SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Western Kentucky v. Western Michigan

Who will WIN this matchup?

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4)

Western Michigan Broncos (7-5)

Current odds:

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: (-160)

Western Michigan Broncos: (+140)

•  The line for this game is Western Kentucky by 3.5 points.

• When Western Kentucky travels to Dallas on Dec. 30 to take on Western Michigan in the First Responder Bowl, it will mark a major turnaround for the Hilltoppers under first-year head coach Tyson Helton, going 8-4 after finishing just 3-9 in 2018 and losing to FCS Central Arkansas to begin this season. En route to their sixth bowl in eight seasons, the Hilltoppers defeated four Conference USA bowl teams and power-five opponent Arkansas. Helton was named the C-USA Coach of the Year, an award his father, Kim, won as head coach of Houston in 1996, the first father-son duo to win the award in the conference’s history.

• Western Michigan is appearing in its fifth bowl game in the last six years and second straight under third-year head coach Tim Lester. The Broncos did so behind a strong offense that was second in the Mid-American Conference with 34.2 points per game, good enough for 25th in the country. Senior LeVante Bellamy proved to be one of the most effective running backs in the nation, leading the way with 23 rushing touchdowns while his 1,412 rushing yards rank ninth best, leading to him being named Offensive Player of the Year in the MAC.

• The Hilltoppers had the best scoring defense in C-USA, limiting opponents to just over 20 points a game, good for 21th in the nation. The defense also ranks sixth in the nation in third-down conversion percentage (.293) and 15th in red zone defense (.733). The unit was led by junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone, whose 21 tackles for loss was tied for fourth in the nation while his 10 sacks left him tied for 11th, leading to a first-team All-Conference USA selection.

• Graduate-transfer quarterback Ty Storey started the last nine games after starter Steven Duncan went down with a foot injury, throwing for 2,209 yards and 12 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Storey was throwing to a pair of receivers that earned all-conference honors in Lucky Jackson and Jahcour Pearson, one of just four duos in the country to have at least 70 catches each, with Jackson heating up at the end of the season with 52 receptions for 772 yards and three scores in the final six games. Junior running back Gaej Walker, who switched to the position in the spring, was second in C-USA with 1,115 rushing yards, thanks to reaching the 100-yard plateau seven times, and led the team with eight rushing touchdowns.

• Quarterback Jon Wassink was named third-team all-conference after finishing in the top four in completions (222), total passing yards (2,904), yards per game (242) and passing touchdowns (19). Wide receiver Skyy Moore led the team with 734 receiving yards, fourth in the conference and good enough for a first-team nod, though when the Broncos got in the red zone, Wassink was looking for senior tight end Giovanni Ricci, who was also named to the first team after hauling in eight touchdowns, the most in the conference. On the other side of the ball, junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward led the team with five sacks and 69 solo tackles.