battled back slightly, scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to seven points, but wide receiver Craig Burt Jr. coughed up the team’s third fumble with five minutes left to seemingly seal their fate.
The special teams unit contributed to the comeback effort, however. The Hilltoppers forced a 47-yard field goal attempt and blocked it to keep the deficit at one score. The offense took nine plays to drive 64 yards after the blocked kick, but the Old Dominion defense forced them into a fourth and goal from the 15-yard line.
With his back against the wall, Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Veltkamp found K.D. Hutchinson at the buzzer for his fifth touchdown pass of the game to force overtime.
After a missed field goal by Old Dominion in overtime, Western Kentucky walked the game off with a 29-yard field goal attempt to cement the comeback.
Here are the best images from Western Kentucky’s miraculous victory.