Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton has led the Hilltoppers to bowl eligibility so far in 2022 and has them near the top of the Conference USA standings.
His offense is also among the nation’s best thanks to quarterback Austin Reed, who has thrown 31 touchdown passes to eight different receivers.
It is no wonder that Helton is excited to take his team into SEC territory for a chance to truly see just how good his team is. He gets to do that this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium against the Auburn Tigers.
Helton says that Auburn stands out among fellow Power Five programs due to its overwhelming gameday atmosphere.
“I’ve always felt like our guys really liked playing in the big arenas. We have good history here at WKU of playing teams that are Power Five opponents and having success. So I don’t think we look much into that,” Helton said during his preview press conference. “I think it’s more of a great honor to have the ability to play at a place like Auburn and to play in front of a crowd that’s one of the best in college football, to be honest with you.”
Helton took notice of Auburn’s fans during last Saturday’s win over Texas A&M. He came away impressed with their dedication despite the season not going the way Tiger fans had hoped.
“That says a lot about their program and how passionate they are. And I think it really helped the team,” Helton said. “There’s a lot of pride and honor there. We have a lot of pride and honor on our football team too. So we’re just excited for that opportunity to go to a place like Auburn and play them.”
The Hilltoppers enter Saturday’s game with a 7-4 record and have won two straight games. Western Kentucky earned bowl eligibility last Saturday at home by defeating Rice, 45-10.
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