Monday, December 30, 2019

Western Kentucky makes first bowl trip to Texas for SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are headed to Dallas, Texas to face the Western Michigan Broncos in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 30, 2019 at SMU's Gerald J Ford Stadium.

The Hilltoppers are making their sixth bowl appearance since 2012 after it’s 2012 Little Caesars Bowl appearance ended a drought dating back to 1975, which they lost in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. WKU is 7-4 all-time in bowl games and 3-2 in the FBS era. 

Tyson Helton, in his first season as a head coach, was named the C-USA Coach of the Year. With a win, Helton would help the program earn its ninth win of the year to equal the total of 2017 and 2018 wins combined. Helton joins his father, Kim Helton, as the only father-son duo to be named Coach of the Year in the C-USA’s 25-year history in any sport. 

Junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone was named the 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Malone racked up 21.0 tackles for loss (11th in the nation) with 11.5 sacks. Malone averages 7.5 total tackles per game. 

Senior quarterback Ty Storey earned the 2019 C-USA Newcomer of the Year honor after tossing 12 touchdowns, 2,209 yards and just five interceptions. Topping his former squad Arkansas in November, he was 22-of-32 on the way to being named the Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week, a first in program history.

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